Shawn

Ashmore
on McKellen
and X-Men
Darren
Hayes
on the return
of Kate Bush
Latrice
Royale
on prison and
Drag Race
Michael
Cashman
The story of a
true gay hero
Jared Leto
& Matthew
McConaughey
talk Dallas Buyers Club
Denise Pearson / Sam Bailey / Megan Mullally / Ashley Roberts / Elaine Paige
JUNE 2014 UK 4.30
THE ORIGINAL GAY MAGAZINE
SMACK MY
WITCH UP!
Disneys evil
ladies get a GT
makeover

T
h
e

m
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t
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a
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d
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f
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P
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3
0
Y
E
A
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S
O
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A
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IM
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Meet
MATTHEW
CAMP
star of gay movie
Getting Go
PREACHING
GAY HATE
THE RISE OF
EVANGELICAL
MISSIONARIES
Editor DARREN SCOTT
Assistant Editor RYAN BUTCHER
Staff Writer BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH
Outgoing Assistant Editor LEE DALLOWAY
Design & Art Direction MARK KING
Style and Grooming LLOYD-SCOTT TYLER
Music BOB HENDERSON
Editor-at-large JOHN MARRS
Columnists PJ BRENNAN, BENJAMIN COHEN, THE
GUYLINER, EDD KIMBER, ALAN ROSENTHAL, PAUL
THORN, MICHELLE VISAGE, MIKEY WALSH
Contributors LANDIS SMITHERS, JOE
MCCORMICK, CHAD SELLS, SIMON BUTTON,
RICHARD BARBER, ANDREW WILLIAMS, DARREN
HAYES, MATT PEAKE, LUKE SMITH, TIM MITCHELL,
MIKE HIRD, MILO WAKELIN, JUSTIN MYERS, TOM
JONES, PERRY JUBY, JOSHUA HAMMOND, LIAM
LESLIE, DARRELL LARKIN, DOMINIC HOLBROOK,
NICK VERELL, FRANCESCA MCPHERSON, ALEX
MANSFIELD, KEVIN HOLDSWORTH, JORDAN
WEBB, NEILA PROBLEMO
Pug-at-large TOBY
Thanks to OLLIE CHARLES (Peccadillo), EMMA
ELWOOD (LD Communications), CHLOE ADAMS
and MONICA MACASIEB (Fox), GEMMA COX
and NATACHA CLARKE (Disney), NICK FIVEASH
(Nick Fiveash PR), DOMINIC COLLETT (Sky), DAN
DEACON (Deacon Communications), BETH HEATH
NETHERTON (Impressive PR), KAREN DUFFY
(Atlantic Books), NATASHA BOUTON (All Starr
Management), ALLAN ANDERSON (PositivelyUK),
TOMMY DICKINSON (University of Manchester),
JONNY BENJAMIN (Finding Mike), MARION CLUNE
(Manchesterford PR)
Production & Distribution Manager
ALEXANDER SMITH
Marketing & Advertising Designer LUKE BENJAMIN
IT & Digital Management FERNANDO SAFONT
Magazine Marketing Executive LLOYD PHILLIPS
Management Accountant ARNAUD SEGUIN
GT Advertising Sales KEITH MCDONNELL
020 7424 7406 keith@gaytimes.co.uk
CIassied Advertising SaIes ASH ALLIBHAI
020 7424 7451 ash@millivres.co.uk
Escort Advertising Sales RAJ VALENTINO
020 7424 7457 escorts@gaytimes.co.uk
Editorial 020 7424 7400 Fax 020 7424 7401
Sales/Distribution 020 7424 7400 Fax 020 7424 7401
Editorial e-mail edit@gaytimes.co.uk
Advertising e-mail advertising@gaytimes.co.uk
Website gaytimes.co.uk
Postal address GT, Spectrum House, Unit M,
32-34 Gordon House Road, London, NW5 1LP
Newstrade distribution: Conde Nast and National
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Printed in the UK by: Wyndeham Group
Disclaimer: All copyrights and trademarks are recognised
PUBLISHED BY MILLIVRES PROWLER LTD
Non-executive Chairman CHRIS GRAHAM-BELL
Managing Director SIMON TOPHAM
Media & Marketing Director KIM WATSON
Operations Director ROBERT HANWELL
Financial Director ANTHONY MARTIN
2014 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,
social or political orientation of such persons or organisations. What next? No
pavement? No shop? No responsibility can be assumed for any unsolicited
materials, and submission is construed as permission to publish without further
correspondence and the fee payable (if any) at our usual rates. Advertisers are
advised that all copy is their sole responsibility under the Trades Protections Act
and must comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers.
[06/14]
Email edit@gaytimes.co.uk
Facebook gaytimes
Twitter @gaytimesmag
Instagram gaytimesmag
Snapchat gaytimesmag
6 gaytimes.co.uk
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GT433 JUN 2014
How annoying. Well, its
quite a lot more than just
annoying actually, but
swearing here wouldnt be
big or clever now, would
it? The Northern Ireland
Assembly has yet again
rejected a motion calling for same-sex marriage.
Sigh. Its maddening that equal marriage is
STILL being denied to people be it this close
to home (thats London, in case you didnt
know) or indeed anywhere, and so soon after so
many celebrations in England and Wales. And
its not that I even want to get married, as Im
sure Ive made clear in the past. Its not just
about that particular drum that many feel has
been banged to the point of boredom, but I do
want the same equal rights as everyone else.
And two of our features this month particularly
hammer that point home to me in one, the sheer
ludicrousness of the hate thats being preached
against gay people across the world. In another,
the incredible fight that Michael Cashman has
engaged in for the last four decades on our behalf.
One feature is terrifying, the other humbling. In
another, we take a look at the moments that have
defined various Pride events over the years
again, its incredibly humbling. And thats why
its annoying, thats why its maddening that
these ridiculous dinosaurs from yesteryear can
STILL be permitted to deny human beings the
right to be treated equally. I do want to swear,
Im particularly good at it. Instead Ill just think
happy thoughts... One of those will be that people
in Northern Ireland (and everywhere else) will be
able to look at our new regular marriage coverage
yes, weve put pets, parents and partners
together, at last and feel it finally applies to them
as well. Darren Scott @darren_scott
COVER IMAGE LANDIS SMITHERS
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
rst
08 Fitty at the front
18 Mikey Walsh
20 Latrice Royale
22 Michelle Visage
26 Sweetie, Darling?
news
28 Criminalising homosexuality
30 News debate
32 30 Things: Pride
35 Ben Cohen
36 Heroes: Michael Cashman
features
40 Getting Go: Matthew Camp
50 X-Men: Shawn Ashmore
57 Malifcent: Wicked Queens
64 Dallas Buyers Club:
McConaughey and Leto
68 Elaine Paige: Petite actress
style
73 Festival chic
80 Home style
entertainment
86 Music: Denise Pearson
90 Music: Darren Hayes
94 Print: Damon Galgut
100 Screen: Megan Mullally
103 Geek
104 Tech
real life
107 Reader`s lives
108 The Guyliner
111 PJ Brennan
112 Depression
118 Home life
120 Edd Kimber
121 Alan Rosenthal
122 Fitness
125 HIV
travel
127 Letter from
128 Halkidiki
130 Marrakesh
[contents]
gaytimes.co.uk 7
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gaytimes.co.uk 8
GUYS
GONE
WILD
Recognise Ukrainian pop boys
Kazaky? They appeared fierce-
ly, in heels in Madonnas Girl
Gone Wild video. With three
albums and nine singles under
their belts (they dont need belts
for these skin-tight trews), the
(now) trio are back, back, back
with a new single this month.
Flawless. kazaky.com
I
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M
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[06/14]
[first]
9 gaytimes.co.uk
It was originally going to be called
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,
but for legal reasons with Disney we
had to scrap it, says Dru Wakely,
one third of The Midnight Beast. So
we had to create our own word
Swaggerliciousyolohelladopeness.
Were sat with the band in a South
London cafe to talk their new album
Shtick Heads, and while were
trying to pick our favourite hey,
the boys cater for a lot of tastes
theyre talking about the many
people theyve rubbed the wrong
way to get to this point in their
young careers. Bandmate Stefan
Abingdon laughs: We just piss a
lot of people off. We had to change
the album cover so many times
for websites Amazon werent too
happy. You might know the band
from their hit E4 series, their top
ten eponymous album from 2012, or
you might be one of the 14 million
people whove watched their
videos on YouTube yes, really,
14 million. But if you dont know
the pop-rap comedy group yet
(whereve you been?), youre going
to want to check out their corking
new album. And hey, pissing off
Disney and Amazon? Everyone
loves a bad boy, right?
Shtick Heads is released 2 June. Check
out gaytimes.co.uk for the full exclusive
interview with TMB at the end of May.
themidnightbeast.com, @midnightbeastuk
ouch!
[06/14]
[first]
UNLEASH THE
BEAST
10 gaytimes.co.uk
gaytimes.co.uk 12
When Chris Pratt isnt posting topless selfies while wearing
tiny pants and hey, after that much weight loss, who can
blame him? hes busy starring in Marvels upcoming summer
blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy. Chris plays Peter Quill,
otherwise known as Star-Lord, alongside pro-wrassler Dave
Bautista and the, ahem, vocal talents of Vin Diesel. Oh, Bradley
Cooper is in it too, but hes also lending his voice and to a
genetically-engineered Raccoon, no less. This might mean no
gratuitous torso shots from Bradley, but with Chris looking this
good, we might just have a new Hollywood crush. Actually,
Bradley, we need to talk... its not you...
Guardians of the Galaxy will be coming to a cinema near you on 1 August
IN A
GALAXY
NOT SO
FAR, FAR
AWAY...
marvel-ous
[06/14]
SPEED
DATE
Until 31 May
Pride season is just
around the corner,
but if you want to
go to one of the
best in the country
Manchester you
can bag a four-day
weekend ticket now
for just 18. Hurry
up, though, price
goes up from 1
June. manchester-
pride.com
From 11 May
Dust off your leather
jackets one of our
all time favourite
rock goddesses
and bona fde gay
icon Courtney Love
fnally returns to the
UK. The original
wild child will play
nine dates, start-
ing at London`s
Shepherd`s Bush.
seetickets.com
17 May
Haterz gonna hate,
but not on the
International Day
Against Homopho-
bia and Transpho-
bia. With more than
200 events taking
place across the UK
alone, there`s plenty
opportunity to stand
up and be proud.
dayagainsthomo-
phobia.org
From 17 May
Mothers, lock up
your sons, RuPaul`s
right-hand woman
and GT`s very own
Michelle Visage will
be turning things
up when she hits
good ol` Blighty.
She`s in Glasgow
frst, followed by
Manchester and
London. michelle-
visage.com
From 24 May
English Wine
Week is a time
to celebrate all
things red, white
and ros. Whether
it`s a vineyard tour
or you just fancy
sinking a bottle or
two, there`s plenty
going on to treat
your tastebuds.
englishwineweek.
co.uk
Sure, were nearly half
way through the year,
but that doesnt mean
its too late to buy a
calendar, does it?
Especially when its
a bunch of lads from
the Royal Marines
quite literally going
commando. And all
while raising money
for charity, to boot.
Proceeds from this
go towards the Royal
Marines Charitable
Trust Fund, which
helps military families
in need. Fit, muscular
guys in the buff and
all for a good cause?
OK, sod it, well take
a dozen.
The 2014 Go Commando calendar is
available from gocommando.org.uk, at
just 5. Bargain
Atennnnnshun!
[first]
13 gaytimes.co.uk
Shes baaaaaaack Almost 15 years since Miss Saigon packed
her bags and left Londons West End, but this powerful
production is back, returning to the Prince Edward Theatre this
month, bigger and better than ever. With Jon Jon Briones as The
Engineer, Eva Noblezada as Kim and the devilishly handsome
Alistair Brammer who first caught our eye in Les Misrables
as Chris, we cant think of a better way to spend an afternoon
in the West End than with sleazy bar girls, a sing-along love
story and a whole lot of eye candy. Since premiering way back
in 1981, Miss Saigon has won more than 40 awards. While the
accolades speak for themselves, this backstage rehearsal shot
should be enough to whet your appetite. miss-saigon.com
island life
[06/14]
[first]
14
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Being stranded
on a desert island
with a bunch of
guys might sound
like paradise to
some, but for
25-year-old Dean
Smith, a gay
hairdresser from
London, it was
IiteraIIy a ght for
survival. Dean and
12 others from
across the country
were marooned
on a remote
island by Bear
Grylls. Covered in
thick jungle and
swamp, they had
only a handful of
knives and a day's
survival training to
see them through
for a month. The
rest was up to
them. Recording
their experiences
themselves
with camera
equipment, the
footage has been
whittled down into
ChanneI 4's new
series The Island;
a raw, exhilarating
tale of survival
about what it
really means to
be masculine
in 2014. And as
Dean exclusively
tells GT, for him,
that was about
proving wrong
the stereotype
that gays can't be
men...
Keep on survivin
----------

I needed to prove this point

that it doesnt matter what
sexuality you are, what your
preference is, what you do for a
living, how much tan you use...
it doesnt matter. Were all the
same, we all bleed red and were
all the same people.

----------

Im not Gandhi, but if I can

change a small majority of
straight guys who assume or
judge you right away because
of who you are, then Ive done
my job.

----------

If these blokes all from

different walks of life that Ive
never met before dont care that
Im gay, why should anyone else
care? Its not a big thing.

----------
Catch The Island with Bear Grylls on Channel
4, Mondays from 9pm
gaytimes.co.uk
SUBSCRIBE TO GT TODAY
TAKE OUT A PRINT SUBSCRIPTION TODAY TO GET YOURS!
VISIT WWW.GTSUB.CO.UK & ENTER GTSUBSCOVER
*OFFER ENDS 12/12/2014
EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER COVERS
Too steamy for the shops!
gaytimes.co.uk 16
I paint pictures and things like
that, but does that then make me
an artist? Manchesters Conor
Collins asks us contemplatively. If
I stand up and tell a few jokes, am I a
stand-up comedian or am I someone
who tells jokes? Its a surprisingly
humble self-assessment from
someone whose work has been
touted for the National Art Prize and
Saatchi Shortlist.
The 24-year-old first started
painting while in his second year of
studying opera. The most annoying
thing was that during my second
year, I was like oh fuck I dont want
to be an opera singer, he explains,
I want to be a painter! And despite
only putting brush to canvas for three
years, Conors already been hotly
tipped as one to watch in 2014.
His recent portrait of Tom
Daley ingeniously composed of
homophobic tweets from the day
the Olympic diver came out set the
Twittersphere a-buzz and has been
celebrated by a whos who of gay
celebs, like Stephen Fry and even
Mr Daley himself.
You cant paint a sociological
painting without showing the
dark side of society, Conor tells
us. Tom Daley is stunning, and
that makes the painting beautiful,
because hes a very good looking
guy. So theres a nice side to show
with the words from the dark side of
Britain. The side that, when he came
out, said things like you fag homo,
youve lost a fan.
Conors other works make an
equally-powerful statement.
Another one of his paintings
depicts our, ahem, ol pal Vladimir
Putin (boo! hiss!) using prominent
names of the LGBT community
particularly ones whove shaped the
modern world as we know it.
Then, in protest against Russias,
well, yknow, Conor decided to
censor his own work, painting
over the names that made up the
portrait one by one. What Conor
had left was a scarred, blank
canvas and a stark message to
Mr Putin that despite his ruthless
oppression of our kind, if you
discriminate against the LGBT
community then youre left with
nothing. Absolutely nothing.
It was done out of a bit of anger
really, Conor admits. Well, a lot of
anger, if Im honest. And it was the
right time to do it with the Winter
Olympics being in Russia. If they
werent, I think there wouldve been
Hes caught the
eye of Stephen Fry,
been featured in
The Independent
and set Twitter on
fire with his unique
brand of gay-
activist painting
tackling bigots and
homophobes. Now,
GT talks to 24-year-
old Conor Collins,
the classically
handsome face
leading a new
generation of gay
artists
WORDS DOMINIC HOLBROOK
art attack
[06/14]
less press publicity around their
horribly homophobic legislation.
I wanted to show that were part
of society as we know it and, if you
try to remove us, its just a scar
thats left. It was a bit of an activist
piece. Im trying, generally, to be
a bit more politically alert, really.
But I couldnt not paint it. I just had
to paint it. If someone had tried
paying me 100 not to paint it, I just
wouldnt have taken the money and
painted it anyway.
It was quite therapeutic to get rid
of the painting, though, because I
hated seeing his face on the canvas
with a passion. Its a terrible thing to
hate someone like that, but I hate him
because he has the power change
things for the better, and he doesnt.
As well as Olympic heroes and
Russian autocrats, Conors work
has also been influenced by iconic
figures such as Quentin Crisp.
Hes the biggest inspiration for
me as an artist. I love his work and
his witticisms. His view of the world
was that if youre open and honest
about everything that makes you
fantastic and wonderful, and also
about everything that makes you
grumpy and miserable, and show it
on the outside, then you have style
and sincerity. I try to do that with
my paintings. So I had to paint him.
Im very happy thats hanging in an
embassy in London.
This isnt to say that that the artistic
process is easy, though.
You have to market your stuff,
says Conor. You have to tweet it,
stick it on Tumblr, Instagram; you
have to do everything, constantly
pushing it out there, because you
cant just be an excellent painter.
You have to be a business person
as well. Especially if you want to
reach your goals.
Which are?
Id like to be the Bold washing
powder of art, he says with a wry
smile on his face. In every home,
just nice enough, everyones got
one and everyone can enjoy it.
I had someone say to me Conor,
youll be the jack of all trades and
the master of none. But Im like No,
Ive been in opera, Ive been an
Irish dancer, and now Im a painter
Why cant I do it all?
With the drive, ambition
and talent that this young man
has, we have no doubt that he
certainly can.
For more, visit conartworks.com,
@conartworks
[first]
Tom Daley
is stunning
and that
makes a
beautiful
painting,
so theres
a nice side
to show
with the
words
from the
dark side
of Britain
17 gaytimes.co.uk
Ever have one of
those days when you
just hate everything?
Im allowed to do that, right?
Honestly, I spend so much of my
life living in fear of ever upsetting
someone. Some days I think its
totally healthy to just knock the
fear of bad karma on the head and
embrace it with a healthy loathing
for everything.
I hate the gym. They say that
exercise releases endorphins,
and makes us feel happy and full
of energy Well, I must not be
human. All the gym gets from me
is tears, tantrums and a self-hatred
that takes hours and a bag of
Percy Pigs to shake off.
I hate gym junkies You guys are
just way too beautiful! You cruise
through your leg, arm and arse
days and make your casual gym
announcements online, like it was
as easy as eating a Kinder egg.
Those new Disney Princess ones
by the way, I am ADDICTED.
OK I admit it, you guys ROCK at
this kind of self-discipline, and Im
a chocolate-loving, couch-sitting,
TV-hogging, pizza-loving, onesie-
wearing slob.
And you know, Ive actually been
a member of the gym for more than
a year; I go there three times a
week and I STILL look like a naked
rag doll. This might be due to me
having the same gym routine as
Angela Lansbury in her Positive
Moves workout video, but still. I
just wish having a great body was
as easy as casting a spell. Kinda
like how Mumm-Ra used to do it in
ThunderCats. A few evil words and
he went from crone to DADDY I
can only wish.
Another thing I hate are those
see, we care kind of posts you
see on Twitter: such as ill people
who can be saved with 100,000
retweets.
Yesterday someone posted a
picture of a girl crying on Jeremy
Kyle. The caption was: This girl
is crying because she thinks she
is ugly, lets give this endless
retweets to show her she isnt.
I mean, seriously? Yes, the poor
girl did have a Grotbags perm, but
it was kinda cool, and she wasnt
even tagged in the picture anyway,
so would NEVER have known about
it, or had the chance to even say,
cheers guys, maybe youre right.
By the way, by the time this
appeared in my timeline, it had
reached 78,000 retweets!
While Im on the subject of Twitter,
I hate users who endlessly retweet
compliments. Hashtag it makes
you look like a cunt. I hate when
someone thinks its totally fair
to respond to a lovely message,
just by favouriting it. To me, that
star symbol is a way to say this
conversation is OVER.
I hate Katie Hopkins and the
attention she gets for being a
bigoted horror. Shes doing it cos
it gets her attention, publicity and,
yes, lots of money. I hate even more
that Im even mentioning her here.
Do yourself a HUGE favour if youre
on Twitter, block her and you will
be free of ever seeing her vile
rants retweeted or argued in your
timeline, ever again.
I hate the double standards of gay
mafia bullshit in the media. Bullying,
favouritism, hierarchy, unsupportive
of others its like living in the first
act of Heathers The war shouldnt
be in our own community, assholes!
The last thing I just cant stand are
victims. Not actual victims of tragic
events, but people that constantly
blame the world and everyone
else for their own failings. Theres
nothing that makes my skin crawl
more than hearing someone whos
an absolute shit of a human being,
blame it all on being abused in some
way. What a load of absolute crap.
You know what? This actually
felt damn good to do, and Im only
scratching the surface! Theres
obviously some evil bastard
lurking in me today that needs to
be suppressed maybe I should
actually go and kill him at the gym.
A healthy venting of your spleen is
like a gay mans chicken soup. But not
all the time. Dont let other peoples
stupid ways turn you into a bitch.
Get it off your chest, then out,
and do something that makes you
feel good.
Be good to yourself
all T, all shade.
A healthy
venting
of your
spleen is
like a gay
mans
chicken
soup. But
not all the
time. Dont
let other
peoples
stupid
ways turn
you into a
bitch
THE CONTINUING
ADVENTURES
OF GYPSY BOY
@thatbloodymikey
column
[mikey walsh]
[rst]
gaytimes.co.uk 18

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gaytimes.co.uk 20
BY ROYALE
APPOINTMENT
WORDS LEE DALLOWAY IMAGE GREG BAILEY
I
ts been more than 20 years
since Timothy Wilcots was
dared by friends to enter
a drag competition and
Latrice Royale was unleashed on an
unsuspecting but thankful world.
Immediately a staple on the Florida
queen scene, it wasnt always so
obvious that a star was born from
Latrices grand entrance.
It was not cute, by any stretch of
the matter, says Latrice, laughing.
My friends said that I should enter an
amateur show one Halloween. I did
and I lost, cos I was a mess, honey.
But I felt I could win. So I went back
the next week, got a dress, some
shoes and the hair, and I did win. Now
you cant get me off the stage!
The seeds were sown for Latrices
love of performing with a youth
spent singing in church choirs and
taking part in musical theatre. When
the wigs and lashes came into play,
the two tied together perfectly, and
Latrice went on to win countless
crowns and titles in Florida. But it
was her decision to enter RuPauls
Drag Race that upped her game to
an international level.
While describing the entire
experience as amazing and
undoubtedly life-changing, the
massive glare of the shows spotlight
is something you can never truly
prepare for. I went in with the
intentions of just being an open book
and being myself; sticking to who
I was and maintaining my values,
she remarks. I didnt wanna put on
any airs. I never wanted to lose my
identity for a TV show, but I was not
prepared for some of it.
Television, particularly reality
television, needs big characters and
drama. And Latrice knew that the
past wouldnt remain history. In
the preliminaries of getting onto the
show they do a lot of digging. Thats
how they know who to cast. They
know a lot about you already, which
is good and bad, do you know what I
mean? I wasnt ready to relive some
of the things that I had to deal with,
things Id suppressed for so long.
Latrices past included an
estranged father and a spell in jail,
something she decided to be open
about during the time on Drag Race.
I was concerned that I wouldnt
make it on the show because of that,
she reflects. They were like, you
have to deal with this now; this is the
time. So, I wanted this to be a part
of what I let the world know, cos I
wanted people to see that you can
turn your life around. I think both
they and I thought it was gonna be a
positive thing. And I was ready.
While the exact details of what
happened are unclear, shes been
quoted as saying, All Ill say is, you
dont wanna have prescription pills on
you if you dont have a prescription. It
was a mistake, I learned from it, and I
wont do it again.
Latrice faced the demons from
what she describes as my darkest
day and did so with bravery
and integrity. It was kind of like
therapy, because in dealing with
it, you grow. You let it go. I dont
have that scarlet letter anymore.
Although the past can still come
to bite you in the most unlikeliest
places. Canada still wont let me
in! Huh? I know! Canada is shady,
she says, collapsing into trademark
giggles and adding a delicious
mmmmmmm hmmmmm.
But there are plenty of other
countries Latrice has travelled to,
including a frenzied stop in the UK
where Brit Drag Racers went crazy
for the Royale sass. Shes also been
truly inspired by some of the places
shes strut her stuff.
What really sticks out most to me is
my trip to South Africa. That was really
life changing. To see a different side
of the art, a different perspective, and
those girls over there who are coming
up in the ranks and are inspired by
the US. I was there for the Mixed Gay
[rst]
The unforgettable
Latrice Royale stormed
through the fourth
season of RuPauls Drag
Race like a whirlwind
of fabulous. Bursting
with positivity, wit and
warmth both on and
off stage, we find out
what lifes been like
post-Drag Race
21 gaytimes.co.uk
Question What
steps did you take
to get to your place
and what kept you
smiling during your
journey?! From
@LAMEASSDUNES
Answer Honey, I`ve
so much more to do
before I leave this
Earth. There was
never anything else
I wanted in life more
than to entertain. I was
given gifts to share,
whether people want
to hear them or not!
If you aren`t smiling,
it`s not right. Yes,
everything in life has
major ups and downs,
but if it doesn`t make
you happy at the core,
fnd something that
does. Sometimes it`s
the complete opposite
of what you thought
you`d be doing. Just
be open to it all. Be
present, be aware and
do what makes you
happy.
Western Pageant, and there were a lot
of young contestants, like 16, doing
drag and they have so much support
from their families. I didnt expect that
in South Africa.
One person that inspires Latrice
personally is a little closer to home.
I get a lot of my strength from my
Mum. My mother was a very strong
woman and she instilled those
qualities in me as a young child.
To always keep pushing, never
let obstacles get in your way, and
never use excuses for failure. Block
out the haters. Success is the best
revenge and all you can do is keep
blossoming and flourishing.
Latrice finished fourth in Drag
Race, but has become one of
the most successful and prolific
contestants the shows ever
produced. Not content with making
appearances all over the world, her
latest music video Weight is doing
the business online and theres even
a one-woman show in the works.
After being ordained as a
minister, Latrice also has a side-
gig performing weddings. I just
did a wedding in San Francisco
what you say? Latrice turns to her
boyfriend, who cheekily comments
that Latrice is marrying everyone
except him, to gales of laughter
around the room.
My friend wanted me to marry
him, so I got my licence and he
was the first one I did. It was really
beautiful. The two families, the
tradition of what marriage is and
what a wedding is, just with the fact
that it was a man and a man didnt
matter. it was the same. Its not gay
marriage its just marriage! she
remarks emphatically. I topped it
all off with a little performance at the
reception. I turned it up. I gave them
the whole package deal.
When we get married we want star
of stage, screen and music, Latrice
Motherfucking Royale performing
our ceremony. Shes a brand!
And thats how you do it, honey!
latriceroyale.com, @LatriceRoyale
lifes a drag
[06/14]
[first]
gaytimes.co.uk 22
Hi babies! I have
so much to share
with you this
month, I dont even know where
to begin! First things first, didnt
I tell you that I was gonna go IN
on these bitches this season on
RuPauls Drag Race? I get my fair
share of Twitter agg from some
fans of the show, believe me, Im
not complaining all publicity
is good publicity. But what really
blows me away is just how many
people are beginning to see
that ALLLLLLL my critiques
come from a place of love. It
just so happens that in order to
get to the place of love, I take
a shortcut through the place of
bitch. Makes it more punchy
and increases the chances of
creating a catchy merch slogan.
If yall follow me on Twitter,
youll know by now that Im
going to be a published author!
(If you dont follow me on Twitter
then you need to make that
happen). Yes bitches, not only
does she read, now she writes as
well! The gorgeous publishers at
Chronicle Books have decided
that my debut book, Even Divas
Need a Day Job, is going to go
from dream to reality in fall
2015. Its part memoir, part self-
help book, but on the whole it
is going to be FIERCE. I cannot
wait to share it with you all. Plus,
hello, BOOK TOUR.
Anyway, Im packing my cases as
I type in order to come and see you
all across the pond. I hope youre
all as excited as I am? Im working
on some fun little numbers for you
all and Im going to be bringing
very special #eurovisagetourage
t-shirts just for my UK and Ireland
posse. I cannot wait for you to see
them and better still, see you in
them! I bet youll all look even
more ravishing than usual.
Until next time, you know
what to do. Hit me up on
Twitter, @michellevisage, and
visit michellevisage.com for
the latest news from
the Haus of Visage.
XXX MV
M
i
c
h
e
l
l
e
V
i
s
a
g
e
gaytimes.co.uk 24
He`s best known
for sippin` vodka
martinis and
brandishing a
deadly weapon
(steady now), but
now James Bond
has a license to
hang on your living
room wall with
this new print from
Spineless Classics.
Uniquely designing
the full text of a
book into a single
piece of stunning
wall art, Spineless
Classics boasts
more than 100 titles
in its collection -
everything from
The Picture of
Dorian Gray to
The Wizard of Oz.
And now Ian
Fleming`s fast-
paced thriller
Casino Royale is
the latest to get
the treatment, with
every word from the
original 1953 novel
incorporated into
the design.
We`re reckon it`s
sure to "M"-press
any Bond fans out
there... no? We`ll
see ourselves out.
Available from 39.99
at spinelessclassics.
com
W
E
L
L
H
U
N
G
WATCH
THIS
SPACE
----------
Some of us can only dream of
getting up close and personal
with a bunch of buff Aussie
lads. But now thanks to the
Southbanks Udderbelly
Festival, all you need to make
this a reality is pay the price of
admission. Gravity and Other
Myths, an acrobatic troupe from
Down Under, are bringing their
exhilarating, death-defying
show A Simple Space to the
festival for a six week run. The
five blokes and two women stack
themselves into towers, sling
themselves to the rafters and use
each other as human skipping
ropes although we should
probably take this time to advise
you NOT to try this at home... or
in the bedroom. A Simple Space
is a performance of absolute core
strength, skill and creativity,
enough to make us stop clowning
around and desperately get back
to the gym.
A Simple Space runs from 30 May until 6
July, with tickets priced between 12.50
and 18, udderbelly.co.uk
dont try this at home
[06/14]
Kil ler
instinct
The new normal Its been a long time coming, but one of the
most important gay films for a generation is finally set to hit
the small screen. Written by pioneering gay activist Larry
Kramer and directed by Ryan Murphy of Glee and American
Horror Story fame The Normal Heart is a powerful, hard-
hitting drama about the HIV-AIDS crisis which ravaged New
York Citys gay community in the 80s. Starring megastars like
Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo and Jonathan Groff, its based on the
award-winning 1985 play of the same name. Itll be getting its
big US debut on HBO on 25 May, but those folk at Sky Atlantic
are pulling a few strings to bring it to the UK audience as soon
as possible. Trust us, you wont want to miss this.
Aside from being an
absolute hunk, Dave
Salmoni is a world-
renowned zoologist
and animal behaviour
expert, so we reckon
he knows his way
around a bear or two
(whey). But in his new
show Deadly Islands,
hes setting out to solve
some of the last big
mysteries surrounding
the worlds most
successful natural-
born killers. From
hammerhead sharks
and vampire bats to,
yes, the odd grizzly
or two, Dave lives
alongside the wild
beasts in this gripping
six-part series. With
more close encounters
from predators than a
night out in Vauxhall,
Deadly Islands is more
Indiana Jones than
Animal Planet. Except
without the whips.
That would be Vauxhall
again...
Deadly Islands airs Thursdays at 9pm on
the Discovery Channel
[first]
gaytimes.co.uk 25
Less than a year
ago, Sam Bailey
was an officer of
HM Prison Gartree.
Now shes an X
Factor superstar,
with a new baby
on the way and
a debut album
topping the charts.
GT shared some
pink cuffs with the
pop diva routing
around our sweetie
jar of randomness
WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH
IMAGES JOE MCCORMICK
S
w
e
e
t
i
e
,
D
a
r
l
i
n
g
?
26 gaytimes.co.uk
Which celebs would you like to be
your parents? Oh God, this is a good
question! Id probably say Posh and
Becks, or Sharon and Ozzy. Actually,
Sharon and Ozzy, cos theyd just be
so much fun and Id be allowed to
swear! Sharon, shes just amazing. I
think the whole rock and roll thing
appeals, you know. My dad was a
drummer, he was a musician, so Ive
had the similar sort of experiences.
Having parents that just like a drink
every now and again, and dont mind
saying fuck a lot.
Whats your shower song? Ive
only got a bath at home, so I sing
all sorts in the bath. I do like a bit
of Michael Bolton playing, having a
little bit of a croon.
If you could be an animal, which
animal would you be and why? Id
a monkey, because Im a bit cheeky, a
bit mischievous, and I love bananas.
Have you been getting many
bananas on the road? Well, we have
them in catering quite a bit, so Im
quite partial to a good banana every so
often. I probably eat about three a day.
At the minute I do anyway. [Laughs]
Cats or dogs? Dogs, because Ive
got one and shes really cute. Shes a
Springer Spaniel. Shes smelly and old,
but shes still really cute.
Is it true dogs are like their owners?
Smelly and old?! No, shes not like me
because shes deaf. Im not deaf.
Kylie or Madonna? Madonna, cos
I feel shes got a much better voice
than Kylie. And shes been around a
lot longer.
Whos the sexiest man on the
planet? Bradley Cooper. Bradley
frigging Cooper! Hes just fit, and
hes on my list. Anyone thats in a
relationship, anyone thats married,
they should have a laminated list in
their mind that their partners know
about. And its like, its natural,
you know. I put Kelly Brook and
Michelle Keegan on my husbands,
and hes happy with this, because
in return, Ive got Bradley Cooper.
But I have to say, if Bradley Cooper
ever came up to me and said hello,
I would shit myself and run a mile.
Gotta say, Im all talk.
Are you a crier? Yeah, Im more
of a crier if I get angry. Any films
where theres anything to do with
dogs dying Marley and Me
absolutely ruined me. Anything
thats got like, love scenes and stuff
like that, you know where people
fall in love at the end, stuff like that?
Thats really cute. It gets me.
If you were a kangaroo, what would
you put in your pouch? Food. Because
then Id never go hungry.
Unless you ate it all. Then Id have to
get more food to put in my pouch. No,
actually, Ill change that. Ill probably
put my kids in there. With food.
What would you name your
autobiography? Struggle, because
my whole life has been a struggle.
You know, making ends meet, having
children Everything. Theres always
brick walls in the way of things that you
wanna do. Its been a struggle.
Which superhero would you be?
Id be Superman so that I could fly. Id
love to fly. I could just watch people
from afar. And Id be nowhere itd
be quiet up there, dont you think?
Youd be able to go places where
youd be like, really tranquil. Like, on
the tour at the minute, everybodys
young and loud. If I could fly, I could
just fly up really high and just sit
there and just be quiet. Thats my age
though. Im an old fart.
If you could do anything
without repercussions, what
would it be? If I could do
anything without repercussions?
[Laughs] Rob a bank. Then Id just
have loads and loads of money,
I wouldnt get done for it, and Id
just give it to all my family and
friends, and wed all have nice
houses. Just so that, you know, all
the people that have got loads of
money that dont work for it, Id
take it and give it to the people
that deserve it that do work hard.
And finally Jaffa Cake: cake or
biscuit? I believe its a cake, because
a biscuit to me is crunchy.
Sam`s album, The Power of Love, is out now,
sam-bailey.com, @sambaileyreal
27 gaytimes.co.uk
[rst]
gaytimes.co.uk 28
KILL THE GAYS! THEY CHANT.
Stop sodomy now! protesters
yell, raucous in their passion for the
cause. The cause in question being
Ugandas anti-gay bill their law
designed to banish homosexuality
from the country.
The bill is the work of David Bahati,
an MP for Ugandas nationalist,
socially-conservative ruling party,
the National Resistance Movement.
His top political priority isnt
healthcare or education both
major challenges facing Uganda
but instead, since 2009, it has
been the criminalising of so-called
aggravated homosexuality.
The law has faced international
criticism. In 2010 Barack Obama
referred to the law as odious.
Meanwhile, David Cameron spoke
to this very magazine of his own
volition to confront the likes of Bahati
over their bills, arguing the British
government must always speak out.
Ugandas anti-gay legislation is far
from unique. As if in sync, Nigerias
parliament passed a bill prescribing
jail for anybody caught attending
a gay wedding. A lesser step than
Ugandas law, promising up to life
imprisonment for homosexual
offences, but a clear sign that
Africa is moving in a worrying
direction. And fast.
Homosexuality, obviously, is no
new phenomena. Yet its only in
recent years that some parts of the
world have developed an obsession
with it. Ugandas King Mwanga II,
the countrys leader in the late 19th
century, is widely thought to have
been gay. But on the other hand, 41
Commonwealth nations, mostly in
Africa, criminalise gay sex.
Though British colonialism goes
some way to explaining the spread
of these views, its influence has
long been on the decline. Today
there is a new colonisation: that
of evangelicals. The extremist
missionary is becoming an
ubiquitous sight in Africas poorest
neighbourhoods.
We are just two people, Jesse
and Rachelle, two young American
missionaries, say. What Jesse
and I can do is so limited. But we
can multiply ourselves in these
young people, and they can reach
multitudes. They can reach nations.
This young couple have been
sent by the International House of
Prayer (IHOP) to Uganda. After
spending their teen years at one
of IHOPs Bible schools, theyre
now in Uganda, recruiting as many
of the countrys young as they
can. After all, IHOPs stated aim
is to have missionaries in every
community on the planet by 2020.
God has an army of young
people. I like that word, army. Its
intense. Theyre not a military army
though. They dont have guns they
have Bibles, says Jesse, giggling
enthusiastically.
These interviews were captured
in God Loves Uganda, a new
film following the work of IHOPs
missionaries, with undercover
footage of some of Americas most
potent religious exports, united
behind the idea that homosexuality is
a sin that must be curbed.
Homosexuality does not benefit
the society, one of the pastors
is recorded telling his audience.
It harms people. It harms the
society that embraces it. We need
public policy that discourages
homosexuality.
They are the words of Scott Lively,
a missionary who has been working
to convert Ugandans to his brand of
anti-gay Christianity following 20
analysis
WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH
[06/14]
AS UGANDA AND NIGERIA
OPPRESS THEIR GAY CITIZENS,
GT INVESTIGATES THE RISE OF
THE ANTI-GAY EVANGELICAL
MISSIONARIES RESPONSIBLE
FOR HELPING CRIMINALISE
HOMOSEXUALITY IN ALMOST
EVERY AFRICAN NATION
years of observing homosexuality.
Its not clear what form his study of
homosexuality took, but it led him to
some pretty unlikely conclusions. He
has preached to audiences that gays
were responsible for Nazi Germany,
have taken over the US political
system, and even that we now run the
United Nations.
He holds a set of views that wouldnt
see the light of day in most American
churches. But Lively gained such
reverence in Uganda that he was
afforded four hours addressing their
national parliament on the issue of
tackling homosexuality.
Reverend Kapya Kaoma is a Zambian
native who now lives in the US. He
became so concerned by the spread
of this type of preaching that he went
to Uganda, undercover, to see the
realities for himself.
For some years now I have been
studying the relationship between
American conservatives and Africa,
he said. I was concerned. American
evangelicals are popular in Uganda,
and no one is willing to question them.
The effects of their indoctrination
have been powerful. Uganda has
the youngest population of any
country in the world, with more
than half of its citizens under the
age of 15. Combine that with the
spread of HIV, lack of education
and endemic poverty, and you can
see why Uganda is the most fertile
ground in the world for extremist
missionaries.
After speaking out for LGBT people,
Rev Kaoma found himself facing an
aggressive reaction, worse than even
he had anticipated. I went to Uganda
undercover. I began speaking out. After
that, it became clear that my life was in
danger and I would have to leave.
Uganda passed its anti-gay law
inspired by pastor Lively in
February. Scott Lively is now back in
America, facing a lawsuit for crimes
against humanity, alleged to have
incited the torture and murder of
LGBT people in Uganda.
God Loves Uganda is out on DVD from 19 May.
Visit godlovesuganda.com for more information
[news]
29 gaytimes.co.uk
It can be terribly easy to hear the headlines
about the worst excesses of anti-gay voices from
the church and presume that the right thing to do
is to try to get rid of religion. However, thats too
simplistic an answer. After all, nobody argues that
we should get rid of schools because gay kids get
bullied in them. The right thing to do is to make
schools places where all young people can thrive.
Similarly, society wont be whole, safe and free from
homophobia until faith groups have become places
which are safe for all Gods children and not just
those who happen to be straight.
As a gay man working in a very public level in the
church, running a cathedral, I dont need to be told
any more stories about how bad religion has been
for so many individuals. However, the stories that
very often dont get heard are those from gay and
straight people alike who are not giving up on their
conviction that the creator doesnt make mistakes
when it comes to sexuality and that diversity is a
glorious and godly thing.
In recent years weve seen astonishing change within
the military, the police and all kinds of institutions
that were once places where gay people were treated
badly. If they can change, so can the churches. The
equal marriage legislation has given lots of people
confidence, that they once didnt have, to stand up for
equality. When I go to big decision making meetings
in the life of the church, it is now often straight people
who are arguing for gay equality most loudly.
I preach from the pulpit that equality, dignity and
human rights are the birth right of every human being
regardless of what they believe. Its important to
remember that some of the strongest criticism of the
most oppressive religious voices comes from other
people of faith.
Being gay has been a God-given blessing to me
in my life and the church is the place where I feel
utterly loved.
Many homosexuals identify as theists, adamant
that their sexuality adheres to the stringent and
cherry-picked laws of their sacred texts.
We can interpret religion how we like, but whether
our interpretations are accepted by others of the same
religion is another question.
While I, personally, cannot take solace in the idea
of a phantasmagorical man in the sky, many people,
including homosexuals, identify as religious.
Yet one of the biggest problems I have with the idea
of organised religion is the ridiculous fluctuation of
interpretations and adaptations of the same basic story.
Not only does religion begin to lose its credibility
assuming a thousand times revised and translated
ancient etching on a scroll has any credibility it also
opens the gates to conflict and domestic dispute.
In case you havent heard, homosexuality is a sin
or so Im told. Why? Because an ancient scripture that
repeatedly preaches rape, murder and homophobia
says so. But lets just skip those bits, right?
Quite simply, the Bible is a weapon, moulded in order
to manipulate.
Prior to the calculated deciphering between fact
and interpretation, Christianity is a totalitarian
ideology.
Were willed on to do good to evade punishment,
while our very thoughts are censored.
Homosexuals, alongside black people, Jews
and native peoples have all been persecuted by
Christians, and all justified by the Bible.
It perplexes me how any homosexual could possibly
align themselves with homophobic bigots, abiding
by a scripture that professes: If a man lies with a
male as with a woman, both of them have committed
an abomination; they shall surely be put to death
Leviticus 20:13.
Yes, you can identify as gay and be religious, but
dont expect anybody to take you seriously. You are,
after all, an abomination!
LOVE Kelvin Holdsworth
Kelvin is the out gay Provost of St Mary`s Episcopal Cathedral in
Glasgow and ranked 91st on the Pink List. He tweets @thurible.
HATE Jordan Webb
Jordan is a journalist and campaigner for the disestablishment of
church and state. He tweets @jwebbjordan.
V
[debate]
[news]
LOVE OR HATE?
Christianity has
long been a
contentious issue in
the gay community.
Can you be truly
gay and religious?
Is Christianity
a vehicle for
spreading love or
a means to bigots
perpetuating hate?
gaytimes.co.uk 30
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London Pride in the 1970s
gaytimes.co.uk 32
[01] Despite being slammed for
adding and home for the gay to The
Star-Spangled Banner, Lady Gaga
made a memorable appearance at
NYC Pride in 2013, saying: I want to
remind you of the cultural relevance
and importance of this community. We
are not a niche.
[02] A group of preachers tried to
disrupt Phoenix Pride in 2012, but were
met with a flash mob performance of
Born This Way. Obviously.
[03] In 1969, a series of riots broke
out around the Stonewall Inn in New
York. Viewed as the most pivotal
moment in the history of LGBT rights, it
led to the first-ever Pride events.
[04] London Pride was the first
to cross the thin blue line in 2003,
allowing police officers to march in
uniform with their peers.
[05] The march at San Diego Pride
in 2012 was the first to allow serving
US military members to march openly
following the repeal of Dont Ask,
Dont Tell. Quite right.
[06] Despite the event being banned
for the fifth year in a row, marchers
fed police false information and held
a 30 person guerrilla Pride event in
Moscow in 2010.
[07] Bill Donohue, anti-gay president
of the Catholic League, challenged
organisers of the 2014 NYC Pride to
let him march with a Straight Is Great
banner. They accepted. He changed
his mind. Chicken.
[08] The first gay pride march in
the UK was in London in 1972, timed
to coincide to the anniversary of the
Stonewall Riots. Its still going strong.
[09] GT favourite Liza Minnelli made
a guest appearance at Paris Pride in
It all started with that
fateful stone thrown
at the Stonewall Riots.
Now Pride events are
ingrained within our
community. We count
down our 30 most
important moments
from across the world
WORDS DARRELL LARKIN / DOMINIC HOLBROOK
30
THINGS
marching on together
[06/14]
2010, with an empowered speech
about the Stonewall riots and her
mum Judy Garland.
[10] British LGBT rights
campaigner Peter Tatchell was
attacked by Russians and later
arrested during a march in
Moscow in 2007. And just spurred
him on further to keep fighting the
good fight.
[11] Comedian Margaret Cho
squealed We now have marriage
equality with excitement at the
2008 San Francisco Pride. A proud
moment, indeed.
[12] Bigger isnt always better,
but So Paulo Pride certainly made
history in 2006 with more than
2.5 million attendees the largest
Pride in history.
[13] A touching candle-lit vigil
was held at the end of Manchester
Pride in 2008 to mark the lives lost
to HIV. Never forget.
[14] Queen of pop Madonna gave
a speech in Russia promoting gay
rights in 2012. She was then sued
for more than $10 million. Putin, eh?
[15] Despite the threat of
violence and life imprisonment,
Ugandas LGBT community stood
tall in 2012 holding their first-ever
Pride parade.
[16] Inspired after hearing a
speech by gay politician Christine
Quinn, country singer Chely
Wright bravely came out at NYC
Pride in 2010.
[17] Cyndi Lauper showed that
girls dont just wanna have fun
when she sang her LGBT anthem
True Colours at Toronto Pride in
2010. Not a dry eye in the house.
[18] The first UK Black Pride took
place in London in 2006, giving a
voice to the capitals black LGBT
community.
[19] Love is love screamed
Kylie before giving an angelic
performance of All The Lovers
at Madrid Pride in 2010. Cant
argue with that.
[20] Back to Putin being a rotter
again the Russian government
introduced a law in 2012 banning
Pride events for 100 years. Yeah,
like thatll stop us.
[21] Eurovision winner Loreen
didnt hold back for equality
at Stockholm Pride in 2012,
declaring We all have the same
rights! We knew there was a
reason we voted for her.
[22] The theme of Londons 2012
parade was love and marriage,
foreshadowing the passing of
same-sex marriage later that year.
Weve come a long way.
[23] Coretta Scott King, widow
to Marin Luther King Jr delivered
an inspirational speech at Atlanta
Pride in 1996. Its vital for all
groups who face discrimination to
work together, she said.
[24] Croatias Pride in 2011 was
brought to an abrupt halt when
protesters chucked stones, bottles
and firecrackers. But the countrys
media got involved to speak up for
LGBT rights and marchers even met
with President Ivo Josipovi.
[25] Its an iconic image these
days, but Gilbert Bakers rainbow
flag flew for the first time at San
Francisco Pride in 1978.
[26] Kraft Foods in the US ran
a rainbow striped Oreo ad in
support for Pride in 2012, despite
critics threatening a boycott
of the market-dominating food
conglomerate.
[27] Shit is changing, we are
being heard! bellowed Adam
Lambert on stage at Miami Pride
in 2013. It really was a changing of
the times.
[28] Theres a reason hes our
favourite President Barack
Obama officially declared June
2009 as LGBT Pride Month.
[29] The main thing theyve
[LGBT community] taught me
is family is something that you
make, said Ana Matronic in an
empowering speech at NYC Pride.
And we loved her for it.
[30] And finally, where it all
began the first ever Pride,
spearheaded by Craig Rodwell,
was held in New York in 1970.
3
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[news]
33 gaytimes.co.uk
GT VAULT
4 years ago
Issue 381, 2010
Our summer festival guide had you knowing exactly
where to be and when for all the best headline acts,
while providing handy festival tips to make sure you
survived the party season. Oh, and Brendan off of
Coach Trip, obviously.
14 years ago
Issue 261, 2000
Marking the opening of his exhibition at Londons
Serpentine Gallery, we looked at the life and death of
the brilliant American, Cuban-born visual artist Flix
Gonzles-Torres and his use of HIV and Aids in the
creation of his work.
29 years ago
Issue 82, 1985
We celebrated in style the coming month-long run of
events for Pride 85, while we launched the second-ever
Mr Gay UK event and our undeniably iconic cover star
David Bowie discussed the normality of bisexuality. All
that for only a quid. Bargain.
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MARTY I KELLY WILDE I DRAG WITH NO NAME I Miss Thunderpussy I NORMA LEWIS I jacquii cann I Son of a tutu
DANCE ARENA
Howard DONALD ARTFUL DODGER
DONKIE PUNCH I RUE JAY I MARC SPENCE I ILL PHIL I Clinton shawe I blank kanvas I jade marie I MITCH P I CHRIS STEELE I PHIL J I ABEYANCE I AMY BANKS
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MAIN STAGE
KATY B I CONOR MAYNARD I gabrielle
FOXES I MS DYNAMITE I FUSE ODG I ELYAR FOX
BECKY HILL I STOOSHEI KIMBERLY WYATTI
STORMQUEEN
LUCY SPRAGGAN I S ClUB 4 I TICH I ANGIE BROWN I HARRY MONDRYK
NORMA LEWIS I JOSEPH WHELAN I REWIND I VANQUISH I GTF I STACEY JACKSON I FAYE BAGLEY I SCARLETTS ROSES
CABARET MARQUEE
PLUS: COMMUNITY VILLAGE GREEN I FUNFAIR I GAY BARS & CLUBS I WOMENS ARENA I MENS ARENA
0AN0h 0 S00TT P8F08N|h6
column
Marriage changes
everything.
I had to rub my eyes
with a slight sense of disbelief a
few weeks ago as I sat early on
a Saturday morning in a newly
pressed suit, a gorgeous flower
pinned to my lapel, my boyfriend
Anthony on one side and the
Liberal Democrat minister Lynne
Featherstone on my other. A few
moments later, the three of us
were rubbing our eyes for another
reason; to wipe away a tear as the
wedding of our friends Subodh and
Niranjan began.
The grooms, who waited for 20
years to marry, entered together,
to the sound of music from the
regions of India where they were
born. Lynne, who as the Coalitions
first Minister for Equalities did so
much to get equal marriage on
the government agenda, told me
that she had to pinch herself to
check it all wasnt just a beautiful
dream. I started to sob when the
registrar said the words Marriage
according to the law of this country
is the union of two people. Not
one man and one woman as it
had been for generations. Even
writing these words is making
tears trickle down my cheeks. Its
because those words have changed
everything and, for me, marked
the culmination of six years of
campaigning with PinkNews and
Out4Marriage for marriage to be
open to gay couples.
The words change everything
because they change expectations.
When I first told my parents that
I was gay, at best, they thought
that I would maybe one day
find a boyfriend, and perhaps
own a dog. There were no civil
partnerships and no one dreamed
of marriage, especially not under
a Conservative Prime Minister.
Now the talk is all about marriage,
and children. So when are
you going to get married? My
Grandma asked me the other
day. I want to buy a new hat!. My
sister Danielle tells me constantly
that my niece Isabelle would like
a cousin to play with. In other
words, the expectation is that two
young people like myself and my
boyfriend will follow the path of
our respective families, enter into
the institution of marriage and
begin a family of our own. The fact
that we are two guys who met via
Grindr is irrelevant.
Im not going to propose to my
boyfriend in Gay Times, but being
at one of the first equal marriage
ceremonies together has matured
our relationship no end, and were
starting to think together about
how we take our love to the next
level. I think that the opening of the
institution of marriage will mature
our community too. For so long,
being gay meant being other, not
part of the traditional relationship
structures like marriage. Money
was spent on things other than
bringing up children, something
that increasing numbers of gay
couples do now, and something
that we want to do. Marriage and
role models in happy, loving,
stable and equal relationships
will change the way we think as a
community.
The institution is not for
everyone, and I dont for one
minute believe that suddenly
every gay man is going to enter
into a life-long monogamous
relationship with 2.4 children.
But I do believe that increasingly
large numbers of people
particularly from younger
generations do aspire to this.
As time marches on, and the
generations change, this will
be more apparent. An 11-year-
old boy realising, with a sense
of trepidation and fear that he
fancies the pants off the boys in
his PE lesson (assuming that he
doesnt live in Northern Ireland)
now knows that the feelings
that he has arent wrong, that
his sexuality is accepted and
recognised by the state, and
that falling in love with another
boy doesnt mean marriage and
children are off the table. If we
get this right, two men marrying
each other will be as insignificant
as a blonde and a brunette getting
hitched. What should
matter will be love,
and love alone.
A young
boy
realising,
with a
sense of
trepidation
and fear
that he
fancies the
pants off
the boys
in his PE
lesson
now
knows
that the
feelings
that he
has arent
wrong
@benjamincohen
PUBLISHER
OF PINKNEWS
[benjamin cohen]
[news]
gaytimes.co.uk 35
gaytimes.co.uk 36
MICHAEL
CASHMAN
HEROES
WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH
37 gaytimes.co.uk
GT takes a look
back on the
extraordinary career
of actor, politician
and gay rights
activist, Michael
Cashman
THE YEAR IS 1988, AND MARGARET
Thatcher has just introduced
Section 28. The promotion of
homosexuality is banned in schools,
libraries and all other facilities run
by local authorities. Britain is in the
midst of anti-gay hysteria, whipped
up by an aggressive and paranoid
tabloid press.
At the same time, EastEnders is
planning its most explosive storyline
to date. Michael Cashman, who
had been a child star in the West
End, has accepted the role of Colin
Russell, Walfords first gay resident.
The introduction of a gay man to
mainstream, pre-watershed BBC
television is hugely controversial:
questions are asked in parliament,
tabloids nickname the show
EastBenders, and the move gets
routinely linked to the spread of HIV.
I knew what we were going to
do, the media would attack, I knew
they would go for me, Michael tells
GT. But I knew that the attack on
me, it would go beyond me, it would
affect my family, it would affect my
nieces, nephews, it would affect [my
boyfriend] Paul.
The gay plot was to be the most
controversial storyline in soap
history. Michael didnt accept
the part until checking with his
friends, family and his boyfriend
that they too could tolerate the
media backlash. But when asking
the BBC for advice on dealing with
the media, they told him only to
ask Leslie Grantham, who had just
entered EastEnders after serving
ten years for murder.
When the storyline did air,
Michaels real-life boyfriend found
his world turned upside down. On
the centre pages of the News of the
World read the headline secret
gay love of AIDS scare east ender
outing Michaels partner to his
friends and family. They printed
our address all but the door
number and that afternoon a brick
came through the window. And that
angered me, but it didnt deter me.
Then very shortly after that, I
read incredulously, in the Christmas
edition of Capital Gay, that the
government were bringing in a
clause to a bill to ban the promotion
of homosexuality, and there was
going to be a march. And that was
it, I was up. I was on my political
path, and it was that, that led me to
founding Stonewall.
Stonewall this year celebrates
its 25th anniversary. Founded in
the wake of Section 28, the idea of
seeing the introduction of same-
sex marriages felt a million miles
away. Many in the public eye didnt
want to be publicly associated with
a gay rights organisation still
Michael, Sir Ian McKellen and
Stonewalls other founders fought
on. It felt pretty lonely, because
now people will jump over barriers
and obstacles to get Stonewall on
their CV and to be on the board of
Stonewall. Then, au contraire my
dear, as they say on the continent.
Ian and I sat down and started
planning. We then met with
Douglas Slater, who worked in the
Conservative chief whips office
in the Lords, and we began over a
series of Sunday afternoons, mainly
at Ians house in Docklands, and
my house in Mile End, to bring
like-minded people together. And
it took about 18 months before we
launched Stonewall.
Though marriage equality is
now law, the battle that brought
Stonewall into existence remains
pertinent in many other parts of
the world places that remain
inspired by Section 28s aims.
Isnt it interesting, Shakespeare,
absolutely right, said: the evil
that men and women do lives on,
the good is oft interred with their
bones. The law that we see being
rolled out in Russia, the law that
we see being rolled out in parts of
Africa, banning the promotion, the
propaganda, where did it come
from? It came from Section 28.
Though it was Section 28 that
led Michael Cashman to found
Stonewall, it was events many
years earlier that politicised him.
In 1967, the year homosexuality
was decriminalised, he moved in
with a man eight years his senior. I
was 16 and he was 24, and I hunted
him down. This myth that older
men are predatory, if only they had
been! His partner, Lee, insisted
they pretend to be cousins during
their 11-year relationship, for fear of
repercussions.
It was that fear of repercussions
of the vast legal inequality that
was to become all too apparent
sooner than they feared. Walking
through the east end of London one
night a place Michael knew as
home an older, married father-of-
two attempted to brutally rape him.
The year was 1969, and Michael
was just a teenager.
A guy I knew, a guy I fancied,
but he was straight, attempted to
rape me. And knocked me out.
He demanded sex and I said no.
I said, youre married and Im
not interested, and he started to
get rough and I said, no Im not
interested. Then he dragged
me by the hair, and I tried to talk
him out of it, and he knocked me
unconscious.
Eventually, through fear and
desperation, he managed to meet
a compromise and talk his attacker
out of penetrative sex. But his face
was left covered in bruises and
gashes from the attack. Still in
terror, he explained to his boyfriend
what had happened, and how they
[news]
must report the crime to the police.
I told Lee, and he said, well, we
cant go to the police, because
there was an age of consent in
private of 21. And he said: look,
youre 18, Im 26. The case would
be against us, he said, and ask
yourself: who will they believe?
Two queers, or a straight guy?
The rape was an epiphany. The
brutal injustice of that night in
1969 remained with him through
a long career, both in acting and
charity work, and eventually
his election to the European
Parliament in 1999. I always
thought, because I hadnt had
a proper education, that it was
always other people that went
into politics. Growing up in the
east end, and during the 50s and
60s, you suffer with low self-
esteem, especially when you find
out that youre gay and you have
to hide it.
Overcoming the challenges he
faced in his early days, Michael
went on to serve as an MEP from
1999 until this year. He became
president of the European
Parliaments group looking at
lesbian and gay issues, and
has even been credited with
single-handedly convincing
the parliaments president to
introduce a directive banning
discrimination based on sexual
orientation across Europe.
But it isnt the grand
achievements of office, the
many titles, or his CBE for public
service that he counts as his
proudest moment. As Michael,
now 63, recounts the moment that
justified decades of challenges,
his eyes glisten over. I think
it would have to be, being part
of and this always gets me
a bit emotional being a part
of stopping a young Iranian,
a 17-year-old Iranian, being
sent back to Iran. By being out
and proud in this country, and
seeking asylum, he wouldve
been hung by the neck until he
was dead if hed been sent back.
If in your life you can say you
have turned over a grain of sand in
the desert, you changed the world
in which you arrived. And I like to
think thats my grain of sand that
Ive turned over.
From the West End stage as a
child star, to the world stage as a
gay rights activist and politician,
Michael Cashman has been a part
of many great stories. Now, as he
steps down from public service,
its hard not to feel that it is his
own life that has been the most
extraordinary story of them all. A
working class lad from the docks,
whose only qualification was hope,
who went on to change, if not the
world, then certainly a continent.
[news]
3
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RIGHT MICHAEL CASHMAN
RECEIVING A CBE MEDAL
FROM THE PRINCE OF
WALES IN MAY 2013
gaytimes.co.uk 38
40 gaytimes.co.uk
GOING
FOR
GOLD
WORDS JOHN MARRS IMAGES LANDIS SMITHERS
41 gaytimes.co.uk
[cover]
42 gaytimes.co.uk
gaytimes.co.uk 43
To inspire a film is something
both rare and flattering. To then
be invited to star in it is something
different altogether. So when go-go
dancer Matthew Camp was told he
was both the muse and potential
draw of documentary-style Getting
Go: The Go Doc Project, he jumped
at the invitation.
The touching indie film follows
budding filmmaker and college
boy Doc, played by Tanner Cohen,
as he falls in love with the image
of a dancer he discovers online.
Plucking up the courage to contact
him with a view to following him
around with a video camera, Go,
played by Matthew, agrees.
I started working in nightlife in
New York City a long time before
the movie happened, Matthew
begins. When they were looking
for people for the film, they wanted
someone who knew a lot of people,
so I think they zeroed in on me
because I have a lot of followers.
Corey (Kruekeberg, director)
approached me by e-mail. It
sounded strange and a friend said,
Just do it, itll be like a love letter
to New York City. I met with him
and decided why not? When we
first started filming I had just got
out of a relationship, which wasnt
necessarily the healthiest, so the
movie was kind of therapeutic.
With his only acting experience
being local theatre as a child in
San Francisco, parallels have
been drawn between Matthews
Go to Madonnas Susan in
Desperately Seeking Susan, as
both play exaggerated versions of
themselves.
What you see in Getting Go is a
rough representation of me, admits
Matthew. I mean, I do run around
shirtless all the time, Go and I are
both not afraid of a lot of things, and
we danced in our underwear, so
were both confident. But I wouldnt
have handled most of the situations
in the same way Go did. Im not as
sexual as him I dont go on a lot of
dates, Im very reclusive, hanging
out at my house. Go-go dancing was
very much a job for me and after Id
perform, Id leave right away rather
than hang out at the club.
Matthew moved to New York
aged 21 and while supporting
himself with day jobs, he took on
go-go dancing to help pay the
bills. Gradually he built up his
profile on the nightclub scene and
online, which got him noticed by
filmmakers. And of course fans,
which isnt always a good thing.
Theres a guy who will not stop
emailing me I get five emails a
day from him, laughs Matthew.
Theres also guy from the UK who
emails me crazy things. Most of
the time hes trying to entice an
emotional reaction which goes from
happy and encouraging to angry
and frustrated when I dont respond.
Ive never felt I should be
To date, the bar hasnt been set high for
ex-go-go dancers looking for a mainstream
showbiz break. But theres an exception
to every rule, so let us introduce you to
GTs favourite exception, Matthew Camp.
The dancer turned actor is wooing and
wowing audiences in Getting Go: The Go
Doc Project a touching indie movie about
a lmmaker who falls in love with his
dancing muse. GT meets Matthew to talk
about a life spent in tiny hot pants and the
lm thats taken him out of them
[cover]
gaytimes.co.uk 44
gaytimes.co.uk 45
[cover]
gaytimes.co.uk 46
embarrassed by go-go dancing.
Its not prostitution which Im
not judgmental about but I view
dancing more as performance. I dont
like opening myself up to people,
so with go-go dancing, people get
to just see my body, they dont see
whats going on in my head.
For a man who made his career
out of dancing in tiny underwear
(he never performed completely
naked), Matthew, now 30, admits
filming Getting Gos sex scenes left
him feeling literally, exposed. Ive
never done pornography before
Ive never been interested enough
to pursue it because Im a little bit
shy, he explains. So having to
be completely naked for the film
was a first for me. They got us a
little drunk and because Tanner is
a sweet professional guy, it wasnt
hard to be close or intimate with him
because wed already built up a bit
of a friendship. I dont really bottom
that often so it was uncomfortable
for me to be in such a vulnerable
position. But people keep asking
if it was real so it means we did a
really good job.
Stemming from a blue-collar
family (both his grandfather and
father work in construction while
his mother works at a hospital),
Matthew didnt have an emotional
coming-out story; it was always just
assumed he was gay. I didnt really
have to tell anyone, he recalls.
There was a group at school who
were known as the gay kids, and I
thought they seemed really cool, so
I started hanging out with them. And
everyone kind of assumed I was gay.
My family is pretty liberal. My
grandpa was really supportive of
my go-go dancing actually. He was
like, Youre making money, youre
taking care of yourself, I wish I
could do that! Theyre a very sweet
family, but moving away was helpful
to me. You grow up with an identity
your family gives you which can be
difficult to break away from, so it
was important for me to find out who
I wanted to be.
And Matthew discovered that
what he wanted to be was an artist.
Along with a flare for fashion
(he hand-makes stunning one-
off leather jackets for clients)
and recently produced his own
cologne, sourcing and mixing the
ingredients himself.
Scent is a really powerful
device, he explains, my perfume
is based on when I was dancing,
and a lot of the things that triggered
peoples sexual thoughts. Ive
based it on cocoa butter which
Id grease myself up in and sweat
mixing together while dancing. It
smells like being out at a big gay
bar, which is why it resonates with
gay men. Its called 8.5, which is
obviously a reference to penis
size. Its very tongue in cheek the
bottle looks like a poppers bottle,
because poppers are such a great
icon. Theyve been such a taboo
subject for a very long time and
now its bleeding over into the
straight world.
With his cologne, leather work
and a sideline working as a tattoo
artist, Matthew also intends to
continue his foray into acting. And
en route, he might find Mister
Right. Im very single right
now, he explains. I enjoy very
intelligent people, so if I cant
talk to you I probably wont be
interested in having sex with you
more than once. I can be quite
sexual behind closed doors, but
I dont flaunt it, although Im very
flirtatious by nature.
When it comes to monogamy, I
just know what works for me and
at this point, Im very selfish and I
need a lot of attention. So if I were
to date someone they would have to
give me all of their attention. I dont
have any problem with people who
arent monogamous, but that kind
of person doesnt add up to where I
want to be.
Getting Go: The Go Doc Project is available
to pre-order on DVD and on demand from
Peccadillo Pictures, @peccapics. Visit
matthewcampdesigns.com,
@matthewcampnyc
47 gaytimes.co.uk
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48 gaytimes.co.uk
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gaytimes.co.uk 50
51 gaytimes.co.uk
THE
ICEMAN
COMETH
WORDS JOSHUA HAMMOND
[x-men]
gaytimes.co.uk 52
53 gaytimes.co.uk
X-Men has been held in high
esteem by the gays throughout the
years. It might be because of the
tight leather outfits and the absurdly
hot cast of characters, or it might be
the affinity we share with the mutants
as they struggle with being societys
outsiders. After all, it was back in
2003 for X-Men 2 that we really
started to feel a kinship with Shawn
Ashmores Bobby Drake, when he
was forced to come out, as it were,
as a mutant to his parents. The scene
is so laden with subtext that you
could definitely call it one of the first,
big screen mega-budgeted outings.
I just read it on the page and
thought Wow, what a fucking
great scene, says the 34-year-
old actor. And not only for X-Men
fans, because I feel like its that
conversation and its that moment
that everyone has had. Whether
its about coming out or whether
its about admitting to your parents
something that you dont think
theyre going to accept.
Theres that classic line where my
mother in the film says, Well, have
you tried just not being a mutant?
When I saw that in the theatre
people just groaned, and I was like
Yes! People get it.
The response to the scene was,
quite frankly, incredible, promoting
fans and critics alike to praise
Shawn for his performance.
Ive had tons of people come
up to me and thank me for making
them feel more confident or at
least making them smile about
it, Shawn beams. Or for being
able to come out themselves and
have the courage, and thats a true
gift. Thats beyond entertainment,
beyond a superhero movie and
being playing a superhero. Thats
being part of something that has
empowered people and thats truly,
as an actor, a gift.
The world of comic books has
always been ahead of its time,
like the 70s underground comics
that gave an outlet to artists
and writers that they otherwise
couldnt find. But up until 1989,
comics with homosexual themes
were banned by the Comics
Code Authority, so writers had to
find a way to work around such
stringent rules. Even with a gay
Green Lantern and Northstars
wedding, superpowers and the
world of X-Men can still be read
as a metaphor for LGBT equality
and grasping the differences
within society something Shawn
is keenly aware of.
Were talking about characters
[x-men]
Thor may have set our pulses racing in more recent years,
and yes, were totally ne with Henry Cavills Superman being
shirtless and oily but whats that old saying? You always
remember your rst? For us, when it came to crushing on
superheroes, it was all about Shawn Ashmores Bobby Drake
in the undeniably brilliant X-Men franchise. With the latest
instalment Days of Future Past right around the corner and
a third series of The Following announced for Sky Atlantic
weve nally charmed Shawn onto our hallowed pages to talk
gays and superheroes, whos camper out of Ian McKellen
and Patrick Stewart, and how it feels to be back in leather
54 gaytimes.co.uk
that are embraced and accepted
within their own communities,
specifically for being different,
and thats empowering, explains
Shawn. And now were reading
about these superheroes, these
characters, and their differences
are what makes them cool.
Of course, if you feel like youre
different, if youre being pressured
and youre not comfortable being
who yo are, you can read X-Men.
You can go home and read about
these characters who are different
in their world, but its that what
makes them special.
If the X-Men can change one
persons mind, then thats a win
for these characters, for this story
and for anybody watching. And I
think thats cool.
Speaking of cool, when Shawn
filmed his scenes for Days of Future
Past, he was on set alongside some
of the biggest names in Hollywood.
The likes of Hugh Jackman, Ellen
Page, flavour of the moment J-Law
thats Jennifer Lawrence to us
non-LA types and Tyrion Lannister
himself, Peter Dinklage.
And thats before weve even
mentioned the two cornerstones of
this goliath Hollywood franchise,
Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick
Stewart, whove been delighting us
for as long as we can remember with
their Twitter selfies and budding
bromance. But we have to ask that
question as two great thespians,
institutions of the screen and stage,
and as two men who arent afraid
to embrace their flamboyant side
whos camper, Ian or Patrick?
Oh my God, well let me put it this
way, neither one is as camp as when
theyre together, Shawn breaks
down into a fit of laughter. They
make a great team.
Just watching them interact with
each other is hysterical, they play
off each other so well. But if I had to
say which one of them was camper
on set, then Id have to say Ian. And
heres an example we did some
reshoots the other day and there was
a stand in for Ian, because he couldnt
be there. Patrick was on set and there
was a moment where the Magneto
double had to walk out of the room.
After they shot the scene, I
went over and said to Patrick,
You know, that guy does look a
lot like Ian. And he said back to
me, He does, but the one thing
Ian would have done when he
left the scene would be to really
work the cape. And he didnt work
that cape like Ian would work it.
So yeah, he has a lot of fun with
Magneto, and hes such a blast to
be around and work with.
And, he can work a cape, Shawn
laughs. So Id have to say Ian.
As were talking to Shawn about
capes and costumes, what about
when hes OUT of costume
seamless segue, eh? Not so long
back, Shawn took part in a naked
shoot for Cosmo (Google it, you
wont regret it). And hidden behind
a Canadian flag hes a native of
British Columbia theres a toned
body which tells us that he definitely
knows how to take care of himself.
I mean, if you know youre going
to be naked you have to work out for
that, Shawn says of his shoot. You
never want to be taken by surprise
and be like Oh, that was my week
of pizza and friend chicken. And
obviously, as an actor, theres a
certain level of put-togetherness
that you must have, but of course,
youve got to have fun too so you just
dont tip the balance.
And if we have to get him back
dressed again metaphorically
speaking, of course weve hit
the town in some pretty outlandish
clobber before, but does Shawn
think he could pull off a bit more of
that traditional X-Men look? Yknow,
the yellow lycra and spandex
for the comics? Or, is he, ahem,
comfortable with the leather?
Ill be honest, it probably
wouldnt be the best look for me,
Shawn laughs. Id probably have
to spend a lot more time in the gym
to go there. I dont know if I can
imagine us all running around in
spandex. Itd be funny, though, to
do a sort of Funny or Die video
maybe get everybody together
wearing those costumes and wed
be shooting an alternative scene
like that but no, Im glad they went
with the leather instead.
We reckon we speak for you lot
when we say us too!
X-Men: Days of Future Past is in cinemas
from 22 May. The Following is available
on Sky Go
Ive had tons of people come up to me and thank me for
making them feel more condent or at least making them
smile about it. Or for being able to come out themselves
and have the courage, and thats a true gift. Thats beyond
entertainment, beyond a superhero movie and beyond
playing a superhero. Thats empowering people
55 gaytimes.co.uk
[x-men]
Some people need
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are pretty perfect apparently,
some are in need of a polish
and some are just as found.
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Mirror,
Mirror,
on the wall... whos the wickedest of them all?
We love an evil queen at Gay Times. To celebrate
the theatrical release of Angelina Jolies live-action
Malecent, weve given a GT makeover to our top
ve wicked women of Disney!
Malefcent is in cinemas from 28 May
ART CHAD SELLS, CHADSELLCOMICS.COM
[evil queens]
gaytimes.co.uk 57
58 gaytimes.co.uk
Cruella de Vil
One Hundred and
One Dalmatians
(1961) If she doesn`t
scare you, no evil
thing will. She`d
do anything to look
fabulous.
----------
5.
gaytimes.co.uk 59
The Sanderson
Sisters
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Three for the price
of one! Holding out
for a virgin and
throwing in the
occasional show-
stopping musical
number.
----------
4.
[evil queens]
60 gaytimes.co.uk
Evil Queen
Grimhilde
Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs
(1937) The Mirror
has two faces. Both
of them bitchy! This
wicked queen would
do anything to stay
young and fabulous.
How d`ya like them
apples?
----------
3.
gaytimes.co.uk 61
2.
Ursula, the
Sea Witch
The Little Mermaid
(1989) The gayest
villainess in the
gayest Disney movie
(we confrm this as
fact) was actually
based on legendary
drag queen Divine.
Amazing.
----------
[evil queens]
Malecent
Sleeping Beauty
(1959) A mistress of
all evil who caused
merry hell just
because she wasn`t
invited to a party.
Betrayal turned her
pure heart to stone.
Nuff said.
----------
1.
[evil queens]
gaytimes.co.uk 62
ITS NOT JUST
THE BAKERS
IN OUR
VILLAGE WITH
NICE BUNS.
@manchesterpride
registered charity 1117848
big weekend tickets on sale now
manchesterpride.com
manchester pride presents
the big weekend
friday 22 - monday 25 august
a four-day festival in manchesters world famous gay village
celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life
gaytimes.co.uk 64
DALLAS
CLUB
BUYERS
WORDS SIMON BUTTON
65 gaytimes.co.uk
T
heyre the cats who got a whole lot
of cream (some 50 awards between
them, including best actor and best
supporting actor at the Oscars),
but theres nothing arrogant about
Matthew McConaughey and Jared
Leto as they take their seats at Claridges hotel to talk
about Dallas Buyers Club.
Leto, whos been away from the cinematic limelight for
five years, looks a little startled when his 30-plus awards
are mentioned. I didnt know there were 30 awards to
win and its slightly embarrassing but also incredible
and pretty wild, says the man who deserves every
one of his trophies for his fearless portrayal of drug-
addicted, HIV-infected, fight-to-the-death transgender
woman Rayon for the film a modest but much-lauded
hit in cinemas thats now coming out on DVD and Blu-ray.
Where does he keep all the awards? I have no idea,
smiles the 42-year-old, whos rocking an all-black
ensemble, bearded and still rather pretty without his
Rayon make-up. I think the SAG [Screen Actors Guild]
award is in the kitchen.
Two years his senior, McConaughey isnt as vague
about where his own SAG award, his Oscar and
countless other gongs have ended up. We have a big
bar in the house so theyre all sitting there, says the
father-of-three, looking dapper in a three-piece suit.
My kids like to pick them up and check them out, and
theyre asking great questions about each one.
McConaughey welcomes the debate since he fought
tooth and nail to get the film made. The script about Ron
Woodroof the real-life AIDS patient who, having been
told he only had 30 days to live, smuggled unapproved
drugs into Texas and then defied the law even further
by distributing them among fellow sufferers had
been knocking around for 15 years before it landed
on his desk. It had a lot of heart and a lot of meaning
and it was also sad in dramatic ways, says the actor,
thankfully looking like hes regained most of the 3st he
shed for the role. Its really a wild, wonderful ride this
guy takes us on, and I thought it was highly original.
Still, nobody wanted to put up the money. As tenacious
about the project as Woodroof was about his buyers
club, the actor wouldnt give up. Maybe his so-called
McConaissance (a remarkable career renaissance that
saw the former romcom lead take on the challenging
likes of Killer Joe and Magic Mike) helped, but suddenly
the funding fell into place and the cast and crew worked
flat out to get it done and dusted within 25 days.
Everybody had that feeling that we were all walking
the plank, Matthew recounts. It was like Boy, everyone
has said no to this for so long that were on our own here.
By hook or by crook wed better not come up short.
They didnt. Its a remarkable film, anchored by two
remarkable performances. Rampantly heterosexual
[lm]
gaytimes.co.uk 66
Ron, who explodes onto the screen as an equally
rampant homophobe and undergoes the subtlest of
changes, is a stark contrast to sweet Rayon, who is too
busy being fabulous to have any prejudices.
How could you not love Rayon? says Leto, who had
been devoting his energies to his band Thirty Seconds
To Mars before this most seductive of roles lured him
back to the big screen. Ever the iconoclast, he auditioned
for director Jean-Marc Vallee via Skype. Well, it wasnt
really an audition but he was feeling me out, so I used it
as an opportunity, says the actor, who was in Berlin at the
time. I got some lipstick and as soon as we connected
I said Hello, then I reached out and put it on. I undid a
little black jacket I had on and I had a pink furry sweater
pulled over my shoulder, then I proceeded to basically
flirt with him for the next 20 minutes. Leto gives a flirty
Rayon smile. And I woke up the next day with the part.
Shedding a similar amount of weight as his co-star,
Jared looked to the transgender community for help
in getting under the skin of his complex character.
I met with transgender people who were incredibly
kind, supportive and also generous with their time and
energy. They showed me the ropes and I think thats
pretty common in that world to have a mentor. People
are really happy to pass down information.
Such as? What its like to tell your parents who you
really are. What its like to try to be more feminine.
Some of the mistakes you may make as a newcomer. Its
been really nice and I think people realised we had the
right intentions and that we tried our very best.
There have been claims that Woodroof may have
actually been gay himself, or at least had sexual
encounters with other men. Thats been written about,
but everything I read in his diaries and all the information
I got was that he was heterosexual, McConaughey
insists. All of the relationships he wrote about were
heterosexual and he wrote about a bunch of them.
Leto describes Rayon as the polar opposite of Ron.
Hes kind, big-hearted, fun, funny and a graceful
human being, and Id love to hold on to some of those
qualities, he says when asked if anything of the
character has rubbed off on him.
McConaughey has held on to some of Woodruffs better
qualities too. I question authority more clearly and
with a little more vigour now, he says. But he makes no
bones about playing him warts and all. The challenge
we saw early on is that he did not have this third-act turn
of Oh my God, I need to apologise. Hes essentially the
same guy, that same son of a bitch that you meet early on.
By keeping him the hardcore selfish businessman, by
keeping him this cantankerous SOB, we said Lets trust
that the humanity is going to rise to the top. Hes a real
person and thats how he was so we never wanted to tie it
up with And the moral of the story is
Dallas Buyers Club is out on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download on 2 June
67 gaytimes.co.uk
[lm]
Elaine
Paige
gaytimes.co.uk 68
WORDS RICHARD BARBER
69 gaytimes.co.uk
Elaine Paige is just a suburban
girl from north London. She says
so herself. But, by the time she
graduated from the Aida Foster
Theatre School, she was completely
and utterly hooked on this life. My
initial ambition was to get into a
repertory company and learn on the
job, as it were. But, because I could
sing, I almost immediately fell into
musical theatre. At 16, and while
still at college, shed been cast in the
national tour of Anthony Newleys
The Roar of the Greasepaint The
Smell of the Crowd.
Shed failed the first audition, but
Aida Foster was convinced she was
right for the show and encouraged
her to try again under a different
name. I flicked through the
phone book on the hall table at
home, hoping that a name would
somehow jump off the page Ah!
Page, I thought. Then, better still,
why not Paige with an i? I got the
part, a Chinese urchin, and kept
the name.
Shell never forget, she says, the
thrill of walking through the stage
door at the theatre in Manchester
and standing on stage, looking out
at an empty auditorium. That thrill
never leaves you. Its magical. The
production was the first professional
job for choreographer Gillian
Lynne. She was the first person
in my career, aside from Ann Hill,
my music teacher at school, to take
me aside and encourage me. You
stick with this, she said. Youve got
something. She gave me hope.
Now, here she is, a pert and pretty
66, celebrating an astonishing half-
century in the business. And shes
never been busier.
She started well when she landed
a part in seminal musical, Hair, in
1968, but then her career seemed
to stall. By the time I got to 29, I
felt I should be doing something
more substantial. Id get very close,
but I just couldnt seem to land the
good parts. I was on the verge of
thinking Id give it another year
and, if by 30 I hadnt made a bit
more of a mark, Id pack it up. I was
seriously thinking of becoming a
nursery nurse.
The men who came to her rescue,
of course, were Andrew Lloyd
Webber and Tim Rice. She was in
the chorus of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Then came Evita (It remains the
defining role of my career), Cats,
Chess and Sunset Boulevard. So
Andrew and Tim will always have a
special place in my heart because
we made that journey together at
the beginning of our careers.
Its true of Cameron Mackintosh,
too. We were part of a little clique
in what proved to be the newfound
[music]
gaytimes.co.uk 70
British musical. I feel very
privileged to have been caught
up in it. Up until then, there was a
snobbery about musical theatre.
People in the legitimate theatre
rather looked down their noses at
musicals. But not once Andrew and
Tim started making their mark.
In the early 90s, Andrew married
for the third time (to equestrian
sportswoman Madeleine Gurdon)
while keeping himself busy on
the work front by writing a new
musical, Sunset Boulevard. Elaine
remembers it all too well. If Im
honest, she says, I should have
created the role of Norma Desmond.
But I wasnt even asked to audition
and I think I know why.
Andrew asked me if I would
sing With One Look it was called
Just One Glance back then from
Sunset at his wedding breakfast.
I didnt have long to learn it and
then, just as I was about to stand
up to perform, his lawyer who was
writing the lyrics at the time bobbed
down beside me and handed me a
completely different set of lyrics.
It threw me for a loop. But I
took them with me up onstage and
everything that could go wrong
did go wrong. At the end, I threw
the new lyrics up in the air because
I was disappointed in myself.
Everybody was there: Trevor Nunn,
Cameron, all my contemporaries.
Looking back, it could have
been considered as a sort of
audition. When it came to the
official auditions for Sunset, they
didnt ask to see me. The part
went to Patti LuPone. But, in the
meantime, I had the consolation of
playing the title role in Piaf which
I loved and, anyway, the part of
Norma finally came to me when I
was 50. In fact, it turned out to be
my Broadway debut so, as so often
in my life, I got there in the end.
She loved her time in New York.
On one occasion, I was asked to
go to a gay club at some unearthly
hour to judge a competition. The
contestants were all dragged up,
71 gaytimes.co.uk
either as Norma or Evita or Reno
Sweeney, the character I played in
Anything Goes. But nobody turned
up as Piaf. Funny, that. It was a riot.
Why do gay people respond to
these characters? Because theyre
grand and dramatic. The gay
community like that and they
love musicals. Also, and Im only
repeating what has been written
about me, Im said to be the queen
of West End musical theatre.
Im also told I can be quite
camp. Ive certainly let that side
of me come out in my weekly
Sunday show on Radio 2; Ill have
been hosting it for ten years in
September. When I first came to
public attention via Evita and then
Cats, everybody thought I was very
serious-minded for some reason.
I think they confused me with the
roles I was playing.
I took the work seriously, of
course, but Ive always been a bit
of a lunatic backstage. Im a real
practical joker as John Barrowman
and Bernard Cribbins will tell you
from when we all appeared together
in Anything Goes. I do have a great
sense of fun. I think thats what now
comes through on the radio.
What also comes through is
Elaines championing of new talent.
I enjoy going to more out-of-the-
way productions, she says. Not
so long ago, for instance, I went to
the Hackney Empire to see an all-
male production of HMS Pinafore
with castrati singers. They were
fabulous. I want to talk about things
on air that Ive seen for myself.
Shes also encouraging new talent
on her five-part Sky Arts series
which begins in May. Im inviting
musical theatre students on to the
show to give them a taste of what its
like performing on television.
There will also be creative guests
lyricist Herbie Kretzmer, for
instance, who wrote the lyrics for
Les Mis or director Trevor Nunn
plus star guests like Douglas
Hodge, Michael Feinstein, Maureen
Lipman and so on.
Then theres her UK concert tour in
October culminating in an evening
at the Albert Hall on 20 October,
after which shes off to Ireland
and then Australia. Next March,
shell be in the States for a string
of shows. But shes keen to set the
record straight. Although I say this
is my farewell tour, its going to be
quite some time, says the lively
Ms Paige, before Ill finally say
farewell.
The Elaine Paige Show starts in May on Sky
Arts; for more info on her 50th anniversary
tour visit elainepaige.com, @elaine_paige
IF IM HONEST,
I SHOULD HAVE
CREATED THE ROLE
OF NORMA DESMOND.
BUT I WASNT
EVEN ASKED TO
AUDITION AND I THINK
I KNOW WHY...
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Finding wardrobe essentials
of quality is no easy feat. This is
where Crew clothing come in with
their SVG range, a new summer
collection inspired by the colour
and history of St Vincent and
the Grenadines. Surrounded by
crystal clear waters and beautiful
beaches, this island country was
also the perfect place for Crew to
shoot their stunning SS14 shoot.
Idyllic and peaceful, the islands
represent Crews philosophy; good
times, good friends and good taste.
Stock up on Crew essential items to
get your way through summer.
[06/14]
gaytimes.co.uk 73
W
O
R
D
S

L
L
O
Y
D
-
S
C
O
T
T

T
Y
L
E
R
oh buoy!
join the crew
FESTIVAL
ESSENTIALS
gaytimes.co.uk 74
WORDS LLOYD-SCOTT TYLER
festival essentials
Summer is fast upon
us, which can mean
only one thing
music festivals! But
what should we be
wearing? Whether
its Glastonbury or
Creamelds, heres
our guide to keep
you looking sharp
Elvine blue raincoat,
elvine.se
----------
FYT & Co rucksack,
amazon.com
----------
Aigle short parcours
wellies, aigle.com
----------
Aigle men`s camo
packable raincoat,
aigle.com
----------
Palladium orange boot,
palladiumboots.co.uk
----------
Fat Face yellow jacket,
fatface.com
----------
[06/14]
[style]
gaytimes.co.uk 75
FYT & Co rucksack,
amazon.com
----------
Bershka t-shirt,
bershka.com
----------
Bershka t-shirt,
bershka.com
----------
Aigle America mid boot,
aigle.com
----------
Bershka swim shorts,
bershka.com
----------
FYT & Co packable
duffel, amazon.com
----------
Aigle raincoat,
aigle.com
----------
gaytimes.co.uk 76
HENTSCH MAN X MULO & CASTAER Nothing feels more comfortable in the summer than a well-crafted slip-on shoe,
which brings us to this collaboration between Hentsch Man and Mulo & Castaer. Available at Mr Porter and The
Shop at Bluebird, these will have you looking good and feeling good. Check them out your feet will thank you.
give us the slip
[06/14]
When the sun comes out to play, so do we. Be it at summer soires, holidays or the many
gay Pride events throughout the UK. But one thing we need to remember while were
letting our hair down is to take care of our skin. We put some of the biggest and best
brands to the test and came up with our pick of must-have creams and moisturisers to
keep your skin clean, perfect and youthful during the warmer months and beyond.
summer skin
Clarins Pure and Radiant Mask, Blemish Control and Pore Minimizing Serum, clarins.co.uk. Bliss no 'zit` sherlock breakout-busting rubberising mask, bliss.com.
Murad T-Zone Pore Refning Serum and Exfoliating Acne Treatment, murad.co.uk. Sisley Creamy Topical Resins Mask and Botanical D-Tox, sisley.fr.
Alpha-H Liquid Gold Smoothing Perfecting Mask and Liquid Gold, salonskincare.co.uk
[style]
gaytimes.co.uk 77
W
O
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D
S

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gaytimes.co.uk 78
Four Seasons Hampshire
is the perfect setting
for a relaxing summer
retreat. But its not just
the incredible spa
facilities thatve got us
excited theres also
a host of sporting and
fitness activities on offer
to help get you looking
and feeling your best. The
hotel itself is luxurious,
set against the beautiful
Hampshire countryside
which is perfect for bike
rides and walks. As for the
spa itself, Four Seasons
Hampshire has partnered
with exclusive skincare
line Swiss Perfection,
to offer some of the
most lavish skin care
treatments on the market,
including a series of
unique facials designed to
reduce the signs of ageing
and help you achieve
a younger, smoother
and naturally-radiant
complexion. Guests are
invited to choose from
seven different 60-minute
and three 45-minute
treatments, which
specifically target areas
like the neck, chest, eyes,
arms and hands. Swiss
Perfections treatments
are also personalised,
and all include deep
cleansing, masks and
massages with immediate
results trust us, youll
start to feel the difference
the minute you walk out
the door. The Cellular
Mens Skin Cleans was our
treatment of choice. Deep
cleansing, its designed
to calm, purify and
just generally leave you
feeling fresh. The staff are
friendly, knowledgeable
and will help make you
feel at ease. A therapy that
really is therapeutic.
Cellular Men`s Skin Cleanse
is 60 minutes at 460. Four
Seasons Hampsire rates
start at 290 (incl VAT)
per room per night, based
on two people sharing.
fourseasons.com/hampshire
SPA STOP
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL
HAMPSHIRE
especially for you
[06/14]
british
bespoke
Luxury outerwear brand Hancock has
moved back into the bespoke market
with a shiny new website and just in
time for the summer. Hurray! If you
fancy sashaying across the beach in
your very own made-to-order piece,
simply request a pack of fabric samples
and toile from the factory. Once youve
got the size and fit just right, and picked
your favourite colour, of course, give
them the nod and theyll get creating
your very own custom garment. Yes, its
as simple as that. Hancock.co.uk
[style]
79 gaytimes.co.uk
gaytimes.co.uk 80
Upcycling, recycling, reloving
call it what you will, not
everyone is into the new and
pristine. Whether its furniture
created from other objects,
proudly bearing the original
scars, or collectable salvaged
pieces old is the neue new
WORDS MARK KING
RELOVING
interiors
The pendant lamp
Pirelli Warehouse light,
salvage from Pirelli
Tyres warehouse, 320,
skinfintdesign.co.uk
----------
The coffee table
Legion Coffee Table II,
reclaimed delivery pallet,
199, made.com
---------- The drawers
Vintage 11 drawer chest,
various hardwoods, 625,
littletreefurniture.co.uk
----------
The bookcase
Benjamin bookcase,
built with reclaimed oak
foorboards and iron,
585, made.com
----------
The desk
Astern Retro desk,
made from reclaimed
sea boat timbers, 845,
littletreefurniture.co.uk
----------
The cushion
Retro Advertising cushion,
made from vintage
promotional tea towels,
45, littlemillhouse.co.uk
----------
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D
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.
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Of course, you dont need experts to create furniture
from scratch. Yes, you can too with this handy step-by-
step guide to creating your own from readily available
materials. But were not talking just knocking together
some two-by-four (Google it) to make wonky shelves.
This is a whole lot smarter, with easy-to-follow templates
created by top contemporary designers. Forget dodgy
Do It Yourself. This is posher Do It Oneself. Project!
DIY Furniture 2 by Christopher Stuart, 17.75, laurenceking.com
81 gaytimes.co.uk
The planter
Retro fshmarket trug,
hand-crafted from
pine off-cuts, 35,
lovestruckinteriors.com
----------
The bed
Monastery bed, individually
made using reclaimed
oak, from 1,995,
littletreefurniture.co.uk
----------
The spotlight
Concorde Test
House light, 1950s
original salvaged
from the Concorde
Test Centre, 440,
skinfintdesign.co.uk
----------
[home] home home
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[06/14]
gaytimes.co.uk 83
ooooft
They say a picture tells a thousand
words, but for us, this one is telling
us only nine We really, really,
REALLY need to go to Rio. Taken
from Lo Castros new coffee table
book Men of Rio, if you like the
sound of 128-pages of athletic,
toned Brazilian bodies (who
doesnt?!), then this is going to be
right up your street.
Available in hardback from brunogmuender.
com and in Prowler stores, 49.99
Viva
Brazil
gaytimes.co.uk 84
Cherry Ghost
Herd Runners
The brainchild of
Simon Aldred, this
album is swathed in
orchestral sweeps
like a pashmina. It
goes from country
and western to Send
in the Clowns in
one elegant swish,
and has the brittle
delivery and broken
sadness of the
Tindersticks at their
best.
Diane Birch Speak
A Little Louder
An abrasive and
distinctive voice
that will have you
drooling or reaching
for earplugs, same
as professional
foghorn/chanteuse
Florence Welch.
Birch has the
Chromeo White Women Packed
with hits, any number of which could
grace the airwaves of Magic FM,
Chromeo have honed their super-
slick pop, which is now shinier and
bouncier than ever before like a
good head of hair. Their songs could
easily be covered by Katy Perry,
and they even draw in bona fde pop
royalty with Miss Solange Knowles
guesting on a classily restrained and
subdued slow jam. Overall Chromeo
have perfected their bastard child
of electro and funk, by birthing it
into the realm of pure pop. Like their
inspirations from Rick James to
Fleetwood Mac - it`s set to become
a classic.
Klaxons Love Frequency Klaxons Klaxons
Opening with their best shot New Reality, this
song captures their frst fzzy burst upon the
scene as nu rave upstarts with their eyes on a
pop career. And with their third album, they`ve
almost made it, having stuck to their original
artrave sound.
At times these indie kids are more akin to an
RnB boy band, with more harmonies than Boyz
II Men (see Show Me A Miracle) and by making
use of the call and response form with falsetto
harmonies at every opportunity. It weighs down
the album with layer upon layer of noise, meaning
the band`s trademark electronica rarely has time
to breathe. Even the instrumental Liquid Light
feels stodgy. Though if you`re a fan of 90s rave
synths and piano house riffs, you`ll fnd your own
light relief. And the kitchen sink approach can
pay off Rhythm of Life has a Gimme! Gimme!
Gimme! driving bass synth, which can carry any
number of psychedelic nonsense, and even a
wailing guitar solo.
Most songs follow the Hurts-esque overblown
disco ballad blueprint, with only a mild deviance
into glam rock on the track The Dreamers.
In the right headspace, Love Frequency is a
dreamy trip. But it`s an acquired taste most pop
purists will fnd diffcult to swallow.
Fitz and The Tantrums More
Than Just A Dream The LA-
based Fitz and The Tantrums take
many a cue from the rich heritage
of Californian pop, giving them a
modern Mama Cass vibe helped
along numerous back up singers.
Everything sounds like it`s sung into
an old fashioned wartime jazz singer
microphone, and gives them an early
MGMT electronic edge, but they`re
completely pop in the way that The
Killers are. And like The Kaiser
Chiefs, they`re a bit reliant on the 'oh`
lyric to pad out a chorus or make it
a sing-a-long, throwing 'oh-we-oh-s`
and 'oohs` around like they`re going
out of fashion.
distinction of
Sinead O`Connor
with the commercial
appeal of Lana
Del Rey. In a few
words, she`s Pat
Benatar 2014.

Alexis Taylor
Await Barbarians
The solo Hot
Chip-per leaves the
disco behind for
some after-hours
in an instrument
shop, picking up
and accompanying
himself on guitar,
piano or anything
else that can hold
a tune. Though we
miss the 4/4 beat, he
could probably stop
you slinking to the
bar at an acoustic
open mic night.

albums
[reviews]
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I
left the [Pussycat] Dolls and turned around and
went who the hell am I? What do I want to do,
what do I wanna say, what kind of music do I
want to do?, Ashley Roberts is telling us about
her life since leaving one of the worlds biggest girl
groups. Ive been wearing extensions and lashes and
latex for seven years now. And you get wrapped in it
all. So I went on a little journey, honey
That journey included a whole lot of gurus,
meditation, mantras, a life coach and a search to find
herself. And luckily, there was still a popstar in there.
Its not like she disappeared. Youll have no doubt
seen her on Saturday Night Takeaway and coming
second in 2012s Im A Celebrity The latter didnt
inspire any specific songs, but did give her the
courage to keep at a solo career.
I did it all and Im proud of myself, she says of her
jungle exploits. Even though I was scared and fearful
that people wont accept me on my own, or that there
was a stigma around the rest of us not being able to
sing besides Nicole. All these thoughts after a while,
hearing those things, it seeps into your subconscious
a little bit. So the jungle gave me the confidence to be
just fuck it. Im gonna do it.
Roberts first single is Clockwork, a full on emo
electro-pop ballad, and theres plenty more where that
came from on her forthcoming debut album. From
more luscious soul-searching balladry, to straight
up adult electro pop and hands-in-the-air feminist
anthems. In her words, its borderlining pop music in
being possibly radio friendly, but also authentic to my
journey and the struggles and the awesome moments
to get there. And excitingly for any pop-nerds out
there, shes written a few songs with Frankmusik,
whom she used to listen to diving around LA with one
of her besties (Kendall Schmitt from Big Time Rush).
Dude, hes such an eclectic special little
person, Ashley gushes. Hes so genius. and I
was a) excited to work with him and b) excited
to be in his world, on his lily pad. They clicked
immediately and wrote at an incredible speed,
finishing one song in just 20 minutes.
Finally, we end up dishing on RuPaul. It turns
out Ashley Roberts is such a fan that she gets
starstruck when she sees him out and about in LA,
and that she reached out to be a judge on the show
(shes still waiting, Ru). And in even more pop/
drag trivia crossover news, his make-up artist
Mathu Andersen used to do Pussycat Dolls Kim and
Jessica. We were struck by the similarities between
the show and those aforementioned PCD extensions
and lashes and latex
Yeah! Oh honey, I was part of it all! she laughs, I
was in the drag race for seven years!
Clockwork is out 26 May, imashleyroberts.com
[music]
gaytimes.co.uk 85
gaytimes.co.uk 86
R
ain or shine,
Denise
Pearson will
always be one
in a million and
its my fantasy
come true her when she strides
into Soho House in sunglasses,
a black suit and perilously high
heels. The former teenage lead
singer with Five Star is now a
fabulous 45-year-old woman with
a fantastic back catalogue, a rather
lovely new album and a superb
voice for which shes never really
been given her due.
The latter, she says, is down to the
fact she was encouraged to sing at
the top of her range on songs like
System Addict and Find The Time
during Five Stars 80s heyday. It
was the era of Madonna, who was
squeaky, and Cyndi Lauper, who
was kinda high too, Denise points
out in a huskier-than-expected
speaking voice. That was the
sound back then and Five Star had
that going on too.
The new album an eclectic
collection titled Imprint that runs the
gamut from R&B to power ballads
via Motown and dance showcases
a sassier, sexier Miss Pearson than
the one we all fell in love with when
the Romford-born teen and her four
siblings took the catchy likes of Rain
or Shine into the charts.
Denise penned the bulk of the
lyrics on Imprint, which proves
shes no pop-puppet, but then she
had a hand in some of those Five
Star hits too and wasnt always the
squeaky-clean girl those early
videos suggested at least not
once puberty began to kick in and
the bands manager-father Buster
loosened the reins a little. Thats
when she ended up snogging Matt
Goss, whom shed first encountered
at a film premiere, in the back of his
limo outside Buckingham Palace.
And it was an amazing first kiss,
let me tell you, she beams, joking
about the fact she wasnt allowed
boyfriends in the early years but
Ive made up for it since and how!
The once-married, currently-
engaged mother of two has a glint in
her eye when she reveals her tastes
run the gamut from Zac Efron (Hes
just gorgeous, isnt he?) to her The
Voice mentor Tom Jones (The vibe
he gives off is very sexy). She also
used to swoon when she crossed
paths with George Michael, never
guessing he was gay, but then it
took older brother Stedman to alert
her to the fact Five Star had a huge
gay fanbase.
He told me Denise, we have
such a big gay following because
of you. He was talking about the
big blonde hair, the make-up
and the sparkly costumes. But
Pearson, who comes across like a
real lady, isnt taking full credit for
their success. The dance routines
were great, the sound was amazing
and the songs themselves were
amazing too, she reckons.
It wasnt all fun. In fact, it was
bloody hard work. We had to learn
one song, learn a dance routine for
another song, record a new song
and perform the other one and do
all the TV shows It was fast and
relentless.
Were Not Over on Denises solo
album is dedicated to Buster (who
passed away nearly two years
ago), which shows she has no hard
feelings towards the man who many
considered a pushy father, forcing
his kids onto the stage in a bid for
Jacksons-style world domination.
Not that she sees it that way. He
was a very strong man and you
have to have that guidance, she
insists. You need someone who is
strict and you need rules, especially
when youre five teenagers.
There were resentments,
especially when it came to the girls
wanting boyfriends and, as they
got older, all five of the clan having
ideas about what they did and didnt
want to do. Then there was the fact
Denise did pretty much all the lead
vocals. Were there busts up about
that? Of course there were, she
laughs. Then there was bankruptcy,
the details of which shes sketchy
about, which forced them out of
their Berks mansion and signalled
the beginning of the end.
By the mid-90s the fivesome
had gone their separate ways, but
Denise, Stedman and Lorraine
reformed under the Five Star
banner in 2002. And it didnt
matter that there were only three
of them, because the tunes and
dance routines were all present
and correct, and Denise finally
grasped the size of the gay fanbase
when they appeared at G-A-Y. I
didnt see many women there, she
recalls, but there were so many
gorgeous guys in the audience.
Honouring, perhaps, her dads
love of the Jacksons in general and
Michael in particular (remember
all those Bad-style leathers he got
them to wear for the Rock My World
album?) Denise has done Thriller
Live in the West End and she jumps
for joy when I say she has a touch of
the Janets about her. Wow, what a
comparison, she screeches.
Any wardrobe malfunctions of her
own? Yeah, all the way through
the 80s, she grins, adding that
while there was no nipple-slip,
thank goodness, there were some
outfits shed rather forget. And those
leathers? They must have been
uncomfortable? Very. Sweaty?
Very. And kinky? Very.
Once the new album is out, Denise
is prepping for another Five Star
reformation. Theyll be doing
summer festivals and this time
therell be four of them, with only
Lorraine (Theres always one, isnt
there? Denise sighs) opting out.
Seems the others are happy to sing
the old hits and will keep doing it
for as long as people buy tickets.
I can imagine us coming on stage
one day with Zimmer frames, the
songstress giggles, but theyll be
diamante-encrusted, darling!
Denise Pearson`s new album Imprint
and single Free Fall are out on 1 June,
denisepearsonmusic.com,
@msdenisepearson
DENISE
PEARSON
WORDS SIMON BUTTON
87 gaytimes.co.uk
[music]
IMAGE BENJAMIN ALEXANDER HUSEBY
gaytimes.co.uk 88
The Feast of the Broken Heart
is the latest offering from Hercules
and Love Affair. And after a month of
repeated listenings and a long chat
with its brainchild, a Mr Andrew
Butler, were pretty sure its the best
and gayest album released this
year. By no means a dark record, its
infused with a certain dancefloor
melancholy which is always and will
always be a winning combination of
tears and dancing. If we had to pick a
highlight, wed go for any of the tracks
touched by the hand of John Grant, as
they capture the inherent loneliness
of gay culture and elegantly entwine
it with dance music.
Well John and I definitely connect
as gay men, Andrew tells us from
his apartment in Vienna. Very
emotional guys, sensitive gay men
that wear our emotions quite openly
and candidly. Which was their
modus operandi. I basically threw
out the old go as deep as you can
and write a song about it, write
something about something you dont
want to write about. John was Im
gonna talk about the fact I became
HIV-positive and I want to address
the responsibility that one person has
around their own HIV status.
The resulting song I Try To Talk
To You is one of our favourite songs
on the album, a piano-drenched,
philosophical throbbing house track
that could soundtrack darkrooms
and opium dens.
So while Hercules and Love
Affairs new album has this Grant-
esque dancey melancholy, theres a
second flip-side to it, and we cant
think of a better word than SASSY.
Butler laughs at this, and before long
we find ourselves taking another
long interview detour into the world
of RuPauls Drag Race.
Alyssa Edwards in particular,
that queen moves me. She
obviously came from a hard place,
she grew up in the club and she
found acceptance in the club. She
internalised the club, she can
vogue down so when you say
sassiness on my record, youre
absolutely right. There might be
some flamboyance on my record,
theres an unabashed celebration
in general of flamboyance this time
round. And eleganza.
While theres flamboyance
and sassiness, I tried to create
an elegance about everything as
well. I think that things are pretty
restrained and composed while still
having sassiness.
One of many examples comes
around on My Offence, which
drops the c-word regularly in the
chorus. You might miss it the first
time around, its so guttural and
rhythmic. People have asked me
repeatedly, is that word cunt?
says Andrew, and Im like yeah! I
thought it was relatively clear. The
statement I was making with My
Offence was that femininity isnt
something to be vilified or afraid of,
disregarded or whatever.
It should be embraced,
championed so feeling cunt in the
sense of a queen from Harlem or
a Banjee queen from the ballroom
scene in Chicago when they say
feeling cunt, they mean feeling
everything, feeling fabulous,
feeling fantastic, feeling beautiful,
feeling perfect, you know?
And its not the only bit of
affirmative queer recycling. Theres
a Mink Stole and Mary Vivian
Pearce sample from Mondo Trasho
that itself is a reference to The
Looks Glammer Girl on the track
5.43 To Freedom.
It always spoke to me, those two
queens. Its interesting, theres
another example of gay banter on
the record where you have people
talking about chicken queens and
gay lingo. Sassy.
The Feast Of The Broken Heart is
out 26 May on Moshi Moshi records,
herculesandloveaffair.net
People
have
asked me
is that
the word
cunt?
And Im
like, yeah!
I thought
it was
relatively
clear.
Femininity
isnt
something
to be
vilified or
afraid of, or
whatever
Hercules &
Love Affair
profile
[reviews]
Brooke Candy Bitch Like
Me Does anyone remember
Jentina? Dominique Young Unique Throw
It Down Now THIS is what we`re talking about.
It`s Minaj-nasty, with a little nod to Dibby Dibby
Sound. Clean Bandit Extraordinary Surely a
second number one. To this they`ve added steel
drums, some syncopated piano and a killer top
line from guest vocalist Sharna Bass. Rita Ora
I Will Never Let You Down If you hate this, you
probably hate Jessie J and Jgerbombs, and
should probably give G-A-Y Late a miss. Ed
Sheeran SING In a most unexpected turn around,
Ed has stepped out from the Stars in Their Eyes
dry ice and is slaying it with a Justin Timberlake
impression. Flawless and knuckle-gnawingly
exciting for the new album. Kamaliya Never
Wanna Hurt You (Bad Love, Baby) We blame
her for our near downfall last year, after soaking
us in vodka at the Meet The Russians premiere.
This time she`s serving up a banging concoction
of dancehall and opera. Duck Sauce NRG
The bastard love child of Mylo and Eric Prydz`s
one-hit wonders, it might ensure that Duck Sauce
will be remembered for something other than
Barbra Streisand. Icona Pop On A Roll It has
all the swagger of Robbie Williams, which isn`t
necessarily a bad thing for a mainstream pop act,
but doesn`t quite suit two hot Swedish girls.
Farewell tours,
let`s face it, Cher`s
not having one
until she bites the
dust - and we`re
not entirely sure
she`s not immortal.
But for the rest of
the merely human
popstars, the time
must come for one
fnal goodbye. In
June it will be time
for The Osmonds,
David Essex,
Showaddywaddy
and the Bay City
Rollers to take to
the road in one epic,
mother panty-
wetting tour. And if
it was before your
mum`s time, just
ask gran. They`re
basically pre-One
Direction, pre-Take
That, boyband
prototypes. And
you`ll know the hits
from Crazy Horses
to Bye Bye Baby as
they`re embedded
into the DNA of
pop culture. The
tour starts 20 June,
ticketmaster.co.uk
once in
a lifetime
Ronika You can tell a lot about a new pop artist
by the events they play. So its no surprise to
find our latest pop-session (weve neologised
pop obsession, deal) Ronika wowed the crowds
at the inaugural Popjustice night Deluxe
Editions which was essentially a gay night for
pop nerds and their admirers. She was the only
act without an acoustic guitar in sight, telling us
afterwards, it was magic, such a good crowd.
Im with kindred spirits at a Popjustice night, it
felt like a lovely big family affair.
Her debut album Selectadisc is named
after a defunct record shop in her hometown
of Nottingham, and is like listening to an
incredible mixtape of 80s pop, spliced with
modern, summery funk electro. And shes a fan
of the old fashioned format, even if her album
is going to be available to download too.
I love a cassette mixtape, she says,
cassettes are a wicked format, theyre sturdy
and sound good, theyve got the nice tape hiss.
Vinyl as well, I always think of albums in terms
of that should be on the A-side, that should be
on the B-side.
She flips between the nonchalant cool of
Annie or the stylish panache Gwen Stefani on
both sides of Selectadisc, but ultimately this
pop mishmash is all Ronika.
Selectadisc is being released on limited edition vinyl and download on 2 June, which you
can get from her own record label, recordshop.co.uk.
[tracklist ]
[music]
gaytimes.co.uk 89
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gaytimes.co.uk 90
Who Would Have
Thought? Darren
Hayes writes for GT
on why hed y to
the moon and back
to see Kate Bush live
in concert...
In September this year
Im flying to London
from our new home in
Los Angeles for one purpose only:
to see Kate Bush in concert. Its
a moment I never thought would
happen in my lifetime and, even as
I write this, I still cant quite believe
its a reality. I think myself incredibly
lucky I grew up in an era where I saw
Michael Jackson live in his prime and
at a time when geniuses like Prince
and pioneers like Madonna were
within my grasp. Yet Kate Bush has
inspired me from the most loving
distance only. I was six-years-old and
living in Australia blissfully unaware
of music when Kate last played a
live concert. By the time I could
understand who this wonderfully
mad and enticingly magical Elvin
creature on my telly was, she had all
but retired from public appearances.
As Kate retreated from public life,
she lovingly poured over her music
and after what seemed like achingly
long periods every now and then a
new album would appear. Her body
of work has become a benchmark I
use to evaluate my own purpose and
meaning as an artist. I find myself
defending my own slow progress
writing music by pointing out her
stunning album Aerial took precisely
12 years to emerge. From a void of
nothingness, this album appeared
more than a decade after The Red
Shoes. And it was so worth it.
After Aerial, I assumed it might
take another age before Kate made
another album, when she suddenly
entered into a phase of extreme
productivity. In the subsequent
years she outdid Beyonc with her
stealth release of Directors Cut an
extraordinary sonic reinvention of
her past catalogue that came literally
without warning, then a Christmas
album. Now this year, shes touring.
KATE BUSH IS TOURING!?
I am thrilled I have this opportunity
to see my muse on stage where I
truly feel she belongs. At the time, I
felt slightly bittersweet about it. In a
world where celebrity has become
more valued than talent, Kates
supposed reclusiveness set her apart
from the desperation of fame. I loved
that she has carved out a career
that is commercially successful and
artistically untouched. Yet I find myself
equal parts thrilled and slightly guilty,
Ill witness an acquiescent return
to the pit of public scrutiny. In some
ways doing a Kate Bush is what many
artists have aspired to: art on your own
terms. Perhaps this is how she defines
her decision to tour in 2014. In fact, I
know so.
To understand my fascination with
Kate, I need only point you to an
album I made which was a not-so-
cleverly-disguised lovingly-inspired-
response-of-sorts, to Hounds of
Love. I made my double album This
Delicate Thing Weve Made with the
same model Fairlight synthesiser Kate
used on her revolutionary album from
1984. I bought it on eBay for 3,000,
yet back in the day this instrument
cost as much as a house. I liked to
imagine the ghost of Kate was in that
machine. When I made the record,
it was a crazy decision. No one was
making concept albums; no one
wanted a double record and who the
hell was the guy from Savage Garden
to warble on about travelling back
in time? But thats precisely what it
felt like. Back to a time when albums
were a lifes work. Back to making
decisions about art, purely about art.
When I met my husband Richard,
it was a lyric of Kates that bonded
us. We both excitedly blurted out
the same song lyric to each other
and instantly knew we understood
each other. Like my love of Star Wars
or dogs, if you dont understand
my obsession with Kate Bush, we
probably wont get along.
My husband knew the words to the
most obscure Kate Bush song. He
was a keeper.
When the announcement came
out of the blue, I didnt think twice
about purchasing plane tickets for
Kates shows. I knew in that instant
this was one of those once in a
lifetime opportunities. Who knows
if Kate will ever grace the stage
again? Conversely, maybe this is
the beginning of a new phase of
connecting more with the outside
world? I dont know, but I do know its
a seminal moment in pop culture and
Im again marvelling at the luck of
being alive to witness it.
Its funny to wonder what might
have prompted Kates desire to
return to the very scene of her last
performance. Much has been written
about Kates experience of touring
but one thing cant be misunderstood:
after performing at the Hammersmith
Odeon in May 1979 Kate quietly
decided not to do it again for 35
years. This act alone has made her a
modern day enigma.
Kates own defence of her absence
is shockingly understandable. She
wanted a life and she wanted to raise
her son. I love this quote from her
from 2005:
A lot of people refer to me as a
recluse, which Im not. But I do like
to try and live as normal a life as
possible, she said.
Sometimes its very frustrating that
Im portrayed in such a strange way,
when people who go on television
COUNTDOWN TO KATE
before the dawn
[reviews]
and eat live insects and spend
three weeks up a tree with a
camera stuck up their nose are
considered normal.
Im sorry, but from where I sit,
Im the normal person.
When you listen to Directors
Cut I think we might be witness
to the seed of her desire to return
to the stage and perhaps what she
might have been getting up to all
of these years. I got into a massive
argument with a friend who didnt
like Kates reinterpretations of her
classics on that album. I defended
it fiercely because I could see
this was an artist who had never
experienced the evolution of doing
her material live. When you tour
your music, your songs evolve,
change and grow throughout the
years. If you listen to This Womans
Work for example, its a completely
different song on Directors Cut.
Its almost like the version she
might have come to after 35 years
of doing it over and over again on
stage. From an artist who had never
toured the song, it makes complete
sense to me in its current form.
I have no idea what Kate will do
on stage later this year. She could
stand there with a nose flute for all
I care. True to form and in keeping
with all of her artistic decisions,
she has more than earned the
right to do whatever the hell she
wants. Im just glad we
get to witness it on her
terms.
For more information on Kate Bush, visit
katebush.com, @katebushmusic. For
more information on Darren Hayes, visit
darrenhayes.com, @darrenhayes
[music]
gaytimes.co.uk 91
Sentinel Joshua
Winning Looking
for a new book
series to get excited
about? Enter book
one of the Sentinel
Trilogy. Packed
with monsters,
murder, magic,
and of course, the
heroes to combat
them. The story
follows 15-year-old
Nicholas Hallow,
who becomes
drawn into a dark
struggle against
malevolent powers
after his parents`
death.
Making it
Happen: The
Autobiography
Carl Hester
More than 11,000
athletes competed
at the London 2012
Olympics. Only
23 identifed as
gay. Carl Hester
was one of them.
Tom of Finland: The Complete
Kake Comics Dian Hanson
Moustaches everywhere! One
of gay art`s most famous icons,
Kake was the defnitive image of
the leather-clad, muscle-bound,
hyper-masculine biker. Created by
Finnish artist Touko Laaksonen
AKA Tom of Finland - Kake`s sexual
adventures were loved by fans
around the world from the 60s to the
80s, going on to infuence the clone
look personifed by Freddie Mercury,
as well as a whole generation of
leathermen. With original strips,
stories and sketches collected in one
volume for the frst time, fans old and
new can enjoy his adventures once
again. Just don`t call it pornography.
It`s art. Obviously.
One Man Guy
Michael Barakiva
When 14-year-old Alek Khederian`s parents
ship him off to summer school instead of
tennis camp, he prepares for the worst few
months of his life. The next hellish chapter in
an already hellish year. That is until he meets
sk8r boi Ethan. Cool, confdent and completely
at ease to himself, he`s everything Alek ever
wanted to be. After Ethan takes him to a Rufus
Wainwright concert (of course), their friendship
soon becomes a relationship, and Alek starts
to question everything he ever knew about
himself and his sexuality. But how will Alek`s
traditional Armenian family react to his brave
new world? Michael Barakiva`s debut novel is
a warm, fuffy and - dare we say it - hilarious
coming of age (and coming out) tale, placing
you in the shoes of an uncertain teenager
struggling with his identity. It`s a little too
smooth around the edges in some places,
but with a dash of humour, a healthy dollop of
realism and subtle romance licking each page,
this is an enjoyable read blurring the lines of
ethnicity and sexuality, which should keep you
giggling while you take your own trip down
memory lane. And besides, who hasn`t fallen
in love with a skater boy before?
The Dilly: A History of Piccadilly
Rent Boys Jeremy Reed Believe it
or not, the gay prostitution scene of
Piccadilly Circus has been a source
of infuence for some of Britain`s
fnest philosophers, writers and even
rock stars from Oscar Wilde to The
Rolling Stones. But it`s largely gone
undocumented. Well, until now, that
is. With his own unique fair, Jeremy
Reed maps out the history of the
Dilly boys with insightful frst-hand
interviews, from how they inspired
Morrissey and Francis Bacon
leading up to the 90s when they
were eventually replaced by online
male escorts. Explosive, colourful
and rarely dull. But then again, what
would you expect from the world`s
oldest profession?
From an isolated
upbringing on Sark
to the dressage
arena at the
Olympics, Making
It Happen charts
the rise and rise
of the celebrated
equestrian and gold
medal winner.

Adam Ariel Schrag
Awkward teenager
Adam Freedman
meets the girl
of his dreams in
Gillian. The only
catch - she`s a
lesbian who thinks
he`s transgender;
a boy born a girl.
Ariel Schrag`s Adam
artfully guides you
through a gender-
bending wonderland
of love, attraction
with an overarching
message of feeling
comfortable in your
own skin.

[reviews]
[print]
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Was there anything in Forsters story
you could relate to yourself as a gay
author? It was India first and foremost;
Ive been spending a lot of time there
over the last 14 years. The other aspects of
Forsters life echo my own, his friendships
with particular Indians, and a lot of his
politics. There were lots of ways that I felt
Forsters story could speak for me in a
more private kind of way.
It touches on a lot of issues that still
happen today, like the anti-gay law
thats obviously still in force in a lot of
countries. In places such as Uganda and
India, the situation is still completely in the
Victorian mind set.
Its outrageous. Yes it is. A lot of people
say Forsters behaviour was distasteful, but
how else could you live if its impossible to
be open? Its the context that gives rise to
the secrecy. It was the kind of atmosphere
that I grew up around in South Africa.
Speaking of, how was it to grow up as
a gay man in South Africa? Not great.
I grew up in Pretoria, which was quite
conservative and suffocating. Like a lot
of other gay men, I had to learn to be
secretive and hidden about what I was
doing, and hide the most essential part
of myself. A lot of the internalised shame
that takes place in the gay cycle of your
childhood years, the kind of mind-set in
schools, my guess is its probably still
exactly the same as it was.
When you were growing up it must have
been hard to express yourself. When
did you first realise you were gay? I only
really came out of the closet in my mid-20s.
When I went to drama school for the first
time I felt able to announce it to my fellows.
But it wasnt easy. I think theres still a
sense of shame in it. I dont think you ever
entirely get rid of it a sort of internalised
homophobia, but self-directed.
What response have you received from
readers? Im getting a lot of responses
from readers. Really warmly so far. I think
for a lot of gay readers, they get all the
frustrations and futilities when trying to
connect with Masood. Unrequited love that
goes on for a very long time is one that a lot
of gay men especially understand.
You released your first novel when you
were 17, how have you developed as a
writer since? Well Ive got a lot better, I
hope. That first book [A Sinless Season]
isnt one that Im hugely proud of now.
Theres so much more experience for
humans after that age. It doesnt make
writing easier incidentally. The frontier
just keeps moving back and back so your
ambitions get bigger. Writing is essentially
just as difficult as it ever was.
You allegedly described the writing
process as God awful, what was that?
If I remember correctly, my apartment
was just knee deep in books and papers,
so the God awful part was trying to collate
the bits of research and make sense of it.
Actually the writing of the book was quite
pleasurable. Ive enjoyed it more than the
other books.
What direction do you plan to take now
Arctic Summer is published? I plan
future books but theyre not arriving yet.
I need to get going but its only been six
months since I finished Arctic Summer.
It takes some time for the batteries to
recharge. I have no idea what I want to do
next, but I know its going to have to be a
very different project.
Is it going to be gay themed? Maybe, but
Im going to move away from biography
for one thing. The biographical parts of
the book were really difficult. Maybe back
to South Africa in one way or another.
There are some things you carry over,
your personal interests and obsessions.
I cant really separate gay from my
personal interests, so itll show up
somehow Im sure.
What advice would you give to aspiring
gay authors? You have to read first and
foremost, just read and read as much
as you can. A lot of people write books
without reading that much, and you just
cant do it. Everyone starts out trying to
imitate something else. I think its perfectly
fine to do that until you find your own voice
and your own way. Its just very difficult,
and you need to know that when you start,
there are no quick results.
WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER
Award-winning South African author Damon Galgut
captivated us with his latest book Arctic Summer. Telling the
story of English writer Edward Forster, who falls in love with
his Indian friend Masood, weve already called it one of the
must-read books of 2014. We sat down with the man himself
to talk about how Forster has inspired his life, growing up
as a gay man in South Africa, and what advice he has for any
budding gay authors wanting to put pen to page
WORDS DARRELL LARKIN IMAGE NIGEL MAISTER
95 gaytimes.co.uk
[print]
Until 24 May
Commissioned by
LGBT arts project
Homotopia, Le
Gateau Chocolat`s
new show Black
tells the important,
moving story of one
man`s battle with
depression, his
hopes and fears.
The Nigerian-born
singer draws on
his own personal
demons in this true
display of intimacy.
sohotheatre.com
1931 May
Summer is on its
way, with all its
simple, twee joys
provided it doesn`t
piss it down, that is.
As far as English
quaintness goes,
All Creatures Great
and Small is as
good as it gets.
The show is back,
starring none other
than Corrie hunk
Oliver Mellor.
theroyalwindsor.
co.uk
2 June 30 August
Since winning The
X Factor in 2008,
Alexandra Burke
has carved out a
considerable gay
fan base. Now she`s
heading into one
of the West End`s
best new shows,
The Bodyguard,
flling the boots of
Beverley Knight
as leading lady
Rachel Marron.
thebodyguardmusi-
cal.com
Until 8 June
She ain`t your
mother, but Jessie
Wallace IS in the
revival of Fings
Ain`t Wot They
Used T`be. The
story of gangsters
and gamblers in the
East End, it follows
one ex-con`s
reality check as he
tries to get on the
straight and narrow.
Also starring
Ross Kemp.
stratfordeast.com
Until November
It`s time to rock out
this summer. Rock
of Ages, the mix-
tape masterpiece,
is heading on a
nationwide tour, so
we can all relive or
live for the frst time
- the rockin` and
rollin` 80s. It`s The
Final Countdown for
this show, having
been a big West
End hit for years.
rockofagesmusical.
co.uk
[reviews]
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Feline Intimate Australian-
born cabaret artist Meow
Meow has stormed stages
everywhere from New York,
to Berlin, Edinburgh and now
London. Its no coincidence she
shares a name with an illegal
high this post post-modern
cabaret queens show is so
outrageously witty, it probably
should be illegal to have so
much fun. Meow Meow, real
name Melissa Madden Gray,
will be at the Southbank
Centre for three weeks.
20 May 8 June, underbelly.co.uk
[stage]
98 gaytimes.co.uk
Lone Survivor Disc Mark Wahlberg,
Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and
Ben Foster drench themselves in
stubble and testosterone, and throw
themselves down a mountain while
the combined membership of the
Taliban, Al-Qaeda and The People`s
Front of Judea rain a shitstorm of
bullets down upon them. That`s pretty
much the entire plot, but director Peter
Berg somehow manages to turn it
into something moral, moving and
redemptive.
The Wolf of Wall Street Disc After
Martin Scorsese`s dizzying 3-hour tale
of drugs and debauchery, you`ll feel as
exhilarated and exhausted as if you`d
been on an actual bender but at a
fraction of the cost. Even better, you
get to party with the likes of Leonardo
DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey and
the eerily-compelling Jonah Hill. The
Quaalude scene alone could`ve been
spun off as a standalone Mr Bean-
style comedy, and we`d have paid to
see it.
The Monuments Men Disc George
Clooney has assembled a top-notch
cast for his WWII reverse art-heist
adventure (Balaban! Blanchett!
Bonneville! Damon! Dujardin!
Goodman! Murray!), but having
dressed them up in uniform, the script
doesn`t give them anywhere to go, and
in the end it`s the audience who are left
fatigued. We never thought watching
Bill Murray rescue stolen paintings
would get boring, but this was like
watching paint dry.
Princess Mononoke Disc This
immense ecological anime is an
uncharacteristically violent effort
from Japan`s Studio Ghibli. An epic
struggle of man (or, in this case,
woman) vs nature, it contains imagery
more magical than anything in James
Cameron`s Avatar, and the sheer scale
of the spectacle would leave Peter
Jackson`s orcs cowering in their boots.
Dodgy English-language dub by Minnie
Driver and Billy Bob Thornton, but
that`s what subtitles are for.
[also out ]
Godzilla Breaking Bads Bryan
Cranston goes up against a
smoke-breathing menace that threatens to lay
waste to entire communities, only in this case its
a giant radioactive dinosaur, not a recreational
drug. In Secret A repressed ingenue must
choose between her husband and her lover in
this adaptation of the Emile Zola novel. If we
had to choose between Oscar Isaac and Tom
Felton, wed go with Draco Malfoy any day.
With that cruel mouth, we bet he kisses like a
brute. A Million Ways to Die in the West Seth
MacFarlanes Ted was fairly entertaining, so we
have our paws crossed that his new Wild West-set
comedy will raise a few lthy laughs. And with
Sarah Silverman, Neil Patrick Harris and Charlize
Theron co-starring, it just might. 22 Jump Street
Fresh from the success of The Lego Movie, co-
directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are back with
this sequel to the Channing Tatum/Jonah Hill
buddy comedy. Was it just us, or did the original
have a weird Brokeback Mountain vibe?
In Edge of Tomorrow
Tom Cruise plays
a futuristic solider
who must relive the
same battle over
and over again.
Co-starring Emily
Blunt and directed
by Doug Liman (The
Bourne Identity), it`s
like Groundhog Day,
but with aliens. In a
way, the flm is also
a metaphor for Tom
Cruise`s life - endless
running, friendships
with statuesque
women, and the
constant fear that
aliens could arrive at
any moment.
EDGING
cinema/disc
[reviews]
Road Cinema
Christ on a bike!
Narrated by Liam
Neeson, this
documentary about
two generations of
the Dunlop family
of motorcycle road
racers is a stunning
tale of bloody-
minded courage.
The Shakespearean
levels of tragedy
and triumph left us
teary-eyed, and
the dizzying race
footage left us
physically winded.
The crashes,
of course, are
devastating.

Downhill Cinema
This fy-on-the-wall
comedy about four
school friends who
reunite in middle
age for a coast-to-
coast walk is less
The Two Faces of January
Cinema Based on the novel by
Patricia Highsmith, this is one of
those classy thrillers in which a
convoluted tale of murder, lust and
intrigue is played out by men in crisp
linen suits against a backdrop of
azure skies, Greco-Roman ruins,
and swarthy Mediterranean waiters.
Viggo Mortensen plays an American
businessman with a secret, Kirsten
Dunst plays a trophy wife who knows
more than she says, and Oscar
Isaac plays an ex-pat tour guide with
an agenda. It`s immaculately flmed,
well acted, and there are fun twists
and turns, but you can`t help thinking
you`re watching a very, very well-
made episode of Poirot.
Fading Gigolo Cinema John
Turturro writes, directs and stars
in this story of a struggling forist,
Fioravante, who is persuaded to go
on the game by an unscrupulous
friend, Murray (Woody Allen).
New York is full of women who
are lonely (Sharon Stone), horny
(Sofa Vergara) or widowed
(Vanessa Paradis), and the flm
alternates between comedy, farce
and unexpectedly tender drama.
The story eventually settles on
Fioravante`s relationship with Avigal
(Paradis), an orthodox Jewish widow,
and her performance elevates the
flm into something rather touching.
And it`s a joy to see Woody Allen
back on screen; unrepentant, sleazy
and loveable as ever.
Withnail and I and
more Withnail and
WHY. The concept
is as dreary as
the weather, but
the cast, which
includes Green
Wing`s Karl
Theobald, gamely
put their best foot
forward.
Sisters Disc Brian
De Palma made
a splash with
his famboyant
homage to Michael
Powell`s Peeping
Tom (and every
single Hitchcock
movie ever made).
A pre-Lois Lane
Margot Kidder
plays a model with
a murderous twin;
can intrepid reporter
Jennifer Salt unravel
the split-screen
mystery?

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Bad Neighbours Cinema
One day you`ll look into a mirror and realise
you`ve turned from Zac Efron into Seth Rogen,
and that the sinewy virility and boundless
potential of your youth has given way to
doughy, affable reality. Hopefully this good-
natured comedy from director Nicholas Stoller
will help you laugh it off.
Rogen plays Mac Radner, who is trying to
settle into his new role as husband, father and
homeowner, when a college fraternity moves in
next door. He quickly befriends Teddy (Efron),
the fraternity`s improbably good-looking
president, and both he and his wife, Kelly
(Rose Byrne) hope their new neighbours could
be a way for them to relive their carefree 20s
while staying within range of the baby monitor.
It`s a perfect arrangement - so long as they
keep the noise down.
Inevitably, this tenuous truce between
Generations X and Y soon descends into open
warfare; Mac and Kelly hatch increasingly
devious plots to get the fraternity shut down,
while Teddy and his minions turn the couple`s
lives into an unsleeping hell. The ensuing hijinks
are occasionally hilarious, the cast, which
includes Dave Franco and Lisa Kudrow, are
adorable, and the straight-guy sexual chemistry
between Rogen and Efron is delicious.
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WORDS ANDREW WILLIAMS IMAGE DAVID NEEDLEMAN
101 gaytimes.co.uk
Why did you do GBF? The film
was a cute little comedy with some
fun characters and I thought the
role was pretty funny.
Do you often get approached to
appear in gay themed projects?
Youve got Date and Switch
coming up Strangely enough
those are the only two Ive done.
Yeah, I dont get constantly
offered those kinds of roles for a
gay audience and Im surprised
that I dont. Maybe its too hitting
the nail on the head.
What does Date and Switch
entail? Im the mother of one of the
kids again. The movies are very
different GBF is very stylised and
camp, Date and Switch is more like
a buddy comedy.
Is the mother in that as gung-ho
about her kid being gay as the one
in GBF? I dont know about my son
being gay in Date and Switch until
the end. The whole joke in GBF is
Im so desperate to make my son
come out to me I drive him to drink.
Was it all the rage for people
to come out as gay when you
were at school? I went to school
in Oklahoma and if anyone was
gay we didnt know about it. Now
theres a thriving gay community
in Oklahoma City and its a
different story.
Is it better for gay kids today
coming out? Absolutely. Weve
got a long way to go but its
definitely better than it was. Back
to high school I was in a ballet
company and did musicals around
town. I knew some gay people
because thats where they were
in the arts but I didnt realise. Id
get these crazy crushes on these
guys who couldnt have been
any gayer, and I was never able
to understand why they werent
interested in me. I moved to LA
in my mid 20s and there were
a couple of women I knew and
I thought Gosh, she seems to
really, really like me. I grew up
in such a sheltered environment it
probably wasnt until my late 20s
I developed some gaydar. It took
me a while.
Youve said its better for gay
kids now but theres all this
abuse happening in Russia and
Uganda Its still epidemic but
weve made so much progress.
Were really in the civil rights era
the same as African Americans were
in the early 60s, were in that right
now for the gay community.
Did playing Karen oblige you
to become a gay activist? It did.
With Will and Grace, Will and Jack
were gay, but that was just one
facet of who they were as it is in
real life. Also the gay bashing was
built into the show. The characters
of Will and Jack were constantly
gay bashing each other, so if you
felt like gay bashing the work was
done for you in the script. Those
things helped us.
Did you worry about being type
cast as a gay icon? No, that never
crossed my mind! I thought it was
fantastic we were helping to break
down some walls and maybe shine
a bit of light or tolerance into some
peoples attitudes.
Why do gay audiences like
drunk bitter bitchy women? I
dont think its the bitchy aspect,
I think its the powerful I dont
give a flying fuck what you think
of me. If youre a member of an
oppressed minority then its very
empowering to see a character
who does whatever he or she wants
and doesnt give a shit what other
people think of them. Outspoken
and free to be who they are those
people. When you think about gay
icons, they all fit that mould.
Is Karen The Musical definitely
not happening? I got the rights
to do it and then they were
unceremoniously withdrawn at
the 11th hour after Id assembled a
great team. Never say never though.
Every time I do a concert I do a song
from Karen The Musical and people
lose their shit they go insane.
What are you working on now? An
Off-Broadway play with my husband
called Annapurna. Im doing
Childrens Hospital which is very
funny and a band called Nancy and
Beth which is going great. Weve
just done an album thats not out yet.
And Im developing two TV shows.
Any plans to bring the band to
the UK? Wed love to. We need
the right offer. Its me and a
young woman named Stephanie
Hunt and we sing and do a lot
of choreography. I love it and
audiences are really responding
to it. We do everything from songs
from the 30s to really filthy rap
songs. I really think the London
audience would go crazy for it.
GBF is out now. For the latest on Megan
Mullally, visit meganmullally.net
From the martini-swiggin, pill-
poppin Karen Walker in Will and
Grace, to playing the mum of a
gay teenager in the fabulous new
ick GBF, its fair to see Megan
Mullally is nothing short of a
bona de gay icon. We sat down
with the woman herself to talk
Karen the Musical, falling in love
with gay guys, and why we love
drunk, bitchy women
y
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WHEN YOU SUBSCRI BE
SAGA
(NOT THE
MEGADRIVE)
----------
Saga follows two lovers from
warring planets and the
consequences of this forbidden
romance, their newborn
Hazel. Taking to the stars to
flee authorities from both
extraterrestrial races, having
survived multiple attacks from
lethal assassins, galactically
warring armies and meeting the
dreaded in-laws.
Heres what you get when
remarkable, almost fairy
tale, storytelling meets sexy
technological space drama.
Already an award magnet, Saga
picked up three Eisner Awards in
2013 and the Hugo Award for Best
Graphic Story.
The expansive and brilliantly
received genre-straddling space
opera by writer Brian K Vaughan
is equal parts Romeo and Juliet
and Star Wars.
With brilliant storytelling by
Vaughan, who you might know
from his work on the exceptional
Y: The Last Man or Marvel teen
series Runaways, and artist Fiona
Staples, imaginatively illustrating
vast alien landscapes, this super
team delivers a beautiful sci-fi epic
rife with political intrigue, Daft
Punk-ish monarchs with television
sets for heads, having sex; giant
talking blue hairless cats; and a
mercenary spider-woman. Sorry
topless, armless, mercenary
spider-woman.
There was quite a kerfuffle
kicked-up over censorship when
Saga issue 12 was not made
available on Comixologys iOS
app, because it featured two
postage sized images of gay sex.
But all concerns were resolved
fairly quickly and issues 1-18 and
collected volumes one-three are
now available online and in-store.
Saga is magical. And insane.
Seriously, a 14-year-old ghost
babysitter, a spacefaring tree
starcraft with no controls, and we
know weve already mentioned the
talking cat but talking cat!
Oh, and the opening line of
dialogue is Am I shitting? It feels
like Im shitting!
He can keep
his mask on
Looking a lot like
Skottie Young`s
interpretation of
Deadpool from
AVX Babies,
Marvel`s infamous
Merc with a Mouth
gets an adorable
makeover this
month. If you`re
going in for a hug,
maybe watch out
for the swords
though, eh?
A little bit of cos-
play never hurt
anyone, they said
Who would He-Man
be without his
Power Sword? Oh.
Duh. Prince Adam,
of course! Whether
you want to hug
your own Havoc
Staff (we do) or
transform yourself
into an 80s Muscle
Mary with 30-inches
of plush "steel" the
choice is yours.
arwrawrarwar
wrarrwrarrwr
What we`re
looking at here
is way more than
just a Star Wars
onesie. THICK
FLEECY SPACE
BEAR KLAXON!
This machine-
washable Wookie
comes complete
with Chewbacca
bandolier strap. Fit
bloke (sadly) not
included.
Batman becomes Eternal!
To celebrate the Caped Crusaders
75th anniversary in print, DC Comics is
launching an epic 60-issue Batman saga to
be released in weekly instalments.
The series will run for a year, with
contributions from a raft of creators
showcasing an all-new Gotham City,
populated with a gargantuan roster of
Gothams white-hats and lawbreakers.
Its going be intense. Gang warfare setting
Gotham ablaze, Commissioner Gordon on the
wrong side of the law, and the return to DC
continuity of some old pre-New 52 favourites
shhh were not telling who. Gentlemen, start
your engines for Batman Eternal!
[reviews]
[geek]
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Watch Dogs
Game of the Month
Delayed for some time now, and having missed
the frst wave of games for the next generation of
platforms, the long-awaited arrival of Watch Dogs
is no less important for being late. The game
follows Aiden Pearce, a highly skilled hacker
living in a hyper-connected version of Chicago
beautifully realised
thanks to the power of
the PS4 and Xbox One
as he takes on the
might of the local shady
ruling company Bloom
by hacking into anything
and everything that gives
off an electromagnetic
pulse. Watch Dogs
isn`t just all polish and
lustre, however. In this
case, next gen means
exactly that - next gen - since developer Ubisoft
is also giving the open world game a reappraisal,
allowing for even greater freedom of choice
and an even more palpable sense of a living,
breathing world. It might be cheesy to say that
next gen just got serious, but it`s also true.
Available across last and next gen platforms from 27 May
Social
network or cruise
site depending
on your viewpoint
Jack`d is celebrating
making inroads
among Android users
across 180 countries
following updates.
The hook-up app
claims that 80% of its
fve million users are
aged 18-30, and 40%
of them are using
on an Android. So,
if he`s got a Galaxy
Ace, he`s probably on
Jack`d.
Sesame Open
Sesame to
manage all your
culinary fair - see
what they did
there? This snazzy
new app helps
manage recipes
for the tech-savvy
cook; searching
websites and even
helping you shop
in conjunction
with other apps.
A great mobile
reference tool and
kitchen assistant
for 2.99.
Wolfenstein: The New Order
Nazi zombies just never seem
to go out of fashion, something
Bethesda is banking on as it
reboots the WWII shooter for
a new generation of gamers.
Heavy on the gore and black
magic side of Nazi rule, the
game delves further into the
franchises back-story, with
suitably bloody, first person
results.
Available across last and next gen
platforms from 20 May
The Last Of Us
Naughty Dogs masterpiece
and PS3 swan song is getting
a spit and polish ahead of its
arrival on the PS4 later this
summer. The bleakly brilliant
tale of one man and his mission
to get a young girl to safety
in a post-apocalyptic hell is
tautly played and beautifully
presented, acting as an
accomplished thriller as much
as it is a thrilling game.
Out on PS4 later this year
idle hands
G
A
M
E
S
[apps
]
[reviews]
W
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M
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H
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FESTIVAL
SEASON
03
Summer is just around
the corner and anyone
looking for early signs
of a scorcher will
have been heartened
by a warm spring
which naturally brings
the mind to outdoor
pursuits. Be it festivals,
Pride events, cruising
on the Heath, theres all
manner of tech available
to aid your adventures in
the great outdoors
Portable
Power
TurboCharger
7000 The problem
with so much
portable tech is the
inevitability of the
batteries running
down. Enter the
TurboCharger 7000,
an emergency
USB charger that`s
ridiculously handy
in allowing you
to charge your
devices repeatedly.
Suitable for use
with smartphones,
tablets and
more, this super-
lightweight charger
will keep all your
devices charged
up and ready to go.
54.95, proporta.
co.uk
----------
Singalonga
Sleep
Sound Asleep
Pillow After three
days on the go at a
festival there`s every
chance you`re about
ft to drop. But what
if you don`t want
the music to stop
as you snooze into
what will become a
mortal hangover?
Fortunately the
Sound Asleep Pillow
is ready to rush to
your aid! Oh, and
there`s a memory
foam version too,
which is especially
handy for travelling
with. Simply plug
your iPhone into the
pillow and drift off to
the dulcet tones of
whoever foats your
boat. 24.99,
frebox.com
----------
Whatever
The Weather
Ecoxgear ECOXBT
Summer wouldn`t
be summer without
the occasional
wash-out. But
don`t worry, there
are some fairly
robust waterproof
speakers on the
market that will let
you keep the tunes
thumping whatever
the weather. The
Ecoxgear ECOXBT
packs a punch
in the toughness
department and it
even foats, should
you fnd yourself at
a pool party. After
all, it`s better to be
safe than sorry.
$129.99, ecoxgear.
com
----------
02
[tech]
01
gaytimes.co.uk 105
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SOHO 5-7 Brewer Street, Soho, London, W1F 0RF, 020 7734 4031
BRIGHTON 112-113 St Jamess Street, Brighton, BN2 1TH, 01273 683 680
BIRMINGHAM 29-30 Stephenson Street, Birmingham, B2 4BH, 0121 665 6379
IN-STORE
NOW!
WJ Raw
Exposed
[06/14]
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk 107
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readers lives
George Abbot
Essex, 20, has
just finished
an animal care
apprenticeship
We should celebrate
the human body and
we should celebrate
being male and
being gay and
GT is a good place
to do that! GT was
important to me
coming out because
it`s good to read and
feel accepted. If you
can get naked for
a magazine, I think
you can do anything,
so it`s good for
confdence, and
I`ve not always felt
confdent.
I`m generally OK
with myself. Like
most people I
sometimes get
problems with my
skin spots and
things. And like most
men, I sometimes
feel like my willy is
a bit small, so I`d
probably have an
extra inch if I could,
and maybe get rid of
some freckles too.
I`m quite athletic
and I do weights at
home, so I`m quite
pleased with my
physique, and I eat
healthy. I`ve been
in an embarrassing
situation before
that involved
nakedness. I`ve
taken some self
shots before that
are on my laptop
and my dad was
helping me to send
an email once, and a
picture of me naked
came up! I was like,
oh my gosh! I was
aroused on the
picture so it was so
embarrassing! I tried
to say it wasn`t me.
Confdence isn`t
all about looks, it`s
about mentally how
you feel. Beauty isn`t
skin deep.
gaytimes.co.uk 108
My boyfriend
wont have
bareback sex
----------
Ive been going out with my
boyfriend for around six months.
We met through a mobile dating
app and hes about ten years
older than me. Things are going
pretty well were even talking
about moving in together. The
sex is great, but up till now weve
always used condoms. A couple
of times recently when weve
been having sex, Ive tried to do
it without a condom, but hes put
me off. Ive mentioned wanting
to have bareback sex since, but
hes said hes not so keen and
wont really discuss it. I cant
understand why he doesnt want
to and, to be honest, I dont know
whether he does either. He just
says hes not ready to take that
step, but I dont see what the
big deal is. Ive offered to take a
HIV test. I dont want to break up
with him over something like this,
but I feel like hes suggesting
Im not to be trusted. Whats
stopping him? How do I make him
understand?
Andrew, via e-mail
The Guyliner replies Barebacking
seems to be back in vogue at the
moment. I always seem to be reading
about it in articles about all these gay
sex parties I`m never invited to.
First of all, if you want to make him
understand why you want to do it,
you could do with getting a handle
on why he doesn`t. I can see why he
might be reluctant: you haven`t been
together very long, you don`t seem
to know much about each other`s
sexual history, and you met on an app
whose primary function is to hook
people up for sex. It would be very
easy to say that all you need to do is
take a HIV test to know it`s OK to have
unprotected sex, but there are other
factors at play here.
If he`s got a few more miles on
the clock than you, he belongs to a
generation that can remember just
how scary a prospect HIV and Aids
were in the 1980s doom-laden
adverts warning that Aids was a
death sentence. While that`s no
longer true, and thanks to advances
in medication, people with HIV go on
to lead a relatively normal life, it`s still
a condition most people would rather
live without. But say you go for an
HIV test and everything`s clear. Good
news, right? Right. What would stop
him then? It`s not as simple as that.
Are you still using the hook-up app?
Is he? Perhaps previous partners
haven`t been trustworthy and he`s
thus unwilling to submit to that level
of intimacy with anyone. It`s a tough
break for you that some dickhead who
came before you could be scotching
your chances of bareback sex, but
would you rather he did something
against his will to make you happy?
Relationships are, by their very
nature, give and take (no pun
intended!) and this may be a
compromise you can never reach.
You`re going to have to make him talk
about why he`s not up for it, prove to
him that you can be trusted and are
either sleeping with him exclusively
or being safe when with others. It
might be worth attending couples`
counselling to try to get things out in
the open. The HIV test is a good frst
step, but that only takes care of the
science when it comes to the other
stuff, your word is all you have. You`d
better make it good.
Need some good old-fashioned advice on matters of love, life or relationships?
E-mail me in total condence on theguyliner@gaytimes.co.uk. I cant
respond individually and your e-mails may be edited for use in the magazine.
We wont use your real name or publish any contact details.
@theguyliner
need advice?
readers dilemmas
[life]
[01 ]
The Social Shutterbug
When your beau
says, hang on, babe; I just
want to take a picture more
than I love you, you know
youre in trouble. Thanks
to social media and phones
that help us do just about
everything wed want to do
(except make phone calls
nobody does that any more) the
amateur photographer is on
the up. This is great, of course,
if you like scrutinising perfect
strangers poached eggs and
salad, committing the dullest
acts of voyeurism since you
accidentally walked in on your
dad changing his socks. But if
youre playing second fiddle to
your wannabe David Baileys
smartphone, it can get very
tiring, very quickly. The sound
of a shutter lens becomes the
signal youre in line for a few
minutes of neglect, while he
takes and retakes his picture,
before cooing over it, adding
filters, uploading it to his
Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter,
Pinterest and, if hes the retro
type, Flickr. Then hell spend
rather too long looking at the
stream of replies from his
adoring public, all simply
enthralled at how artistically
his burger is stacked. Not
even your desperate for
crying out loud, just EAT the
damn thing can break his
reverie. You have lost him to
creativity, idolatry and, well,
fuckwittery.
The solution If youre already in
a relationship with a click-happy
food paparazzo, youre going
to have to make sure you stand
out more. Consider dyeing your
hair pink or walking round with
a sachet of hollandaise sauce that
you can pour over your head at
a moments notice everybody
loves taking pictures of eggs
Benedict. Alternatively, introduce
ALL
THE MEN
YOU
SHOULD
NEVER
DATE
a phones-off policy during
mealtimes, reminding your
beloved They dont let you take
pictures in The Ivy, you know,
darling; its terribly common.
----------
[02 ]
The Project We all love
a challenge, right?
Whether were ripping out that
kitchen, tarting up an old banger
or taking part in some other task
that doesnt sound like a clumsy
analogy for sex, we like a project.
But if youre not too hot with a
drill, what can you turn your
hand to? How about a boyfriend?
Can you see the potential in a
lank-haired social leper with
super-cute eyes? Got the skills to
turn that zero into a hero? Many
try it, allowing themselves to fall
in love with the idea of what a guy
could be rather than what he
actually is. Like a warped version
of Pygmalion, project managers
start to dress and educate their
potential perfect boyfriends,
making them everything they
want them to be. While its
mutually beneficial the project
gets a whole new life and its
manager gets to bang someone
pretty who hitherto hasnt had
any attention elsewhere the joy
is usually short-lived. As soon as
the project gets wind of the
effectiveness of his
transformation from ugly
duckling to swan, hell be
casting his pretty green eyes
elsewhere. Your great potential
will become a reality, but in the
process he has outgrown you.
Youve created a monster and
its about to go on a rampage that
doesnt include you.
The solution If youre already
halfway through a full makeover
of your man, either call a halt or
maybe look at ways you could
change yourself to suit the new,
improved him. Its a two-way
street. Evolve together its your
strongest chance of survival.
THE GUYLINER LENDS AN EAR TO
YOUR LIFE DILEMMAS AND DISHES
THE DIRT ON THE UNDATEABLES
[advice]
gaytimes.co.uk 109
W
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T
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I
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P
H
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75 GREAT EASTERN STREET LONDON EC2A 3RY
TEL: 020 7739 0292
WWW.EXPECTATIONS.CO.UK
column
I love to read the
comments of online
articles. Whether
its The Huffington Post (why?)
or The Daily Mail (again, why?),
they inform me just as much as the
articles themselves. Sometimes
theres a sensible discourse
between well-informed people,
but more often than not its just
passive aggressive jibes from
trolls. The former, however, can
be useful, just as they were when
I read an article on one of the big
gay news websites. The headline
drew me in, claiming a man had
been banned from his local pub
after being deemed a predatory
gay. The 48-year-old got the boot
after flirting with a bartender to
the extent that he felt so aggrieved,
he quit that night.
The comments seemed split into
two camps. One believed this was
indeed homophobia at work, and
that the bartender shouldve been
aware that with this job came the
occasional arse grab. Thankfully,
another pointed out that while it
may be true that female bartenders
experience this sort of behaviour
regularly, its no defence. In fact, its
outright misogyny. I dont need to
come on to the person serving me
drinks to get better service, I just
tip big first time around, being the
American that I am. I began to agree
with another who rightly posited
that this was misogyny masked as
homophobia. Im a big picture kind
of guy, and that phrase spoke to me.
Remove the fact that the
gentleman banned was gay and
he could simply be a drunk man
causing more grief than he was
worth. We didnt have enough facts
to flesh out an actual article it
screamed of loose reporting, and
made me feel uncomfortable.
Why is this a big deal? On
Facebook the other week, one
of my friends commented on a
strangers status and it popped up
on my newsfeed. This person was
very much the love the sinner, hate
the sin sort of person, which in my
humble opinion is a load of horseshit.
It attempted to sound reasonable
while warning the gay community
that continually embracing the
victim label was making a
mountain out of a molehill and
causing this one individual to tire
of giving a crap about gay rights.
On the surface this is laughable,
because if this person knew what
obstacles we as a community were
still facing around the world, he
would realise we dont need to go
searching for homophobia.
This stranger revealed his true
colours in the terminology he
used. To him, straight people were
normal, and gay people were
homos. Seems to me like you
hate the sinner, too, sir! Others
chimed in and three or four white,
Christian, heterosexual, middle
class males proceeded to have a
debate about gay rights, rife with
phrases like dont get me wrong
and the thing that bugs me.
Lets not give these jackasses
fodder with which to say I told you
so! If a boy cries wolf, the classic
tale suggests theres a huge chance
that kid is just fucking with you. I
understand the idea of solidarity,
but I dont believe in solidarity to
the point of diminishing your own
standing or reputation.
As we fight to be recognised as
equal, we must not see gay as a
quality that usurps all others. This
man in the pub may have been
gay, but he may also have been a
lecherous drunk. Its as if were all
walking word clouds and the word
popping up in the brightest colour
and the biggest font is GAY. I hope
my word cloud is more diverse and
has many words of equal size and
hue, because Im a complicated
human being.
We must be vigilant in defending
those whove been wronged, but we
must also be vigilant in maintaining
the purity of our cause. We cannot
dilute the fight by rushing to the
side of every gay person simply
because theyre gay. In doing so,
we run the risk of validating these
inane comments of making a
mountain out of a molehill. These
patronising moronic homophobes
already feel smug about themselves
that Id rather not stoke their fire.
Id hope, in this day and age,
we encourage the individual
importance of everyone, regardless
of orientation. After all,
isnt that exactly what
were fighting for?
We cannot
dilute the
fight by
rushing to
the side of
every gay
person
simply
because
theyre
gay. In
doing so,
we run
the risk of
making a
mountain
out of a
molehil
[life]
[pj brennan]
TOGETHER WE
STAND, TOGETHER
WE FALL
@peejaybrennan
gaytimes.co.uk 111
gaytimes.co.uk 112
ITS ALL IN
THE MIND
WORDS LEE DALLOWAY / TOMMY DICKINSON
113 gaytimes.co.uk
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES COME
in many forms, both temporary
and long term, ranging from
anxiety, depression, HIV-related
stigma, body dysmorphia, drug
addiction, mood disorders (such
as bi-polar), personality disorders
and psychotic disorders (like
schizophrenia). With so many
permutations of mental illness, why
are we still, as a society, so reluctant
to disclose or openly discuss a
problem that affects so many?
Physical illnesses are given the due
respect, treatment and recovery
time they deserve, yet mental
illnesses can be just as debilitating,
sometimes even more so.
Various sources suggest theres
a higher rate of mental health
issues among the LGBT community,
particularly gay men. A Stonewall
survey concluded that 13% (one in
seven) of gay and bisexual men are
currently experiencing moderate to
severe levels of mixed depression
and anxiety, compared to 7% of
men in general. A further 9% of gay
and bisexual men are experiencing
moderate to severe depression,
compared to 2% of men in general.
An NHS survey on mental health
issues within the LGB community
found that gay and bisexual men are
five-and-a-half times more likely to
have deliberately self-harmed than
their heterosexual counterparts.
Rates of drug and alcohol abuse have
also been found to be much higher.
But, in reality, theres nothing
intrinsic in our genetic makeup that
makes us more prone to mental
distress than straight people.
What is potentially different is
how were perceived and treated
by wider society. Hostility or
rejection from friends, family and
strangers, rejection from most
mainstream religions, homophobic
bullying both as a child and adult
prejudice and discrimination at
work and in life, negative portrayal
of gay people in the media, even
casual homophobic comments
day-to-day.
The discrimination, stigmatisation
and even violence that can stem
from anti-gay attitudes can create
a psychological damage known
as minority stress. Even those
who feel they have transcended
childhood and social stigma, or
are the lucky contingent who have
had love and support from day one,
could experience this.
Gay people have had the freedom
to live without fear of persecution or
arrest for less than 50 years in many
parts of the world. No ones laid
down a life path for us, were barely
just clearing the hedge-grove. Huge
swathes of the gay community were
either living in secret or departed
the planet long before their time
Once upon a time, the word gay was
synonymous with happy, and as
gay rights have progressed in many
places in recent years, a bright,
festive, flamboyant mantle has been
carried by the LGBT community as
a symbol of freedom, equality and
defiance to the rest of the world. But
despite those advancing equalities,
scratch beneath the surface and
you may just find a fair few LGBT
individuals are far from gay...
due to the AIDS epidemic. That
leaves an entire generation with
fewer forefathers to help guide the
way. Without family ties, its more
difficult for our gay elders to pass
on wisdoms and life lessons to the
ones who come after, especially
taking into account that some older
gay men themselves may have lived
closeted until a late age. The irony
of all this is those things that are
celebrated, and often looked on
with jealousy, by our heterosexual
counterparts (sexual freedom, wild
parties, disposable income) can all
add to a feeling of alienation for a
number of gay men.
When it comes down to it, while
no man is an island, the steps it
takes to counteract anxiety and
depression often have to come from
a mindset change of the individual.
Yes it may take another, or even
a village, to help get there, but
here in 2014, we cant continue to
look back on things of the past to
justify our actions in the present.
Were lucky enough to live in a
time and place where freedoms
have been granted, access to
help with mental health issues are
available for free or relatively little
money, and, although not a solution
for everyone, modern medicine
has advanced to the point where
chemical imbalances and a number
of disorders can be controlled.
Theres nothing more isolating
than depression. You can have a
seemingly perfect life or be the life
of the party to everyone you know,
but when it comes down to it, the
only thing were fundamentally left
with in this life is whats happening
in our own heads.
Its not about being gay being
gay doesnt need to be the reason
or excuse. The wound is there for
everyone and so is the ability to
heal it.
We all have the absolute right to
be happy, but the ability to change
ways of thinking or even taking the
initial step of asking for help has to
come from within.
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk 114
HIV-related depression
Allan Anderson is Chief Executive
of Positively UK, which provides
support for those living with HIV.

Looking at gay men,
youre looking at a
group that are already
dealing with negative attitudes in
society. Those attitudes are
exacerbated by HIV stigma. Theres
still a lot of ignorance in the gay
community about HIV, about how it
is passed on, and the kind of
language thats used around it.
Quite often I see and hear the word
clean, so, therefore, if youre
HIV-positive youre dirty.
It can be difficult to talk to other
people about HIV. It could be just
talking about medication, perhaps
untangling everything thats
happening in your life. How do I
manage my HIV while still having
a sex life, a social life or holding
down a job? Some people who come
to us put their HIV status down to
binge weekends of drinks, drugs,
and unprotected sex. Theres
a massive correlation between
recreational drug use and a HIV-
positive status.
Depression is by far one of the
most common mental health issues
affecting people with HIV, ranging
from mild to clinical. We also see
a lot of older people with anxiety
about their future. What happens
if youre HIV-positive when you go
into a nursing home? Are they going
to look after you and manage your
medications or are they going to
discriminate against you?.
Quite often, if people are
depressed or isolated, just talking
to peers who have experienced
Anxiety
is something we all
experience at one point or another,
and in its relatively mild form
can actually be beneficial and
allow us to perform better in new
challenges or scenarios. But
severe anxiety can be debilitating,
can make it difficult to maintain
friendships and relationships, hold
down a job or simply enjoy life.
A job interview or first date can
naturally raise stress levels, but
high levels of anxiety can make
these slightly nail-biting events
seem like impossible tasks.
Extended levels of stress
childhood neglect, the aftermath
of drugs and alcohol or just
being more sensitive can cause
severe anxiety. The symptoms
can be both physiological
and psychological, such as
headaches, dizziness, tremors,
muscle aches, stomach pains,
palpitations, with a by product
of nervousness, restlessness,
excessive worrying (mind
racing), sleep disturbances and
irritability.
Depression is one of the most
common types of mental distress,
defined as significant periods
of low mood and unhappiness
that negatively impacts upon a
persons life. Feeling low for a
couple of days is a part of life, but
persistent sadness can sap the
joy thats there for all in everyday
life. Again, a number of factors
can contribute to this wide-
ranging issue. An individuals
current situation can easily
contain conflict, bereavement,
alcohol and drug abuse (which in
itself can create and continually
feed a spiral of depression),
isolation, even lack of exercise.
More far-reaching reasons for
depression can include roots in
your family history or negative
childhood experiences. Feelings
of guilt, pessimism, sadness,
hopelessness, restlessness,
suicidal thoughts, difficulty
sleeping or loss of attitude, even
changing seasons can be hugely
debilitating.
Depression is NOT a weakness.
Its a sign from your body and
brain that something isnt
right. If these symptoms occur
for longer than two weeks, its
important to speak to your GP.
Cognitive
behavioural
therapy
Cognitive
behavioural therapy
(CBT) is a talking
therapy that can
help change the
way you think and
behave. CBT isn`t
waving a magic wand
that removes your
problems, but it can
help you manage
them. It encourages
you to examine how
your actions can
affect how you think
and feel, and help
you break patterns
and cycles that
cause depression.
Exercise and
movement
When you
have anxiety
or depression,
exercise often
seems like the last
thing you want to
do but it can make
a big difference.
Exercise helps
improve health
problems, releases
feel-good chemicals
in the brain, helps
you gain confdence
by meeting exercise
goals or challenges
and is a great
distraction from that
cycle of negative
thoughts.
Meditation
You may think it
sounds 'trippy
hippy`, but in
cases of anxiety or
milder depression,
meditation could
really help. The
point is to give your
mind something to
focus on other than
your troubles or
negative thoughts.
With practice, it can
provide real calm
and clarity. Although,
it may not be ideal for
deeper depression...
Learning to meditate
takes practice and
if you currently
have fewer mental
resources to fall
back on, it may not
be ideal to challenge
yourself. Meditation
is about coming
from a place of
non-judgement,
not creating more
reasons for you to
dislike yourself or
feel like a failure.
Medication
It`s thought that
antidepressants
work by increasing
levels of chemicals
in the brain called
neurotransmitters.
Certain
neurotransmitters,
such as serotonin
and noradrenaline,
can improve mood
and emotion,
although we
still don`t fully
understand this
process. Speak to
your GP about both
the advantages and
disadvantages of this
treatment.
Anxiety Care anxietycare.org.uk
Anxiety UK anxiety.org.uk
British Association for Behavioural and
Cognitive Psychotherapists bacp.co.uk
Mind mind.org.uk
National Self-Harm Network nshn.co.uk
The British Psychological Society bps.org.uk
The Depression Alliance depressionalliance.org
Scotland: dascot.org
London Lesbian & Gay Switchboard llgs.org.uk
London Friend londonfriend.org.uk
Pace pacehealth.org.uk
Positively UK positivelyuk.org
gaytimes.co.uk 115
similar challenges can be enough
to get you through it. Living with
HIV, especially when it is kept as
a shameful secret, can be a huge
mental burden; if we realise that
peer support is not enough, then
we refer on to a psychologist. It is
important to know
that help is there.
positivelyuk.org
Bipolar Disorder Previously
known as manic depression,
individuals find their moods veer
wildly from mania to depression.
Not just a mood swing, episodes
can last for days, weeks or longer
and that centred, normal feeling
is impossible to achieve. A range
or combination of treatment can
help, such as recognising the
triggers, psychological help,
lifestyle changes and medication.
Paul Scates tells us his story...

Suicide in the UK is the
biggest killer among
men under the age of
40. Thats higher than cancer, heart
disease and many other life-limiting
illnesses. One in four of us will
experience a mental health problem
over the course of our lives, a
worrying statistic which means
mental health is everyones business.
Mental health is non-
discriminatory and will affect
people regardless, of age, race,
sexual orientation or gender.
Its the last taboo within society,
and although we are successfully
dispelling the many archaic myths,
we still have a long way to go. My
passion is to show people that
recovery is achievable for anyone.
I experienced my first episode
of psychosis aged nine, triggered
by the trauma of childhood sexual
abuse, a fear and belief that
everyone possessed a desire to
harm or kill. I became petrified by
visions of people morphing into
monstrous creatures, plagued by
thoughts of torture. My distortion
ensued for many years and aged 14,
desperate to eliminate the chronic
pain in my head, I succumbed to the
escapism of drugs and alcohol.
In 1995, aged 16, I experienced
further trauma when I was
kidnapped and subjected to a
violent sexual assault, in which
I very nearly died. The period
following still remains a blur; I
became heavily reliant on mood
altering drugs, which ironically
placed me in further danger.
In June 1997, I tried to take my
life by jumping from a first floor
window. I broke my back and
fractured my pelvis, which left
me bed bound for more than six
months. While in isolation, I was in
a state of rumination, tortured by
chilling and disturbing thoughts.
I suffered a clinical breakdown;
physically I was present, but my
mind and spirit were absent.
My turning point came in 2009
after an admission to a crisis centre,
I finally met my angels in the guise
of peer specialists. These people
were inspirational, fully functioning
and living a life of recovery. They
provided hope and ignited my
tenacity for change.
A life of recovery, or as I prefer to
call it, discovery, allows a person
to learn new pathways. I live with
bipolar but Im now able to live
rather than simply exist. I run my
own creative events company and
work for the Dorset Mental Health
Forum, a charitable organisation
which exists to improve the lives of
anyone affected by mental health.
Many of us become trapped in
self-limiting prophecies. I was once
a victim of my thoughts, fearing
a life of sedentary existence and
believing I was to become a statistic
Treatments
Help & advice
[life]
of the revolving door process,
and that my inner recidivist would
continue to champion my misery.
Ive now learned ways to reduce
levels of distress and build a
tolerance to negative thoughts. My
insight allows me to experience
the many pleasantries in life.
Recovery is not about removing or
changing who we are, but instead
to be understanding and accepting
of ourselves and taking
back control of our
lives. @paulscates
Schizophrenia is a long-
term mental health condition
that causes a range of different
psychological symptoms,
including drastic changes in
behaviour, hallucinations and
delusions. Split personalities
and violent behaviours are
certainly not symptomatic of
schizophrenia. Jonny Benjamin,
a mental health campaigner
who was diagnosed with
schizoaffective disorder, and
launched the Finding Mike
campaign, tells us his story...

I was ten when I first
heard a voice in my
head. It told me it
was an angel. At first, I quite liked
it being there. It was more like a
companion, telling me things
such as dont forget to do your
English essay. Around the same
time, I first saw The Truman
Show. My friend who I watched it
with suggested that I might
possibly be in my own version of
the film. While I laughed off the
absurdity of the idea, in my mind
a seed had been planted. What if
I was on my own TV reality show
without my knowledge?
And so for the next decade, I
believed I was being watched by
cameras wherever I went. I also
thought that my family and friends
were actors, playing their parts in
a world fabricated around me.
When I turned 16, I developed
severely low moods. They would
last for days and weeks on end, and
I spent hours in my room crying. I
was embarrassed, ashamed and
didnt know how to articulate my
feelings to anyone. I kept silent.
It was at this point that the voice I
heard changed, becoming sinister
and tormenting. I now believed I
was being possessed by the devil.
It issued me challenges like: Your
parents are going to die in a car
crash unless you walk up and down
the stairs three times.
I started to consider suicide. One
day I tried to strangle myself in
the school toilets. Life had become
unbearable and I was unable to
cope. I probably seemed like a
typical teenager to those around
me, but one friend did notice a
difference in my behaviour and he
forced me to see my GP when I told
him about the incident in the toilet.
Over the next few years I saw
various GPs and tried different
courses of antidepressants. I
always played down the true state
of my mind. I was terrified I would
end up in in an institution if I did. I
was also convinced that this would
just pass. At 18 I left my home to
go to drama school. I was sure
that it was the change I needed to
put everything right. It only took
a few days before I fell back into
a cycle of depression. This time it
hit harder than ever before. I was
really struggling; drinking heavily,
self-harming and alienating myself
from those around me.
At 20 I had a breakdown. It was
a freezing cold night in November
2007 when I left my house and
walked down a dual carriageway,
screaming at the cars driving
past. It felt like my mind and body
were being controlled by the
devil. I was in a psychosis and
needed serious help.
I collapsed on the carriageway
and was taken to A&E. It would
be another few weeks before I
was admitted into a psychiatric
unit and given a diagnosis,
schizoaffective disorder; a
combination of schizophrenia and
bipolar. I found it impossible to
come to terms with; it seemed like
Id been handed a life sentence.
There was also the issue of my
sexuality, which I refused to talk
about in therapy. I couldnt bring
myself to admit I was gay. Coming
from a Jewish background, I was
sure that my family would disown
me. A month into my stay I ran
away, intending to take my own
life. I was apprehended by a
stranger who stopped me with his
words: Ive been where you are. I
got through it, I know you can too.
Ill never forget the impact these
words. For the first time in so long,
I saw through the darkness that
had brought me to this moment. I
returned back to the hospital.
Recovery was slow, but from
my brief meeting with the
passing stranger, I had a sense
that it was possible to overcome
my illness. I was also able to
accept my sexuality as well,
thanks to a wonderful nurse in
hospital who sat with me every
day, telling me how happy she
was that her son had come out.
Her words of love and pride
prompted me to do the same.
Its taken a number of years
but I can finally say I have learnt
to manage my condition. Im
now very open about my mental
health and I want to pass on
the message of hope to others
that I was lucky enough to
receive in my hour of need; that
overcoming any adversity in life
is possible.
facebook.com/fndingmike
@MrJonnyBenjamin
gaytimes.co.uk 116
[life]
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Planning a wedding can be stressful we
imagine, no one's put a ring on it yet. But
as far as we're concerned, if you don't
get the food right, then it's not going to
matter what suit you're wearing or how
many white doves are reIeased outside
the ceremony. If peopIe are goin' hungry,
they're goin' home. That's why we spoke
to London chef and founder of Funthyme
dining Matthew PheIps for his top ten tips
on how to bring a touch of magic to your
pIate, and make the happiest day of your
Iife the tastiest day of your Iife
gaytimes.co.uk 118
01 Create a menu
that tells a story.
Perhaps inspired by
your frst date, your
heritage, a favourite
dish, a favourite
restaurant, a funny
story or a special
meal you shared
together on holiday.
----------
02 It`s all about
lavish and opulent
feasting menus
designed to make a
statement. Get your
guests sharing and
interacting.
----------
03 Over dressed
'cordon bleu`
presentations are
dated and naff. We
prefer natural but
elegant plating. No
swoshes. No swirls.
----------
04 Don`t be afraid
to fre up the BBQ!
We love marinading
and barbecuing
whole lamb racks,
lobsters, whole
beef fllets and baby
chickens to share.
----------
05 Go for a light
but satisfying menu.
Bloated guests
crashing before the
party starts is not a
good look.
----------
06 Start the
party with exciting
canaps and
sensational drinks.
Goodbye frozen
mini burgers. Hello
sbagliato.
----------
07 Offer late night
treats to soak up
the booze from a
street food stand.
Tacos, sliders, salt
beef bagels and
gourmet hot dogs.
Your guests will
thank you for it.
----------
08 Style it out
with stylish and
beautiful staff.
----------
09 Demand a
pre-tasting with
your caterer. This
shouldn`t have to
cost you the earth.
----------
10 Be brave with
your menu choices.
It`s better to have
an exciting and
memorable meal
than one that`s dull
with mass appeal.
----------
Matthew Phelps
formed dining and
events company
Funthyme to deliver
conceptual and
creative food that
not only provokes,
but tastes great.
He also specialises
in contemporary
weddings. For more,
visit funthyme.com
Top ten food tips for a
same-sex wedding
We all know what kids are like if youve got a new gadget
that looks expensive and shiny, theyre gonna go out of their way
to get their mitts on it somehow. Thats why the smart folk at KD
UK have developed their new range of Tech-Too toys, fashioned
after most of the essential, modern day gadgets we just cant live
without from remote controls and car keys to smartphones and
tablets. It means you can let your kids use their very own tablet
without having to worry about an unexpected Grindr premium
account showing up on your bill. Tech-Toos range of toys also
include interactive games and educational activities, perfect for
pre-schoolers, meaning your little ones will actually be learning
something, while you have peace of mind that your new iPad
wont end up covered in jam. Prices start at 7.99, available from kdplanet.com
pets, parents and partners
[parents]
[06/14]
Keep Austin Weird
may be a slogan to
promote our Texan
citys small businesses, but its
also a stamp that showcases
how independent and different
our community really is and it
couldnt apply more to Aurora
and I. Aurora is a two-year-old
sugar glider, named after a Disney
princess, of course. This soft,
fuzzy darling is one of the cutest
marsupials known to man. With its
big dark eyes and gentle hair, its
exactly what youre looking for in
a pet. I, on the other hand, always
strive to be fiercely original.
Weird isnt hard to find in a city
like Austin why have a puppy or
a kitten when you could have an
adorable sugar glider? Its clear,
though, that having an exotic pet
means you need to carry a certain
kind of attitude. Im told I have the
intensity of a firecracker but with
the charm of a prince, if that helps.
Zoo Keeper Exotic Pets is one of
the places to find sugar gliders
in Austin. We hit it off in seconds,
with Auroras extrovert personality
drawing me to her. Sugar gliders
are nocturnal animals, but they
fit perfectly with someone like
me, who lives an active night life.
We can be seen anywhere from
touring the city night lights to
sitting on the couch, cuddling and
watching Keeping Up With The
Kardashians her favourite. The
best thing about having an exotic
pet, as a bold owner, is that neither
of us fit into the clich of the typical
norm. Aurora drives in a positive
vibe from all the attention she gets
from people. Even though shes
only two-years-old, she has a life
expectancy of up to eight years.
So, who knows what we devilish
pair could get up to in that time?
Were Texan raised,
but certainly fierce
embraced.
Were always looking for new ways to spoil
our pets. But its about time to throw away the
diamante collars and novelty jumpers camper
than Christmas. Besides, dont you know the way
to a dogs heart is through his stomach? If you
believe that like you your dog deserves a treat
every once in a while, then check out Woof-Box; a
monthly subscription of treats designed to keep
your dog happy and healthy, delivered straight to
your front door. But its not just food there are
also treats, gadgets, grooming products and tips
on how to keep your dog active and entrained
thrown in, too. If you think Graze Box for dogs,
youre along the right lines. Not only that, but
log online now and use the discount code TIMES
when you place your order, and youll receive
10% off until 30 June. Dont say we never give you
anything... Check out Woof-Box now at woof-box.co.uk
How many of us
are guilty of feeding
our pets something
we know we really
shouldn`t? It seems
when it comes
to dogs and,
begrudgingly, men
- we just can`t resist
those puppy dog
eyes. Thankfully,
astarpets.com is a
new online portal
dedicated to every
aspect of wellbeing
and appreciate
for your pet`s life.
Backed by the
founder of ASOS,
dont`cha know, it
has offers on more
than 1,000 items,
including clothing
and food, and even
an online daily
magazine with tips
on how to take the
best care of your
pet. This handy
online resource
means your pet will
be feeling great,
living great, and you
can fnally leave
those puppy dog
eyes where they
belong in the
bedroom. For the
ultimate resource
on everything your
pet needs, visit
astarpets.com
[life]
TROY & AURORA KEEPING AUSTIN WEIRD
gaytimes.co.uk 119
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120 gaytimes.co.uk
Strawberries and Cream
Meringues
Serves 8
Meringue
3 large egg whites
240g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Topping
400g strawberries
85g caster sugar
A few mint leaves
2 tbsp Pimms
400ml double cream
----------
To make the meringue, preheat the
oven to 100C (80C fan) and line two
baking trays with parchment paper.
Place the egg whites and salt into
the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted
with the whisk attachment. Whisk
on a medium/high speed until the
whites form soft peaks, then slowly
pour in the sugar, continuing to
whisk until the meringue holds stiff
glossy peaks. Spoon the meringue
into a piping bag fitted with a star tip,
and pipe into meringue nests on the
prepared baking trays (if you dont
have a piping bag you can simply
spoon the meringue into eight
mounds on the trays and use a spoon
to form a depression in the middle
of each mound). Place the trays into
the preheated oven and bake for
about two hours or until dry and
crisp. Turn the oven off and allow
the meringues to cool completely,
in the oven. The meringues can
be made up to a week in advance
then stored in a sealed container,
kept in a dry cool area. To make the
strawberry compote, hull and cut
into quarters. Place the strawberries
into a medium sized saucepan with
the sugar and mint leaves, and cook
over medium heat until the fruit just
starts to break down and releases
lots of juice. Remove from the heat
and add the Pimms, allowing to
cool before using. To serve, whip
the cream until it holds soft peaks
and top each meringue with the
cream, finishing with the strawberry
compote.
Author of The Boy Who Bakes and Say It
With Cake, @TheBoyWhoBakes
Im praying that the cold and wet of winter is
behind us I want to enjoy warmer weather
and get out of the kitchen! No longer am I
willing to spend hours slaving over something
complex and intricate, I want a simple dessert
that takes no time to make. Meringues are
perfect for this. They take minutes to whip up,
then get popped in the oven to bake for a couple
hours and are then topped with whatever you
fancy. My trick is to make the meringues one
night during the week, and then keep them
stored away in a sealed container. I then have
a dessert I can pull together in no time at all! If
even this seems like too much work, you could
always use shop-bought meringues. I wont
tell anyone I promise!
sweet as you like
[life]
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When the clocks go forward,
London adopts a different vibe; the
city seems to come alive after a
lengthy period of hibernation in a
dark, damp, dreary cave. Thankfully,
this happened just before I touched
down in Heathrow after ten sunny
days in South Africa, making the
transition to normality a little more
bearable. South Africa was so much
more than I expected; stunning
scenery, amazing food and fantastic
wine all the way. I never realised
I could pack away quite as many
fve course meals in a week as I
did in Cape Town and its wineries.
The consequences, of course,
have been catastrophic and so this
month`s recipe is a light(ish) one...
Grilled courgettes with lemon,
mint and feta
Serves two
----------
3 courgettes
25g sultanas
20g haked aImonds
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 clove of garlic, crushed
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 lime
Salt and black pepper
1.5 tbsp fresh mint, roughly chopped
100g feta cheese, crumbled
First, pour boiling water over the
sultanas. Allow to sit for 15 minutes
to plum up nicely before draining.
Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut
the courgettes on the angle into
5mm thick slices and rub them with
a little olive oil. Heat a griddle pan.
Once very hot, place the courgettes
onto the surface of the pan and
leave them to cook for fve minutes;
don`t be tempted to move them. After
fve minutes, check the underside
of a couple of slices; they should
have chargrilled marks on them (you
may need to leave them for another
couple of minutes). Now turn the
slices over and leave for another
fve minutes to brown the other
side. Transfer the hot courgettes to
a bowl. Heat a small heavy based
pan. Tip in the blanched almonds
and heat gently until evenly golden
brown, stirring regularly. Put to one
side. In the same pan, gently heat
the olive oil and crushed garlic for
a couple of minutes. Pour into a
small bowl. Mix in the lemon or lime
juice and zest, with a good pinch
of salt and black pepper. Taste for
seasoning. Stir through the sultanas
and almonds and then pour the
dressing over the courgettes along
with one tbsp of the mint, mixing
gently to make sure everything gets
a good coating. Sprinkle the feta
over the top with the remaining mint.
Serve simply on its own or alongside
some grilled lamb.
Alan Rosenthal is the author of Stewed!
80 Stews and One Pot Wonders,
available on Amazon, @alanrosenthal3
Carnival time
Sunshine! Sparkles!
Well, at least with the
i heart Brasil Sparkling
Moscato, you`re
guaranteed one of those
this summer. The latest
addition to the 'i heart`
range (yes, that`s a
deliberate lower case
I) is perfect for outdoor
drinking and perfectly
priced at just under a
tenner. Go on, splash
out. Available from
1 June, visit iheartwines.
co.uk, @iheartwines
[food]
gaytimes.co.uk 121
A SIDE
ORDER OF
ALAN
ROSENTHAL
gaytimes.co.uk 122
IMAGE JOE MCCORMICK
FOUR EXERCISES TO
HELP YOU SCULPT A
PERFECT BACK
with tom jones
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk 123
Try this four
exercise routine for
eight weeks and
youll start to see
some serious gains
Weve all seen guys in the gym
talking about their arms, how much
they can bench press or arguing
over who has the best six pack.
But while they boast and bicker
away, more often than not, theyre
forgetting and neglecting one of the
largest muscle groups and in my
opinion, the hottest body part on a
guy a toned and muscular back.
To the average trainer, the back
goes unnoticed. But trust me, if you
have a well-trained back and get
out of the shower in a towel, the
back is going to be the first thing
people notice. Your back gives you
that v shape, the finishing touch of
a great body, with wide shoulders
and a tight waist to separate the
men from the boys.
The back muscles cover such a
wide area, starting at the base of
your glutes your bum and going
right up to the back of your neck
and spreading the full width of
your shoulders. If this is a lacking
body part and not trained as hard
or as well as the rest of you, not
only will your body start to look
underdeveloped, but it could lead to
a serious injury. Strong back muscles
are essential for carrying and lifting
heavy weight, and without this, our
bodies start to overcompensate in
other areas, putting added stress
on tendons, joints and commonly
causing rotator cuff injuries.
As a pro wrestler, all the routines
I perform in the gym are not only
designed to help me grow, but
must keep me safe and healthy. No
one wants an injury, so with a little
knowledge and good form, we can
all be on the fast track to a better
back in an injury free zone.
This months routine consists of
four exercises more than we would
normally use for our arms, chest and
smaller muscle groups, but were
going to use slightly higher reps
so we can get a nice burn going
through the entire back area.
Firstly, pull-ups using our own
body weight, with four sets of eight
to ten reps, or until failure. This is an
excellent back exercise and should
be performed palms facing forward
with a wide grip, pulling your torso
up until your chest touches the bar.
If you havent done these before,
they WILL be hard, but we all have
to start somewhere. Theyll start to
get easier, eventually, and youll
love the results.
Our second exercise is performed
seated, and is excellent for the
upper back, with three sets of 12
reps of wide grip cable rows. Grip
the row bar slightly more than
shoulder width, with palms facing
down squeezing your shoulder
blades together at the point of
contraction, filling the area with
as much blood as possible for
maximum growth.
We then move on to a close grip
cable row, again with three sets of
12 reps. Changing the grip slightly
does change the exercise into
something different, hitting the back
from another angle. The narrow grip
allows a much tighter squeeze in
the back area, hitting the inside and
slightly-lower back or the latissimus
dorsi, for you Latin speakers.
Finally, were moving on to wide
grip pull downs, with four sets of 12
reps. Unlike the pull-up exercise,
this is performed on a machine, but
the same principles apply. Keep
your chest out, palms forward,
squeezing your shoulder blades
together at the point of contraction.
Then, on your very last set, try
dropping the weight slightly and
performing the exercise until you
simply cant do it any more.
Dont forget to increase the weight
in each set, unless youve been told
otherwise. Plus, feel free to use
YouTube to check your form and
technique is correct. And, as always,
eat well, train well and look hot.
Speaking of proteins, this month
I was lucky enough to try protein
bread, sent to me by MuscleFood.
com. I cant rate this highly enough.
With 15g of protein per slice, it super-
charges any sandwich or meal
into a protein rich bodybuilders
dream. And the best part about it?
It tastes just like a delicious loaf of
wholemeal. Put bread back on the
menu with this great new product.
[ask tom ]
Need advice? Ask Tom on Twitter @tomgt1
I try to read
as much as
possible when
it comes to
training, but
everything
seems to refer
back to protein.
What actually
is protein, and
what does it do?
Protein is
mostly found in
meat, fish and
dairy, and is
basically the
bodys building
block. All of
our organs
including our
skin are built
from protein,
as are our
muscles. To
put it simply, if
youre looking
to grow, you
need to know
your proteins.
If training
for size, try
and consume
around 1-1.5g
of protein per
pound of body
weight. Add a
protein shake
to your diet to
make sure you
top up on all the
protein your
body needs.
[get fit]
1 in 3 gay guys diagnosed with HIV are
in their teens or 20s.
*
THINK AGAIN
Disclaimer: No assumptions should be made about the HIV status or views of the model featured in this ad. GMFA projects are
developed by HIV-positive and HIV-negative volunteers. Support GMFA by making a donation at: www.gmfa.org.uk/donate
Photo ChrisJepson.com. Design: no.star. 2014 GMFA. Charity no: 1076854. Company limited by guarantee: 2702133.
Know the Facts. Use Condoms. Test for HIV.
www.gmfa.org.uk/thinkagainHIV
GMFA_UK GMFA.UK
*HIV in the United Kingdom: 2013 Report,
Public Health England.
column
HIV:
RECIPES
FOR LIFE
Where does your
money come from?
Long gone are the
days when being HIV-positive
meant you could rely on the
welfare system to provide a well-
feathered cushion to sit on until
the end of your days. And rightly
so. Im a firm believer that those
who have the virus, and are able
to work, do so. If those on ARVs
are doing well, being HIV-positive
no longer absolves them from
contributing to society. Maybe you
think Im being a bit harsh about
this especially those who have
been diagnosed with HIV for the
long-term and havent worked for
a long time. But being in work is
good for your health.
For those who already have a
job, great! It provides a sense of
purpose and keeps you active
both mentally and physically, it
strengthens ones self-esteem and
sense of personal well-being. It
needs to be viewed as an important
part of the package of staying well
and healthy with HIV.
But if youre HIV-positive, taking
ARVs and doing well on them,
but not in work, then this months
column is really aimed at you.
Firstly, I know personally how
difficult it can be to get back into
employment if you havent been
in a workplace environment for a
while, particularly if that means
starting your career from scratch
again. I also know that potentially
what you get paid for working
may be less than what you receive
right now in welfare. This can be a
much harder pill to swallow than
your antiretrovirals; but I promise
that getting back into work can
completely transform your life for
the better in many, many ways.
For those whove been HIV-
positive for years, not in work
and relying on welfare, it may
not be easy to get back into
employment. Unless youre very
good at creative CV writing,
then there are going to be some
large holes in your rsum.
Although its illegal for an
employer to discriminate against
a prospective employee because
theyre HIV-positive, one cannot
help but think that it happens. But
these are challenges that can be
overcome. Dont be put off.
You may need to get yourself
into the mind-set where youre
fully prepared to start again if
need be. Its quite possible that
on treatment you could live well
beyond retirement age. Nobody
in the autumn of their lives wants
to eat Fray Bentos pie and tinned
potatoes every day of the week
off a tray, sitting there worrying
about how to pay the next monthly
instalment of the TV license. This
is your opportunity! What do you
want for the rest of your life? What
kind of work would you like to do
and think you can make a go of?
Again, we find ourselves at the
place where we can, if we want,
to make a choice for change. This
is as much about drawing a line
underneath what was, and what
could be. The mere action of
deciding I want to go back to work
is the first major step that, in itself,
will allow you to be open to new
opportunities out there, that you
might not have been in the right
mental place to consider before.
Perhaps you will need to retrain
or go to college to study, maybe
you need to do some voluntary
work to get some experience?
Could working for yourself be an
option? Create a CV, there are lots
of different ways to write them. It
doesnt have to be chronological
if big gaps are a problem, make
it a competency based CV. Look
online to find different ways you
can present it. Once its done, make
a few trial applications for jobs that
you like the look of, and think you
could do. Whats the worst that can
happen? Chalk rejections up to
experience and treat any mistakes
as an opportunity to learn. The
important thing is that by putting
in the footwork youre at the very
least making yourself available,
to be open to whatever new
opportunities may come along. If
the door to a new future is partially
ajar, its more likely to swing
open than if youve
made the choice to
keep it firmly shut.
What
you get
paid for
working
may be
less than
what you
receive
right now
on welfare.
This can
be a much
harder pill
to swallow
than your
ARVs, but
getting
back into
work can
transform
your life
[paul thorn]
[life]
@paul_thorn
gaytimes.co.uk 125
I
M
A
G
E

C
H
R
I
S

G
I
L
E
S

P
H
O
T
O
G
R
A
P
H
Y
DATE
FREE TO JOIN
LOGIN WITH FACEBOOK
WWW.GTDATE.CO.UK
NO
Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples
MSMs allowed to donate blood
YES
Same-sex sexual activity legal
Equal age of consent
Anti-discrimination laws in employment, the provision of
goods and services and in all other areas (inc. indirect
discrimination, hate speech)
Same-sex marriage
Recognition of same-sex couples
Gays allowed to serve in military
Right to change legal gender
Both joint and step adoption by same-sex couples
[rights]
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk 127
W
O
R
D
S

M
A
T
T

P
E
A
K
E

I
M
A
G
E
S

I
S
T
O
C
K
P
H
O
T
O
Jose Mercado
explains: The
Philippines is a cluster
of more than 7,000 islands and
multiple languages and religions.
The biggest infuence on gay culture
in the Philippines is mainly religion,
which is predominantly Catholic
as Spain`s presence in the country
spanned 300 years. There seems
to be a difference where Filipino
society tolerates homosexuality but
institutions like the Roman Catholic
Church seem to be unbending on
its stance. This is all about the
precolonial Philippine society which
was very supportive, and it was only
the Spaniards who frowned on it and
made it a social taboo.
As the country`s culture is widely
matriarchal, with the proof in having
had two major female presidents, the
leaning towards a strong feminine
fgurehead in the family has also
infuenced gay culture. It took me
a good 30 years to come out to my
family and the last one to know was
my mother. She`s a strong lady, all
4ft11 of stature and goes to church
every day. After having gone to all
religious pilgrimages all over the
world, her old school beliefs are
engrained in her deeply. So to fnd
out that two of her children were gay;
her only request from both of us was
not to be too open and blatant in our
display and lifestyle.
Half a century ago, society had only
accepted gay men as the camp hair
dresser, which was commonly known
as 'parlorista` which still remains
today as the provincial view of
homosexuality. Even in TV, flms and
radio, straight actors played comedic
gay roles using this stereotype to
satirise the gay lifestyle. However,
flmmaker Lino Brocka - who was
openly gay - was one of the most
admired and famous flm makers in
the Philippines, with a status akin to
Scorsese and Spielberg.
In the sixties when the sexual
revolution was fervent, gay nightlife in
the Philippines thrived. Coco Banana
was the biggest haunt for the gay
socialite in Manila. Year after year,
the capital experienced a constant
emergence of gay clubs in areas such
as Malate, Makati and into new cities
such as Pasig. But 99% of the islands
still behave like they were 50-years-
ago. So it`s natural for gay men to
aspire to live in Manila searching for
love, companionship and respect.
Those who remain in their provinces
either have to suffer abuse or
remain in the shadows and look for
gratifcation in unsafe territories.
But it`s also fair to say that the
Philippines has gone a long way in
terms of political lobbying for AIDS
awareness and HIV treatments.
Popular and strong gay activists had
lobbied tirelessly for 20 years to get
free HIV testing and treatment for
the LGBT community. Pride marches
and festivities are also abundant in
the capital bringing together a tight
LGBT society. Entertainment has
also contributed to the education
of the gay lifestyle, by having
programmes and flms that portray
the lifestyle appropriately and fairly.
Recently, a very popular male actor
went on hiatus from the industry. He
travelled to New York and returned
to the Philippines as a transgender
woman. The shock of the public
was deafening but, in the end, the
acceptance was resounding.
Today the Philippines has been
proudly named as one of the most
gay-friendly nations in the world.
But equal rights such as equal
marriage and civil partnerships are
not an option. You can live happy
as a gay person but you have to
conform to society`s norms, religious
preaching and locations where the
life is tolerated. But the strength of
the Filipino lies in his
pride and his love for
another.
LETTER FROM THE PHILIPPINES WE LOOK AT THE LIVES
AND RIGHTS OF GAY MEN FROM AROUND THE GLOBE IN 2014
128 gaytimes.co.uk
GREECE
HALKIDIKI
WORDS STEFAN KYRIAZIS
I
f youd have told me that Id
enjoy a group holiday with
total strangers, be sorted
into sporting groups by
ability and rise at 8am to do yoga
before a packed day culminating
in karaoke, quizzes and banter
with half of middle England, Id
have probably laughed pityingly
in your face. If youd have told
me Id have the best holiday I
can remember and return with
fast new friends and a revitalised
belief in human nature and my
own ability to rise above my
limitations, Id have judged your
outfit and sashayed away.
But, whats a man to do, when
the siren call of a thousand hunks
in trunks prowling the latest gay
resort, circuit party, parade or
cruise ship like meerkats with
ADHD, no longer appeals. Where
to go? And with whom? What
if youd like to raise your heart
rate with something other than
three foam parties, an after-hours
with Paolo Que? and a handful of
narcotics from a friendly doctor
you once shagged?
Ive done, and thoroughly
enjoyed, most of the above, and
may do so again. But, recently, I
find myself wanting more, without
the faintest idea where to look, or
what Im actually looking for. Thats
why, when I was offered the chance
to check out a new type of gay
[travel]
129 gaytimes.co.uk
halkidiki
gaytimes.co.uk 130
group trip to Halkidiki, Northern
Greece, I leapt at the chance.
Gay Active Holidays may be
a holiday firm with a name just
begging for puns, but Niko, the
brains (and hairy chest) behind it
all, convinced me to come along
with his passionate belief that we
dont have to conform to stereotype,
or limit ourselves to one type of
holiday. The active is aimed at a
great number of LGBT people who
enjoy sport and activities. Niko also
believes that we should be front and
centre with the rest of the world in
mainstream resorts, not niche gay
ones. Rousing stuff.
As the holiday grew closer, I
started to worry. Being an out and
proud clich, I dont do organised
activities. I turn my nose up at
enforced jollity. I also had flashes of
Benidorm (with or without a guest
spot from Cilla). I even started
to self-censor myself, debating
whether to leave my gay trunks
behind and not scare the natives.
What an idiot.
I arrived at the airport and met
the other 18 members of our group.
Sure, we were mainly the far side of
twinkdom, but it was a reassuringly
diverse bunch, with a spread of
professions and body types. A
regular bunch of guys, albeit mainly
in tight t-shirts.
Bonding, banter and beverages on
the plane established a heady sense
of being on a school trip. By the
time we boarded the transfer bus at
Thessaloniki Airport to Anastasia
Resort, we were already the rowdy
bunch at the back.
There were sniggers when Tilly,
our wide-eyed meet and greeter,
started singing the praises of bare-
boating and gushing about her
puppies, before tantalising us with
promises of karaoke, with her own
guitar. I like to call it acousi-oke,
she trilled. While that expression,
I fear, may not catch on, her
enthusiasm and jolly spirits were
ruthlessly infectious and set the tone
for the good-humour and happiness
of a trip that would wear down the
bitterest of queens.
Orientation on the first morning
offered an impressive hourly
itinerary from 8am to 8pm every
day. While you were welcome to go
for as much as you liked, thankfully,
everyone was welcome to set
their own levels of participation.
Some rose at 7am to do dirt bike
trails before breakfast, while a
certain other limited his exertions
to gently teasing our blushing
waiter. My horror of open water,
dating back to traumatic childhood
viewings of Jaws, ruled out all the
mucking about on boats, kayaks and
windsurfs. Plus, Im a lazy sod, so
I signed up for tennis and booked
three massages for the week. Bliss.
The week passed in a hazy, happy
whirl of sunbathing, swimming,
tennis and that giddy sensation of
making new friends. In our busy,
exhausted, over-stretched lives,
when do you have the chance to
really get to know new people?
Again, some were more social than
others. Some came in couples, some
dipped in and out, and everyone
was free to set their own limits. And
when did you last go on a group
holiday where nobody bickered
about wanting to go to a certain
beach, stay out later than the rest or
spend less or more on the food?
Ah, the food. Sure, it was a
sporting holiday, but we all put on a
few pounds. Faced with full buffets
at all three meals, we slipped into
multiple courses for breakfast and
wound up with just a little of four
of five deserts at dinner. We even
had a special rainbow cake made
in our honour!
My fear of sticking out were
unfounded. OK, 18 men in tiny
trunks with an array of tattoos
and the occasional piercing
were never going to discretely
blend in. We were the only gays
in the village, but our individual
pursuits of different activities
meant we made friends with other
holiday makers. A few days into
the holiday and we were smiling,
joking and occasionally play
flirting with a great number of
the straight men (and women!).
Hell, we got up and did YMCA to a
hooting crowd at karaoke.
Most wonderfully, many of us
had people come up and say how
lovely it had been to have us there.
One of my tennis partners sweetly
said that, back home, her daughter
had gay friends, but she and her
husband had never (knowingly) met
people like me. It was sincerely
meant, and I found it quite moving.
And, most impressively, our
aforementioned Bel Ami blonde
HALKIDIKI GREECE
POPULATION 105,908
SIZE 1,127 SQUARE MILES
TIME ZONE UTC / GMT+2
GAY LEGAL SINCE 1951
When did you last go
on a group holiday
where nobody
bickered about
wanting to go to a
certain beach or
stay out later than
the rest?
[06/14]
ABOVE SOCIALISING BY THE
WATER ON STRANDVAGEN
BELOW GAY PRIDE
CELEBRATIONS IN THE CITY
teenage waiter, who could barely
meet our eyes at the start of the
week as we playfully teased him,
was posing for grinning pics and in
on the joke by the end.
We truly came out of the ghetto
and showed that we were real
people, too. We flaunted our tiny
trunks, we did not hide away, but
nor did we dismiss the lives and
experiences of others. And we
found the world ready to embrace
us. It was unspeakably wonderful.
I took a romantic evening stroll
with two handsome men that did
not lead to a three-way. I took
a sunset cruise with 18 fit men
where the only things gobbled
were the canaps and champagne
as we watched the azure waters
turn to midnight blue. I faced my
fear when we all plunged off the
yacht and swam 50 metres for a
photo op on some sulphur rocks. I
felt fantastic.
And its all down to Niko. He
accompanies all the trips and is
a charming, roguish, but hugely
professional host. He gives the
trips a wonderfully bespoke feel
as he goes out of his way to host
welcome drinks, evening outings
and cultural day trips. His energy
and his joy in what hes created
is hugely infectious. Check out
Gay Active Holidays on Facebook
and youll see what a blast I had.
This year, as well as multiple
ski trips and two further Greek
adventures, hes also roaming
farther afield to Ecuador.
Im so grateful that I had a
chance to be a part of his vision.
And I cant bloody wait for the
next trip!
Gay Active Holidays have a host of trips
planned in the next 12 months, including
two seven-night ski trips to Chamonix
(January '15) and St Anton (March '15), and
trips to Sivota (September '14) and Messini
(May/June '15) in Greece, among others. All
trips include fights, transfers and full-board.
For prices and more information, contact
team@martikas.com or call 020 7407
1817. Check out Gay Active Holidays on
Facebook for pictures
[travel]
131 gaytimes.co.uk
gaytimes.co.uk 132
I
ts very early on Sunday
morning and Im high above
the Marrakesh desert in a hot
air balloon.
It seemed like nothing, when
we sat discussing it by the pool at
the Mosaic Palais Aziza and Spa
the night before. Just one more
cocktail on a warm summer night
after all, its only a hot air balloon.
It cant be *that* high.
Things are very different when you
groggily awake with the intention
of catching the sunrise. When
wild dogs bark at you as you drive
through the desert in a jeep. And
then when you see an actual hot air
balloon being inflated in front of you
with a very compact basket thats
intended to fit six slightly nervous
people thats when you start to
reconsider a trip into the sky.
Dont reconsider DO IT. And get
the pilot from Ciel dAfrique to take
you as high as the balloon can go,
because its fantastic, exhilarating
and as far removed from a
traditional Sunday hangover as you
could ever get.
When the balloon does descends
worry not, the pilots have been
making the journey every morning
since 1990 theres a further treat in
store. The organisers take you via
four wheel drive to a nearby village,
where youre invited into the home
of locals to experience Moroccan
hospitality.
But its that Moroccan hospitality
that was making me reconsider an
early rise (and not the cocktails)
because once youve arrived at the
Mosaic Palais, you wont want to
leave. The hotel has six pavilions
housed within the grounds each
named and themed after a Moroccan
city and Im not ashamed to say I
merrily danced around mine. And
why not? At 118 square metres with
double-height ceilings, theyre
designed to house four people but
theyre just perfect for a couple.
Especially when they have a steam
room for two. Each pavilion sits in a
private garden youre getting the
picture here, right?
But force yourself to leave. Go,
go! Even if youre just venturing
poolside. While I loved to sunbathe
by the pool during the day, I equally
loved lounging there by night, with
everything lit so beautifully. And,
of course, enjoying more signature
cocktails from the Citrus Bar and
food from La Pergola.
If thats not relaxing enough
and if not, whats wrong with you?
then Mosaic Palais offer a series
of spa treatments as their full
name suggests.
You can have these exclusively
in your room, but as youve
already ventured out it would be a
shame to not enjoy more stunning
architecture and design.
And if its architecture and design
youre looking for, then step outside
the walls that surround the private
hotel and take a trip to Jardin
Majorelle. These stunning gardens
were created over four decades by
French painter Jacques Majorelle,
before being owned by Yves Saint
Laurent. The gardens became his
final resting place when his ashes
were scattered there.
While I could have happily sat in
the shade of the giant greenery,
the legendary Medina awaits. You
cant visit Marrakesh and not visit
the winding streets and souks. Be
prepared to set aside plenty of
time to leisurely peruse the wares
and stalls this is not the place to
visit if youre on your way to dinner
elsewhere.
Also be prepared for a monkey
to sit on your head if you show the
slightest bit of interest in the vendors
with their simian sidekicks. And
be aware that a photo opportunity
with that nappy-wearing monkey
on a chain will cost you. Similarly,
the snake-charming. Im not a fan.
Politely decline and walk away.
But theres far more to see at this
UNESCO World Heritage Site than
animal cruelty Haggle away and
youll get a bargain. Run out of
dirhams and many sellers will accept
your local currency. Just remember
that while you can wear that fez on
your EasyJet back (fezzes are cool,
after all), its a little more difficult
to get that rug, lamp or table that
seemed like a bargain at the time
back through customs.
Our evening entertainment took us
to Le Salama restaurant in Jemaa el-
Fnaa and if mouth-watering cuisine
and beautiful views of the city arent
MARRAKESH
enough for you, then some mid-meal
traditional belly-dancing should
make it that little extra bit special.
The winding city streets can be
difficult to navigate once you step
away from the main square, so make
sure youve got a map or a guide.
Better still hop in a taxi back to
Mosaic Palais.
Yes, I know theres a rich history
of culture beyond the walls of the
five star deluxe boutique hotel
but its a five star deluxe boutique
hotel. Indulge yourself! Its close
enough to central Marrakesh yet still
hidden away in five acres of private
gardens (they offer an airport pick-
up, use it). Take a tip switch off the
complimentary wi-fi and enjoy a
break from the world outside.
GT travelled with EasyJet, easyjetholidays.
com offer inclusive trips. GT stayed at Mosaic
Palais Aziza and Spa, Marrakesh, Morocco,
mosaicpalaisaziza.com. For more info see
visitmorocco.com, jardinmajorelle.com and
cieldafrique.info
luxury break
WORDS DARREN SCOTT
[06/14]
ABOVE POOLSIDE AT THE
MOSAIC PALAIS
BELOW DESERT LANSCAPE
OUTSIDE MARRAKESH
[travel]
133 gaytimes.co.uk
gaytimes.co.uk 135
HOLIDAYS
WESTONBIRT
CLASSIFIED FEATURE
Located on the edge of the Cotswolds,
Westonbirt House was designed by Lewis
Vulliamy and is considered to be one of
Englands most extravagant houses from the
Victorian era.
Completed in 1870, Westonbirt was the country
seat of Robert Stayner Holford who positioned
the great house so that he could look straight
down Holford Ride towards his arboretum,
where he had planted his rst trees in 1829.
In 1892 the estate passed to his son, Sir
George Lindsay Holford, who was an
enthusiastic and accomplished horticulturist.
The gardens of the house were already well
established, and he continued to expand the
area now known as the National Arboretum.
The gardens provide a magnicent location for
wedding photographs and include the
chapel of St Catherine, the Bishops Seat,
an Italian garden and a number of water
features. Marquees may also be erected on
the terrace and can be linked directly to the
main house.
The venue offers a ne selection of halls
and interiors which can accommodate your
guests in a style of your choosing. Wedding
breakfasts may be enjoyed in the dining
room or the library and further suites are
available for the provision of entertainment and
dance. Ceremonies can be held in the library
or great hall.
We are condent that the ambience of
Westonbirt will make your wedding day very
special. Our experienced events team look
forward to welcoming you and your guests.
Please call James or Kay on 01666 881336 to
discuss your requirements.
AN EXTRAVAGANT HOUSE, THE PERFECT VENUE FOR A WEDDING
To advertise in this section contact Ash Allibhai Tel 020 7424 7434 E-mail ash@millivres.co.uk
Deadline for next issue 20 May
HOLIDAYS
136 gaytimes.co.uk
To advertise in this section contact Ash Allibhai Tel 020 7424 7434 Email ash@millivres.co.uk
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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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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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HOLIDAYS
Edinburgh Dorset
Brighton
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140 gaytimes.co.uk
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Torquay
North Oxfordshire
Torquay
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142 gaytimes.co.uk
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CLASSIFIED FEATURE
A TO Z
To advertise in this section contact Ash Allibhai Tel 020 7424 7434 E-mail ash@millivres.co.uk
Deadline for next issue 20 May
Late last year, London councils made the decision not to fund HIV-prevention group work services for gay/bi men across London; although their
own needs assessment did recognise the transformative nature of therapeutic group work.
The loss of these programmes isnt new news, but as PACE prepares its nal report for the
programme, its important to publicise whats happened. The London councils decision
has created a huge gap in therapeutic services for gay and bi men in London.
PACE has run groups: for men who are just coming out, men in their 20s, Black and
Asian men and those living with HIV. They are about creating bonds and a sense
of community, with a focus on self-esteem, communication and relationship
building.
Since it was developed in 1995, the programme has reached over
3,000 men. Typical feedback speaks for itself:
I am amazed at how I managed to achieve all the personal goals
that I set myself.
The most effective part for me was being part of something
special and not feeling alone, also making new friends.
I have denitely made progress on my self-acceptance; I am
now more comfortable about being open with my sexuality.
This has given me the condence to be in control of having
safer sex!
Its great to be able to talk openly and engage freely with other
positive gay men. Please offer more of these invaluable spaces, its
bloody hard in London!
The least effective thing about the group is that the project has to come to
an end! Hope you manage to keep it going somehow...
The levels of HIV in men who have sex with men (MSM) have increased since
2011 and now MSM have the highest number of new infections compared to
other men. Source: THT - Facts-and-statistics-about-HIV/Men-who-have-sex-
with-men.
PACE are committed to maintaining our support for gay/bi men. We are currently pursuing alternative
sources of funding to continue a group work programme.
PACE still offers Healthy Relationship Workshops, counselling and relationship counselling in London and online
nationally. See pacehealth.org for details. Call, email or come to PACE and talk it through
Info and enquiries 020 7700 1323 or Email: info@pacehealth.org.uk
PACE
PACE GROUPS FOR GAY/BI MEN SOMETHING TO FEEL PRIDE ABOUT, SOMETHING TO FIGHT FOR.
gaytimes.co.uk 143
A TO Z
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144 gaytimes.co.uk
To advertise in this section contact Ash Allibhai Tel 020 7424 7434 Email ash@millivres.co.uk
Health Massage For Sale
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published on the understanding that they
are placed by and aimed at men aged
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consent for homosexual activity, providing
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Personals
gaytimes.co.uk 145
A TO Z
LIGHT/MEDIUM & HEAVY DUTY
LONG/SHORT HAUL
FREE ESTIMATES
WITHOUT OBLIGATION
DSS WELCOME
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Removals Recruitment
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BOX NUMBER
gt135048
Erotic Films
Shopping
Sales and Business
Development Executive
Millivres Prowler Group is looking for an enthusiastic
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involving out of offce sales visits to customers.
Applicants should have at least 3-years sales
experience in a business to business role. The role
involves adult products experience in the adult
business is not essential but a willingness to work
with gay adult products is vital. We are looking for
someone energetic and resourceful and motivated
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Full-time.
Salary 23,000 p/a, with OTA of 30k
Applications should be made in writing to:
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32-34 Gordon House Road, London, NW5 1LP.
Or email: simon@millivres.co.uk
MiIIivres-ProwIer Group is Europe's Ieading pubIisher,
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the gay and Iesbian market. Our main brands incIude Gay
Times, DIVA, ProwIer Stores, Diva Direct and Expectations.
is recruiting
for the
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Working towards equal opportunities in the workplace.
www.millivres.co.uk
162 gaytimes.co.uk
FRIENDLY
M, 62, London based, likes
music, water sports, sportswear &
underwear. Seeks M for f/ship.
Any area. Box 682818
PLIMSOLLS, PLIMSOLLS,
PLIMSOLLS
M, 50, seeks M into plimsolls, for
good times. Ldn. Box 198885
HONEST, LOVING
M, 54, many interests, seeks
straight-acting, non-drinking M,
35-50, for real r/ship. Milton Keynes.
Box 141318
INEXPERIENCED
M, 38, non-drinker, n/s, seeks M for
frst-time fun & possible r/ship.
Co. Durham. Box 950649
MATURE, ATTRACTIVE, TANNED
M, 59, WLTM a gent, poss TV or CD,
for fun times. Merseyside.
Box 220063 or text GT 220063
SENSUAL, TACTILE
M, 48, seeks smooth M, 40-55, for
good times & more. Hants.
Box 358133 or text GT 358133
SUB SEEKS MASTER
M, 51, likes rubber, looking for manly
M for fun times. Oldham. Box 899283
FEMININE SUB
M, young 60s, seeks strong, manly
dominant M to be mastered by.
Mancs. Box 582650
UNTIL THERE WAS YOU
Shy M, 42, large build, glasses, likes
walking, telly, music. WLTM M for
f/ship & possible r/ship. Weymouth.
Box 337055 or text GT 337055
BISEXUAL, EASY-GOING
M, 50, seeks M, 50-75, for good
times & whatever comes up. N Ldn.
Box 433471
FIT, SEXY, BISEXUAL
M, 35, adventurous, smooth, seeks
mature gent, 55+, for great times.
N Ldn. Box 538868
NOT BAD-LOOKING
M, 52, 6`, fair-haired, seeks M for
good fun & more. Middx. Box 494420
EASY-GOING, BISEXUAL
M, 53, slim build, seeks M for fun
times & maybe more. Herts.
Box 953117
HARD TO RESIST
Good-looking, slim M, 49, seeks
mature, assertive gent, 65-85, for f/
ship+. Kent. Box 630821
AFFABLE, NICE
M, 72, WLTM friendly, slim, cross-
dressing M, 18-50, for fun times.
W Ldn. Box 452708
NICE, FRIENDLY, GOOD-LOOKING
M, 30s, blond, seeks mature guy,
60+, non-scene, for companionship,
quiet life, galleries, boat trips &
museums. Ldn. Box 727088
LIKES DRESSING UP
M, 39, Tunisian, good looking, ft,
easy going, seeks decent guy, 55-65,
for good times & more. W Ldn.
Box 196782
BI, MUSCULAR BLOKE
M 55, 6`, keen on football,
bodybuilding, working out, wrestling.
Looking for similar mates. E Ldn.
Box 468612
BI, SLIM, FRIENDLY
M, 62, seeks much younger bi M
for daytime, regular meetings &
fun. Kent. Box 818827 or text
GT 818827
TACTILE, SENSUAL
Bi M, 69, retired, n/s, seeks M for
casual, genuine contact. N. Ldn/Sth
Herts. Box 525631
BI-PASSIVE INDIAN
M, late 30s, slim build, smooth,
WLTM nice guy, can accom, for
discrete daytime fun & more. Herts.
Box 514183 or text GT 514183
GENUINE, FUN
M, 50, 5`10", large build, seeks M for
fun times. Romford. Box 553585 or
text GT 553585
OUTGOING, CLEAN-SHAVEN
M, 64, into most things. Seeks M, 60-
70, for mutual pleasures. Can travel,
poss accom. Lancs. Box 181586 or
text GT 181586
RUBBER GUY
M, 37, slim build, into rubber, WLTM
submissive guy, 30-70, for fun &
more. Mancs. Box 789174
EASYGOING TV
M, 41, seeks gent, 65-75, for good
times. W Mids. Box 321848
FIT, STRONG
M, 65, can accom, seeks CD/TV M,
18-40, for adult fun. Text only pls.
Cheshire. Box 542627 or text
GT 542627
SLIM, SMOOTH
M, 87, seeks M for fun times,
discipline & more. Merseyside.
Box 209912
FIT, ABLE
M, 72, WLTM similar M for good
times & more. N West. Box 278621
YOU WILL OBEY ME
M, 60, CD, seeks submissive F
or M for training to be total slave.
Blackpool. Box 956409
FUN-LOVING, COSY
M, 57, 5`9", 17 stone, likes meals
out & cosy nights in. Seeks M for hot
times. Ipswich. Box 541088 or text
GT 541088
CROSS-DRESSING, BISEXUAL
M, 51, seeks fun couple for good
times & intimacy. Rhyl. Box 826020
or text GT 826020
I AM YOURS
M, 48, bi, sub, seeks dominant M to
be mastered by. N East. Box 671553
or text GT 671553
DIRTY, FUN
M, 33, hairy, can accom, likes
dressing up, seeks cross-dressing
M for good times. Co. Durham.
Box 307968 or text GT 307968
BISEXUAL, HONEST
M, 35, seeks M, 40-60, for fun &
good times. Leigh. Box 496023
TREAT ME LIKE A LADY
M, 39, into being a woman and
dressing up, seeks M to treat him like
a lady. Cheshire. Box 157271
LARGER GENT WANTED
M, 70+, retired, ex-profess, seeks
larger gent for f/ship or more.
S.Mancs. Box 348129
INEXPERIENCED
M, 60s, seeks M for possible r/ship.
Cheshire. Box 456755
GENUINE, FUN-LOVING
M, 58, 5`6", medium build, seeks
cross-dressing M for good times.
Dumfries. Box 763690 or text
GT 763690
SLIM, CROSS-DRESSING
M, 39, seeks M, 70+, for good
times. Lancs. Box 275792 or text
GT 275792
VERY FRIENDLY, BISEXUAL
M, 44, seeks nice guy for regular fun.
Ldn. Box 723203
YOUNG, FUN
M, 20, seeks fun M for great r/ship.
Surrey. Box 888059
VERY ENERGETIC
M, 23, just out, seeks older M for
serious r/ship. Wolverhampton.
Box 855738
STRAIGHT-ACTING, TACTILE
M, 65, 5`8", slim build, panties &
stockings wearer, seeks older, active
M for fun & f/ship. Leics. Box 932221
I LIKE IT ALL!
M, 32, seeks older, overweight M
for anything goes fun. Co. Durham.
Box 860489
RELAXED, HONEST
M, 62, seeks M for fun, f/ship &
more. Humberside. Box 411309
NEW TO THIS!
Inexperienced M, 49, seeks
experienced M for good times.
Newcastle. Box 891507
TEETOTAL, SINCERE
M, 72, 5`7", n/s, likes animals, seeks
M, similar age or younger, for r/ship.
Durham. Box 302496
TALL, SLIM
M, 44, likes most things, seeks M for
fun times. Leeds. Box 126390 or text
GT 126390
SAUCY CD
M, 58, into tights & lingerie. Seeks
M for good times. Glasgow.
Box 662963
FUN, GENUINE
M, 55, seeks active M, 45-60, for
great times & more. Glasgow.
Box 862136
EASY-GOING, HONEST
M, 60, WLTM M for nights out, meals
out, walks, fun & further. Glasgow.
Box 952995 or text GT 952995
AFFABLE, HONEST
M, 57, seeks mature guy, 60-70, for
fun & further. Rhyl. Box 716552 or
text GT 716552
SINCERE, HONEST
M, 35, new in town, seeks M for
f/ship & maybe more. Cardiff.
Box 786732
EASY-GOING, SPORTS FAN
Fun M, 57, enjoys the odd drink.
Seeks M, 40s+, for sporting events,
f/ship & fun. Co. Down. Box 541162
SEXY, CROSS-DRESSING
M, 42, sexy slim TV, seeks mature,
submissive M, 65+, for roleplay &
more. Mancs. Box 733191 or text
GT 733191
CROSS-DRESSING, FIT
M, 53, bi-curious, likes keep ft,
seeks M, can accom, for fun times &
exploration. S Ldn. Box 712199
LOOKING FOR 1-2-1
Genuine M, 67, 5`7", very bi-curious,
medium build, WLTM similar M,
can accom, for good times & more.
Lancs. Box 609369
STRAIGHT GUY WITH
IMAGINATION
M, 51, into boxers, briefs & trackies.
Seeks M, 20-35, for playing out
fantasies. M25 Orbital. Box 508865
FIT, CROSS-DRESSING
M, 42, good body, seeks gay couple
for fun times. Merseyside.
Box 622446 or text GT 622446
INTO WOMEN'S CLOTHING
M, 45, seeks like-minded M to share
interest. Cornwall. Box 688756
BI-CURIOUS
M, 43, seeks mature M, 55+, for
exploration & some discipline. Bucks.
Box 983456
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