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THE MONSTER

AND ME
A MALE RAPE
VICTIM
SPEAKS OUT
NEWS
ROUNDUP
WHY 2013
WAS A
HISTORIC
GAY YEAR
SAM
CALLAHAN
JANUARY 2014
THE ORIGINAL GAY MAGAZINE
What should
Tom Daley
do next?*
*A Gay Times cover, obviously
HES GOT THE
SEX
FACTOR!
T
h
e

m
e
n

y
o
u

s
h
o
u
l
d
n

t

d
a
t
e
!
3
0
Y
E
A
R
S
O
F
G
A
Y
T
IM
E
S
HES BEHIND
YOU!
Panto fun with
Gok Wan
ROCK
ROYALTY
Rufus
Wainwright
THE GAY
BEATLE
Brian
Epstein
SOBER!
The gay men
who party
without booze
Editor DARREN SCOTT
Assistant Editor LEE DALLOWAY
Editorial Assistant RYAN BUTCHER
Design & Art Direction MARK KING
Style and Grooming Editor LLOYD-SCOTT TYLER
Columnists BENJAMIN COHEN, THE GUYLINER,
EDD KIMBER, PARIS LEES, ALAN ROSENTHAL, PAUL
THORN, MICHELLE VISAGE, MIKEY WALSH
Contributors JOHN MARRS, MATT PEAKE, LUKE
SMITH, TIM MITCHELL, MIKE HIRD, MILO WAKELIN,
BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH, BOB HENDERSON,
TOM JONES, JOE MCCORMICK, LIAM LESLIE,
DARCY RIVE, EDWARD DYSON, PAUL TIERNEY,
ROBERT GERSHINSON, GREG BAILEY, DARCY RIVE,
NICHOLAS CHARLES, CALUM COCHRANE, JACK
REAR, NATHAN GENESE, TOMMY HIBBITTS
GT Dog TOBY THE PUG
Thanks to SARA LEE and BEN DUNCAN (Hackford
Jones), NIGEL STONEMAN (Simon and Schuster),
FRED MELLOR (MBC), DAN DEACON (Deacon
Communications), CHRISTINE BATEMAN (Purple
Carrot Communications), GREG BAILEY (Greg Bailey
Photography), BEN WOOLDRIDGE (Birmingham
Hippodrome), RUTH MOLONEY (Amanda Malpass
PR), DANIEL PURSEY, EMMA BERGE and SHARON
MCHENDRY (Mobius Industries), PETER LEONE (Arthur
Leone PR), MATT HORWOOD (Visit Manchester)

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
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Magazine Distributors Limited, Unit 3, Tavistock Road,
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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
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happy new year
[01/14]
gaytimes.co.uk 4
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GT428 JAN 2014
Happy New Year! Well,
at least thats what most
people will be proclaiming.
And look! Look to the left!
Even were at it, in our
new format for our 30th
anniversary. But its not
really a happy New Year, is it? Well, not for the
people of India and Australia perhaps. As we
went to press we heard that equal rights laws
in both countries had been revoked. Horrible,
horrible news. The black cloud that is the
Winter Olympics in Russia rumbles ever closer,
with a ray of sunshine trying to break through
from the UK yes, the long-awaited same-sex
marriages come into effect (well, for England
and Wales at least) from 29 March 2014. So while
its not all doom and gloom, theres still more
that needs to be done, more that people need to
know. With that in mind, and with 2014 being our
anniversary year, weve upped our news agenda
somewhat. Not just a homage to the publication
we were before the internet changed everything
(and indeed the magazine we originally began
as, HIM, in 1974 technically making us 40 and
the longest-running gay magazine in print),
but because the time is obviously right. I hope
you enjoy the slight changes weve made. New
year, new GT. Thin ankles, sweetie. But dont
worry about the eye candy that you love so much
its not going anywhere, as our special print
subscriber covers show. Oh and next issue! Next
issue... Darren Scott @darren_scott
Cover photograph by Joe McCormick
Grooming by Evan Huang
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
rst
06 Fitty at the Front
10 Denise Van Outen
14 Mikey Walsh
16 TV preview
18 He`s behind you!
22 Jinkx Monsoon
23 Michelle Visage
26 Sweetie, darling?
news
28 2013 News Review
33 Benjamin Cohen
34 30 Things
36 Heroes
40 News Analysis
42 News Debate
44 Paris Lees
features
46 Sam Callahan
58 Rufus Wainwright
64 Ballet Boys
style
70 Grooming
72 Orange The new black
74 Get formal
76 Home style
entertainment
80 Music
82 Bleona
90 Screen
94 Tech
real life
97 Readers Lives
98 The Monster and Me
102 Relationships
106 Sober
110 Alan Rosenthal
111 Edd Kimber
112 Fitness
115 HIV
travel
119 Letter from...
120 Iceland
124 Manchester
[contents]
gaytimes.co.uk 5
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gaytimes.co.uk 6
[01/14]
Lofty ambitions If theres one thing we like
more than tasteful nudity, its limited edition
tasteful nudity which means we have to own
one of only 100 specially produced books by
Dylan Rosser. Loft is so exclusive that it will
never be reprinted and only a mere handful
of the incredible images housed within will be
shown elsewhere. Like this one here, especially
for you faithful reader. Loft is 250, dylanrosser.com
[first]
7 gaytimes.co.uk
Sam Smith is never off the stereo here
at GT Towers. And now hes scooped the
prestigious Critics Choice Brit Award,
previously won by the likes of Adele and
Jessie J. Big shoes to fill, but Mr Smith
can more than vocally hold his own next
to those two power-voiced divas. After
topping the chart with Naughty Boy on the
infectious La La La, we dont reckon theres
any danger of him hitting a bum note.
quiche
[01/14]
[first]
SHES BACK!
and shes totally quiche.
Our favourite Chris Lilley
character EVER gets her own
series on BBC Three this year,
Jamie: Private School Girl.
As ever, Lilleys gone
completely over the top and
we cant get enough. We, like,
totally want to be a member
of The Prefects at Hilford.
Were totally quiche too.
Ja`mie: Private School Girl is on BBC
Three this spring
gaytimes.co.uk 8
We LOVE Denise Van
Outen! So when we
heard that shes about
to embark on a UK tour
with her new one-woman
show, Some Girl I Used
To Know, we had to
pin her down (oo-er)
for a chinwag
WORDS LEE DALLOWAY IMAGE DAVID VENI
Where did the idea for Some
Girl come from? Well, I remember
watching Shirley Valentine as a kid
- there hadn`t been anything like it,
apart from Alfe, where actors speak
to the camera and the audience
becomes a friend. I liked the style
of it. I liked how it reached out to a
female audience and the message
behind it. At that time there were
a lot of women in marriages they
weren`t happy in; the downtrodden
women. I remember my mum`s
friends being like, "I`m gonna go
to Greece and have an affair with
some waiter. Then I did Tell Me on a
Sunday, which was a woman fnding
herself in her mid-twenties, going
through heartbreak and coming
out the other side. The feedback
was similar and there were women
at the time who were, like I was,
really moved by that. I liked that and
tried to fnd another role that would
replicate that feeling and power. I
kinda just felt someone needed to
voice the women of this generation.
Is it a show us gayers will be able
to relate to as well? I always said
it`ll be for gays and girls - that`s the
audience. I like the same things
as gay men... we all like a big cock
[laughs]. I love a game of hide the
sausage!
What can we expect from the
show? Lots of funny moments of
what it was like growing up in the 80s
and 90s. My character talks about
going to Ibiza and that ecstasy era;
that`s kind of my growing up and the
area I feel I know most about.
Do you still love a good party?
I`m still stupid and young. It`s really
weird that my best friend, who I use
to go out partying with, sort of stays
in now and I go out with her daughter
[laughs]. I don`t go out that often
anymore - I can`t, I`m a mum. But I
took my mate`s daughter to Ibiza this
year and I stayed up with the kids.
The pIay covers the 90s and that's
when you entered the spotlight.
You were quite young, was it a lot
of pressure? I`m really glad I started
in television in the 90s because
there was less pressure. I would
hate to be young now and going out
in the public eye. You didn`t have
all these magazines, these camera
phones, you could go out. If you
had camera phones when I was
on Big Breakfast, I probably would
have lost my job, the things we were
getting up to [laughs]. I was talking
with Julian Clary about this, 'cos we
did a show called Prickly Heat in
Majorca together, and we were going
out and getting drunk, being stupid.
You wouldn`t be able to do that now;
someone would be taking pictures of
you in a bar.
You've done presenting, theatre,
television, charity work what
would you like to do next? Do you
know what, I`ve ticked all the boxes
now because I`ve always done
musicals, but I`ve never done a play.
I`d love to do a sitcom. I did Babes in
the Wood, which bombed. The critics
just panned it. Unfortunately, because
I`d been on the Big Breakfast, they
just didn`t want to give it a chance.
"Because she`s a presenter, so we`ll
just say she`s shit and can`t act and
lets just say it`s shit and not funny."
And, actually, some of it was funny.
But I would really like to do a sort of
Birds of a Feather type thing.
Babes in the Wood could be
one of those cult things in a few
years... I don`t know how you`d get
your hands on it. I think its been
burnt hasn`t it? [Laughs].
Some Girl I Used To Know tours the
UK from 29 January until 19 March,
somegirlIusedtoknow.com,
@denise_vanouten
inside Outen
[01/14]
[first]
gaytimes.co.uk 10
4LIVING.CO.UK
Contemporary furniture, sofas, lighting & accessories
GT READERS GET 12% DISCOUNT OFF EVERYTHING!
ONLINE DISCOUNT CODE: GT12 (VALID TIL FRIDAY 31ST JANUARY)
VI SI T US NOW AT 4LI VI NG. CO. UK
gaytimes.co.uk 12
One for all and all for one Oh, diet be blowed, why settle for one when you
could have four? Yes, thats four hot, hairy men in leather, with swords. Thats
your Sunday nights in January sorted. Luke Pasqualino (Skins) leads the cast
as DArtagnan in this new BBC version of Alexandre Dumas classic. Oh, and
some guy called Peter Capaldi plays the villain. The Musketeers is on BBC One.
hot tv
[01/14]
SPEED
DATE
Until 3 March
Isabella Blow
is known for
discovering the
talents of Alexander
McQueen and Philip
Treacy, and now
Somerset House
are showcasing the
fabulous clothes of
one of the worlds
fercest editors.
somersethouse.org.
uk/blow
Until 4 January
Jumpers for
Goalposts is an
adorable, heart-
warming comedy
about football,
friendship, fnding
your way and
growing up gay.
There`s still time to
catch it at the Bush
Theatre in London
until 4 January.
bushtheatre.co.uk
25 January
Love flms? Love
soundtracks? Love
gay choirs singing
the soundtracks
of flms? Then
this is your lucky
day! Get down to
Cadogan Hall in
London the for an
evening of A Night
at the Movies with
The Pink Singers.
cadoganhall.com
26 January
With the frst gay
marriages taking
place on 29 March
2014, it`s time
to start planning
your big day! To
help you out, The
Big Gay Wedding
Show comes
to Manchester.
eventsshop.co.uk/
the-big-gay-
wedding-show
6-15 February
As part of LGBT
History Month,
Queer Contact
presents a
festival of events
featuring the best
performance,
music, spoken
word, and theatre
from emerging
artists all over the
world. contactmcr.
com
Heres to you
Mr Robertson
Who said being
gay doesn't have
its benets?
For GT readers,
Mr Robertson's
tailor-made suits
are giving an
excIusive 20%
discount, simply
by entering GT20
at the online
checkout. You
can customise
everything from
the fabric, styIe, t
and buttons, right
down to the lining
and even add a
monogram text
to your garment.
You've got untiI
31 January to
bring out your
inner dapper,
gentlemen.
Get going! Mr-
Robertson.co.uk
We get a Kick out of Franois Former porn star turned t-shirt designer and all-round tattoed-headed
hotness, Franois Sagat, strips off again for his 2014 Kick Sagat calendar. Expect bulging muscles,
come-to-bed eyes and some stunning shots that just ooze masculinity. kicksagat.bigcartel.com
[first]
13 gaytimes.co.uk
And so it happened
that a right-wing
newspaper started
to make people believe Gypsies
really do steal your children.
Of course, it all turned out to be a
load of rubbish, but thats not really
the point. Mud sticks regardless,
as we all know. And now the Gypsy
culture has yet another negative
stereotype to add to the bag.
Im said time and time again how
very proud I am to be a Gypsy
man. But the truth is, I learned long
ago not to get too involved publicly
when defending my culture.
Especially on social media. No
matter what I said, I would always
end up getting bitten in some
way; not just by those who believe
such rubbish, but also by the very
culture I try to stick up for.
This is because sadly, the
toughest Gypsy voices are still
way behind when it comes to the
reality of LGBT people within
their own race.
To put it very bluntly, to be a gay
Gypsy is akin to being a witch
that needs burning immediately.
Many of those voices believe my
presence makes them look bad.
After I wrote my first book, I
choked on my tea as a Gypsy guy
on telly said there was no such
thing as gay people in our culture,
and that I couldnt have been a real
person. Id never felt so hurt, as
though Id been punched in the gut
just hearing those words come out
from his righteous mouth. Sadder
still, this person knew me as a little
boy, and even with full knowledge
of who I was, like so many others,
he didnt want society to believe
my culture could consist of such
things as gay people. Just as hed
hate outsiders to believe there
were thieves or murderers.
(My family have been ALL of
the above but thats another
story A very peasant dynasty
type story.)
We all know that a culture, race
or religion cannot protect from the
fate of who you are. But try telling
that to an old-school Gypsy man.
After days of licking my wounds,
I thought of all Id had to do to be
who I am today.
I love what I am. I adore being
part of a race that survived and
prospered, despite horrible
years of Holocaust and hatred. But
prejudice has excluded us even
more from society, and many of
our peoples views have become
warped and of another time.
The world is changing, but a
huge majority of the Gypsy culture
still has the same views as people
during the war (the OLDEST
ONE). And theyre not about to
change, unless dragged kicking
and screaming.
There was only one option for
me. When I was 15-years-old, I ran
away. Not because I wanted to, but
because I had to.
And now, after years of being
back in contact with my family,
it has been made clear that I can
never go home again. Not because
my parents arent proud of me,
but because they dont want me
to face prejudice from others who
still fear the word gay like its
some kind of poltergeist.
I learned the hard way that I cant
fight for my culture. Not in this time
anyway. But I can be a Gypsy man
that has survived the journey and
who is proud of what he is.
Im humbled, but saddened,
when I hear from people whore
going through what I did and are
feeling so alone. I hate that bigotry
is still so rife. But after years of
being well shot of such ideals, and
living in a city, I take for granted
how easy I have it these days.
I get messages from so many gay
people, whove found themselves
falling into self-hatred, all because
their tradition, culture, race or
religion tells them that theyre evil.
I may still get shit from bigots
with small minds, but I know my
place. And I know that trying to
make an arsehole respect me is as
pointless as trying to bring back
the shell suit.
Things ARE changing, and
these old ideals and the people
that stand by them WILL die out.
But in the meantime, therell
always be people that
are living proof that
youre not alone.
Gypsy
voices are
still way
behind
when it
comes to
the reality
of LGBT
people
within
their own
race. To
put it very
bluntly, to
be a gay
Gypsy is
akin to
being a
witch that
needs
burning
THE CONTINUING
ADVENTURES
OF GYPSY BOY
@thatbloodymikey
column
[mikey walsh]
[rst]
gaytimes.co.uk 14
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gogglebox
[01/14]
[first]
LOOKING SKY ATLANTIC
GAY MEN IN SAN FRANCISCO - GUEST STARS RUSSELL TOVEY
BENIDORM ITV1
CAMP ALERT JOAN COLLINS AND THE KRANKIES
SPLASH ITV1
OBVIOUSLY.
DANCING ON ICE ITV1
LYCRA, BULGES AND BONNIE LANGFORD.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER ITV1
THE BIRDS ARE BACK IN A BRAND NEW SERIES!
SHERLOCK BBC ONE
TWO WORDS: SHERLOCK LIVES.
THE VOICE BBC ONE
CAN KYLIE SAVE THE VOICE?
BLUESTONE 42 BBC THREE
MATTHEW LEWIS JOINS THE CAST FOR SERIES TWO. OOF.
FLEMING SKY ATLANTIC
DOMINIC COOPER STARS AS BOND CREATOR IAN FLEMING
G
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OMG its Mens Fashion Week! Ugh, youre not excited about
that, are you? Whats not to be excited about? Multiple outt
changes, sexy men in suits, parties, after parties, after after parties, fashion
victims galore... You really shouldnt be excited about a capitalist industry that endorses
unattainable standards of physical and supercial beauty. but therere men in pants.
Yes, but the fashion industry judges people by who they wear and not who they are, while
encouraging overspending and debt on sartorial must haves that last no longer than a couple of
months. ... but therere models in their underwear. And champagne. Dont forget the
champagne. Fashion is an industry built on the sweaty brows of earnest workers who receive
no payment for their relentless slavery. Yes, but did I mention the male models with six
pack abs who wear nothing but teeny tiny briefs while wiggling up and down the
catwalk. Also, vogue, vogue, poppers, vogue! yes. *narrows eyes, walks off*
[trendsetter ]
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gaytimes.co.uk
gaytimes.co.uk 18
oh yes it is
[01/14]
SHES
BEHIND
YOU!
IS THIS THE GAYEST PANTO?
WORDS LEE DALLOWAY
gaytimes.co.uk 19
Listen, panto is a very serious
game, make no bones about it,
says John Partridge, who weve
just seen perform an energetic and
thoroughly modern street dance as
Prince Charming. As you do. Yes,
were talking panto.
Witnessing the rehearsals of
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
was the most ridiculously camp
thing weve done in donkeys. And
thats saying something. Gaily we
minced down to the Jerwood Space
studios in Sarf London to watch
Gok Wan, John Partridge and the
legend that is Stephanie Beacham
*bows down* get into character
for their upcoming pantomime.
The Birmingham Hippodrome
production of Snow White is
camper than sitting on Christopher
Biggins while chatting to Joan
Collins, carrying a rat dog in a
clutch purse and drinking cocktails
from a martini glass. The moment
seven gorgeous men all came
shuffling towards us on their
knees (calm down, they play the
dwarfs) we knew the direction this
article was going in.
Cast aside your preconceptions of
cheap and tacky entertainment in
a drafty village hall 21st century
panto is serious, money-spinning
business, featuring classically
trained actors and contemporary
twists on the traditional man in a
garish dress, woman as a young
lad formula. Yes, ever since Sir
Ian McKellen strapped on Widow
Twankeys retina-searing frock,
luvvies have been flocking to
appear in slick, high-concept, big-
budget productions all over the UK.
We might look like were all
codding about and taking the piss,
but were not, John tells us. Its
12 shows a week. If you didnt have
seasoned professionals who know
how to look after themselves and
handle that, you wouldnt make it
through a six week run. Theres no
understudies, so if youre off sick,
then youre in shit, basically.
No pressure, then, for Gok Wan,
whos making his panto debut with
this production. Hes even being
followed around by a camera crew
to document every last drop of
nervous perspiration. But he seems
to be taking it all in his somewhat
tired stride.
Im exhausted. Ive never been
this shattered in my life, but its
incredible the amount of stuff Im
learning every day. Ive got a solo
song and a dance to do, and at the
moment thats preoccupying all of
my fear. Its all the stuff you might be
slightly embarrassed about doing
in three minutes on stage in front of
thousands, so its quite a big deal.
Thankfully, Gok is pleased with
the fashion choices for the panto,
which must be a big relief for the
productions costume department.
The costume designer Ron Briggs
is a genius! Ive worked in fashion
for years and years and all of a
sudden Ive realised that, outside
of my world, there is this absolute
raw talent of people brimming in
their artistry, in their detailing.
When you look at the mechanical
costumes, like the dwarves, its
mind-blowing.
Both John and Gok are literally
foaming at the queer teat working
with classically trained and camp-
as-yer-nan actress Stephanie
Beacham who absolutely sizzles
as the Wicked Queen, relishing
every withering glance and sassy
put down. Fellow star Paul Zerdin
is also a master of puppetry and his
near-the-knuckle humour, via his
cheeky puppet Sam, is probably the
funniest part of the show.
If youre thinking panto isnt for
you, maybe these wise words of
Stephanies will help change your
mind. When asked what she would
say to people who are sniffy about
panto, she quipped: Well, darling
tell them to come sniff out ours!

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs
at the Birmingham Hippodrome until 2
Feb. birminghamhippodrome.com, @
therealgokwan, @mustbejp, @paulzerdin,
@brumhippodrome
[first]
SOCKS
APPEAL
This should seriously
brighten any winter blues!
Swedish label Happy Socks
gave world-renowned
photographer David
LaChapelle creative carte
blanche to do whatever
he wanted for their latest
campaign. We can safely say
that socks havent been this
exciting since the Lamb Chop
puppet entertained us during
our childhood!
happysocks.com
Just cruising Gay, African-American photographer
Alvin Baltrop was a former US Navy sailor and self-
taught snapper. He dedicated his life to documenting
the pre-AIDS gay-cruising culture on Manhattans
abandoned shipping piers during the mid-70s and
80s. His work will receive its UK premiere at Open
Eye Gallery in Liverpool, alongside fellow pierside
photographer, Gordon Matta-Clark. The images
provide a remarkable document of a turning point
in the sexual revolution of that period, and the
decaying architecture and landscape of a Manhattan
that no longer exists. Until 9 February, openeye.org.uk
photography
[01/14]
[first]
gaytimes.co.uk 20
Treatment can
stop HIV being
passed on. But
thousands have HIV
and dont know it.
Together testing, treatment and condoms can help stop HIV.
Order your free postal HIV test or nd where to test:
StartsWithMe.org.uk startswithme @startswith_me
gaytimes.co.uk 22
What was your experience like
on RuPauI's Drag Race? It was
a surreal and profound one. It
changed me by not only exposing
me to a worldwide audience, but
also by lighting a fre under me to
take my drag to the next level!
How were the early days of your
career? They were spent in gay dance
clubs learning about drag and the
Club Kid scene. Then, right before
RuPaul`s Drag Race, I was managing
my time working as an actor, a cabaret
performer and show host... and a
janitor! But I`ve always dreamed of
supporting myself fully as an artist.
You've mentioned in interviews
that the hardest part of appearing
on Drag Race was not seeing your
friends and famiIy. How do you nd
that work/Iife baIance? I prioritise
my downtime to make sure I get to
see those who`re most important to
me as much as possible. Some of my
best friends are my collaborators and
fellow artists, so I try to generate as
much work with them so that my work
time can feel like my downtime. And
I`m lucky to have my best friend as my
tour manager and assistant.
There was pIenty of drama on
Drag Race during your season,
especiaIIy between you and Coco.
How did you deaI with that? I
handled it by staying focused on
the challenges, because our work
is all the judges get to see. They
don`t care about the drama going
on between the girls, just the work
you`re producing. I tried to stay
focused to make sure my work was
always top notch. I stay in contact
with almost all of the girls in one
form or another, and have really
strong friendships with Ivy, Roxxxy,
Alaska, Detox, Honey, pretty much
everyone... including Coco!
Who're the styIe and Iife icons that
came to infuse Jinkx? It always
starts with my mom. Then I layer in
my favorite female actresses, like
Lucille Ball, Marlene Dietrich, and
Bette Davis. My favorite comediennes
like Sarah Silverman and Maria
Bamford. Not forgetting style icons
JINKX MONSOON
The sassy winner of
RuPauls Drag Race
season 5 is a hard lady
to pin down. With a
career thats exploded
since the shows finale,
we managed to grab
some time with the
fabulous and feisty diva
WORDS LEE DALLOWAY
IMAGES GREG-BAILEY.COM
lifes a drag
[01/14]
23 gaytimes.co.uk
Question
Why the gays?
From @justadamw
Answer
WHY NOT? I
quickly identifed
the gays as family
when I moved
to NYC when I
was 17-years-
old. This was the
community that
opened their arms
and welcomed me
completely. As
freaky and misftty
as I was, they had
NOTHING but love
and supportive
words for me.
When I was down,
there was ALWAYS
a gay standing
by to pick me up.
When I thought I
didn`t have what
it took to make
it? My gay family
told me there was
no one fercer or
more talented.
Throughout my
career, beginning
with Seduction,
there has be NO
ONE more loyal to
me than my gays.
End of.
like Little Edie and Bette Midler.
If you had to lip sync for your life,
which song would you choose and
why? One song I know front, back
and every which way and almost
every version is All That Jazz from
Chicago. So if any queen ever has to
face me in that lip sync, they better
bring their A game!
You suffer from narcolepsy. How
does it affect you professionally
and personally? It affects me
more personally than professionally,
because once I get into show
mode there`s so much adrenaline
pumping that my symptoms are
decreased considerably. But in my
downtime, I fnd that the exhaustion
and narcolepsy catches up with
me, so I take a lot of time to relax
whenever I`m not working in order to
control the symptoms.
What's next for you career-wise,
and what would be a dream acting
role? I`m touring with my original
show The Vaudevillians throughout
Australia early next year, and then
taking it to Provincetown for a full
season next summer. I`m also
working on and producing my frst
album, The Inevitable Album, in
collaboration with my music partner
Major Scales. A dream role for me
would be Mrs Lovett from Sweeney
Todd. It`s my all-time favorite musical
by Stephen Sondheim.
Who should we be keeping an eye
on in the world of drag that we may
not know about? I had a wonderful
time starting out my career in Seattle
with a drag queen named Sylvia
O`Stayformore, and I also have two
wonderful friends and drag sisters,
Robbie Turner and Ben DeLaCreme.
Seattle is full of wonderful queens,
and not just us campy comedy
queens, but also some gorgeous
female impersonators, like my sisters
at Le Faux. A couple of my personal
favorites in the shock queen realm are
Jackie Hell and Amoania. I`d love to
see either of them on RuPaul`s Drag
Race someday.
Jinkxmonsoon.com, @JinkxMonsoon
[first]
Well, hello there
my beautiful ones! My,
how I have missed you
all. Even a month away from you is
too long! Mama is finally back in LA
after having the most AMAZING time
in San Antonio playing Magenta in
Rocky Horror. Being back on stage has
reallllly rekindled my love of all things
musical theatre. I would be LIVING for
a role on Broadway, or better yet? West
End. Ya hear that Sir Andrew Lloyd
Webber? I will sell the SHIT out of your
torch songs! A belter I am; hit me up!
Speaking of the most amazing
experiences, Im also back on dry
land after the second annual Drag
Stars at Sea cruise. OMG I have no
words to describe the debauchery
that occurred on the high seas.
I cannot encourage/beg you all
enough to come and join the queens
and I on the European 2014 cruise.
You will have a ball. Two balls if
youre crafty like me *wink wink*.
Tis the season to be jolly and were
all feeling extremely festive over
here in the Haus of Visage. It really
is the most wonderful time of the
year for a ho-ho-ho like me. And Im
not just talking about my excitement
for the Downton Abbey Christmas
Special and, more importantly, the
TOWIE Christmas Special. But can
you believe were almost into 2014?
That means a brand new season of
RuPauls Drag Race in January! I know,
with every new season I promise you
a bigger and better experience than
ever before, but, honestly, have I let
you down yet? Of course not. I would
never do that to you. Sharpen your
acrylics and prepare yourselves for
some major drama. If it gets too much
you can come rest upon my heaving
bosom. Im good like that.
Until next time my loves, from me
and everyone at Haus of Visage, I want
to wish you all a fabulous Christmas
and a fierce 2014. I hope you get
everything your little hearts and loins
desire. Come talk to me on Twitter
@michellevisage and remember
to visit my website
michellevisage.com.
XOXO MV
M
i
c
h
e
l
l
e
V
i
s
a
g
e
some
legendary
balls
[01/14]
[first]
Balls is a word with multiple meanings, yet Gerard H Gaskin has captured the word at its most
stylish. For this photographer, balls are synonymous with glitz and glamour of the highest
order. His new book, Legendary, collects photographs that document the North American ball
scene a place where gays, gals and everyone inbetween get together and dress to see and be
seen. Gaskin captures his diverse subjects in motion; dresses twirl, fans wave, booties shake
and crowds cheer. Theres an innate vibrancy and excitement to the pictures that will leave you
desperately searching your wardrobe for what to wear to the ball. A must-have.
gaytimes.co.uk 24
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MAKE THE
SWITCH
with
Please be upstanding
for a living legend
and national
treasure. Shes best
known as God-fearin,
gossip-lovin Dot
Cotton, but in real life,
June Brown is a lithe,
fashionable figure
of youthful energy,
despite being 86. Yes,
86! She was more
than willing to put
down the wine glass
and ciggie to dip a
slender hand into
GTs sweetie jar
but first she insisted
on having a crafty fag
with Rizzle Kicks
who were waiting
for her outside. Yeah,
this was kind of a
weird day
WORDS LEE DALLOWAY IMAGES LIAM LESLIE
S
w
e
e
t
i
e
,
D
a
r
l
i
n
g
?
26 gaytimes.co.uk
Of all the people youve worked
with on EastEnders, whos your
all time favourite? Oh, Ethel.
Gretchen Franklin. She was very
down to earth. Ill tell you a story:
she said to Anna Wing, who played
Lou Beale, I hear we have a rival.
Now, that rival was me. I never
think of other actors as rivals, but
she made it her business not to act
with me to begin with. She would
always look elsewhere in scenes.
Wendy Richard said to her, when
you and June are on screen, youre
like two bulls. And Gretchen
suddenly realised that I wasnt,
well, useless is a horrid word
but I was of use. After that, she
always looked at me.
What other performers do you
admire? Meryl Streep. I find her a
fascinating actress. She is always
different and her accents are
brilliant. I wish Id got an ear for
accents, but I havent. I find most of
them very difficult to do, dear.
Theatre or television? Theatre.
Because on screen, you can act
your socks off but youre at the
mercy of the camera, and the
director of course, and perhaps
the editor. On the stage, people
can choose who they look at
and if they find you charismatic
or they like what youre doing,
theyll watch you.
What was the best time in your
life? My first thirty years. I loved
the 50s. When you were in your
20s, there was a lot of freedom
back in that time. We walked
barefoot through London; we
werent frightened of anything.
We didnt drink, but we talked
and we talked, because we didnt
have any of these little boxes
[June points to my mobile phone].
You see, youre ruined! I think in
the end people wont talk to each
other. You see girls sitting together
in silence on their machines. Are
they talking to each other?
Why did it take you so
long to come out with an
autobiography? It took so long
to write! My editor Carly said,
dont edit it, just get on with it.
But I cant do that because Im
a perfectionist. I read in a book
the other day, somebody said,
youre a perfectionist, and the
other man said what else is there
to be? Im a perfectionist whos
also a procrastinator. What a
combination!
Do you think youll ever be a
Dame? Oh, no, no, no. Theres a
few Dames who I think are worth it.
Eileen Atkins, Maggie Smith, Judi
Dench, Helen Mirren, because,
you see, theyve done a lot of
wonderful work.
Well, youre the only actor whos
done a single-hander episode
of EastEnders Oh, that was
absolutely wonderful! I darent
say it at the time because theyd
think Im conceited, but it was
the easiest thing I ever had to do,
because there was no bugger
mucking me up [laughs].
Is there an actor youd still
like to work with? John Hurt.
Theres another one I love and
cant remember his name... Im
so dreadful at names Tom
Conti! I got a laugh trying to
remember names when I got a
Soap Award, but I just cant be
bothered thanking everybody,
its very boring.
What would you most like to see
Dot do? Id like a companion but
Im a bit tied up with poor old Jim,
because hes still there in the home.
I havent had a good storyline since
they hung that one hander on the
fact that he had a stroke. It was
his misfortune that was my good
fortune, and if I had won a BAFTA,
thats what I would have said.
You really wanted that BAFTA,
didnt you? Yes, I nearly got up
when I didnt win because the one
who won, Anna Macsue-whaddya-
call-it, wasnt there because shed
had a baby. I was, like, What? I
used to work two days after I had
a baby! I probably shouldnt have
done but I did. Anyway, I thought
Id get up and say you must all
be terribly disappointed that Miss
Anna Macwotsit isnt here, and you
wont get to hear a speech, so Ill
give you mine. I longed to do it and
create a disturbance, as it were.
Youre a troublemaker, you
are! [Laughs] When you get
older, its lovely. Its the only
good thing about getting old.
Absolutely the only thing. [Points
to her head] As long as I keep
this computer here going
Whats the thing that makes
you most happy? I dont know
if I ever feel really happy. I try
hard but I think I personally
am somebody who needs a
companion, I need someone to be
happy with; I need to share.
Have you ever been clubbing?
Well, it was wonderful when we
started EastEnders we used to
rehearse together as a group and
afterwards wed go out with the
young people. Wed get into all
the nightclubs for nothing because
the show was so popular. I met
Boy George one night; hes very
intelligent, I like Boy George.
We have to ask - what did you
think of Lady Gaga? Oh, I
thought she was an enchanting
girl. Very intelligent and very
ordinary under that incredibly
clever persona. And such
courage to be like that. I wish Id
had that sort of confidence when I
was in my late 20s.
We want to be as sharp and fit
as you at 86! Any tips? [Maybe
its chain smoking, as shes
just put out her fourth fag
and lit her fifth in a half hour
interview]. You have to have
turmeric and cinnamon. A glass
of water every morning when
you wake up. And rock salt. Its
what you eat my heart should
be riddled with holes right
now. I just go Asian tumeric,
cinnamon, eggs, chillis, black
pepper and youll live.
Before the Year Dot, June Brown`s
autobiography, is out now.
27 gaytimes.co.uk
[rst]
gaytimes.co.uk 28
Same-sex marriage passed
into UK law. The plans received
Royal Ascent on 17 July, after
two thirds of MPs and peers
supported the legal change. The
first marriages will take place in
England and Wales from 29 March
2014. France and New Zealand
also passed marriage equality into
law, both with popular support.
----------
Stephen Fry wrote to the PM
over Russias extreme homophobia.
The country introduced laws
banning so-called gay propaganda
and ignored waves of attacks on
gay men. Thousands attended
protests outside Downing Street
in solidarity and David Cameron
spoke out about the injustice.
----------
HOLD THE
PAGE
FRONT
GT rounds up the best, worst and funniest gay
news stories that made 2013 momentous
WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH IMAGES AP PHOTO / REX GEOFF PUGH / ISTOCKPHOTO / RYAN HARDING
Protests in Russia
review of the year
[01/14]
Stonewall founder and member
of the European parliament
Michael Cashman was honored
with a CBE. The award was given
for his lifelong campaign work for
LGBT rights. Cashman famously
had Britains first on-screen gay
kiss in 1987.
----------
Feminist writers got embroiled
in a transphobia row. Guardian
columnist Suzanne Moore was
criticised for saying women
want to look like Brazilian
transsexuals. Trans activists
reacted angrily to the attack.
----------
Footballer Robbie Rogers
came out. The Leeds United player
opened up about being gay on his
blog, saying he had used football as
an escape to admitting his sexuality.
He subsequently moved to America
to play for LA Galaxy.
----------
Britains top Catholic, Cardinal
Keith OBrien, resigned amid
accusations of inappropriate
behavior with other priests. The
Archbishop of St Andrews and
Edinburgh had previously been
voted Bigot of the Year for his
homophobic views.
----------
Cher released her first studio
album in 12 years. The 67-year-old
diva gave an exclusive interview
to GT where she opened up about
having a trans son. She turned
down performing at Russias Winter
Olympics because of the countrys
gay rights record.
----------
Hillary Clinton endorsed equal
marriage. The former US Secretary
of State appeared in a video for the
Human Rights Campaign, urging
Americans to support marriage
equality and arguing gay rights
are human rights.
----------
The UKs biggest ever LGBT
exhibition opened. The Museum
of Liverpool opened Homotopia,
charting LGBT history through
hundreds of years. The exhibition
also charts the life of trans model
and socialite April Ashley through
photographs.
----------
Prince Harry was praised for
defending a gay soldier. Lance
Corporal James Wharton told of
[news]
gaytimes.co.uk 29
April Ashley
gaytimes.co.uk 30
how the Prince defended him from
six other soldiers threatening to
batter him in his book, Out In
The Army.
----------
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
said he would serve a gay god.
The 81-year-old Nobel Peace
Prize laureate claimed hed
rather worship a gay god than a
homophobic one, explaining: I
would refuse to go to a homophobic
heaven.
----------
New Pope elected. Jorge Mario
Bergoglio became the 266th Pope,
and has been widely considered
more progressive on gay issues.
Who am I to judge gay people?,
the 76-year-old said. Quite.
----------
Robert Mugabe wants to chop
off gay peoples heads. He made
the remarks in a speech to a
conference of his supporters, saying
homosexuality seeks to destroy
our lineage.
----------
Things seemed good in
Australia, with PM Kevin Rudd
coming out in favour of marriage
equality, and a bill passing
allowing same-sex couples to
marry in capital city Canberra.
But less than a week after the bill
became law, it was overturned
by the Australian High Court,
with some 27 couples who
married left with their unions
declared invalid.
----------
Out4Mariage, the campaign
group set up by Benjamin Cohen,
Mike Buonaiuto and James-J
Walsh, was highlighted by The
Independent newspaper for
getting the likes of Hugh Grant
and Richard Branson to speak out
for gay equality.
----------
Tesco recalled gay best
friend doll. Britains biggest
supermarket apologised after
selling the inflatable aimed
at three-year-old children.
The blow-up was supposedly
the ultimate accessory to be
seen with.
----------
Lady Gaga confirmed shes
bisexual. Gaga also did a surprise
gig in the UKs biggest gay venue,
Heaven, where she stripped
review of the year
2
0
1
3
[01/14]
completely naked.
----------
Teen Olympic diver Jack
Laugher told GT that sport
homophobes should receive an
instant ban and be taken as
seriously as racism.
----------
GT columnist Paris Lees became
the first ever trans person to appear
on Question Time. It seemed no
one was more humbled than Paris
herself, tweeting: Im just a slag
from a council estate who doesnt
know too much about anything.
Yikes! Paris also topped the
Independents list of the most
influential LGBT people in Britain.
----------
Britney praised anti-gay
preacher. The Work Bitch singer
claimed extreme anti-gay writer
Max Lucado was her favorite
author in a Q&A on Twitter. She also
courted controversy for saying she
likes gay people because we are
cute and hilarious.
----------
A group of pastors created a
Kenyan gay rights lobby. The
Kenyan Christians got together to
create a safe space for LGBT people
in the country where it remains
illegal to have gay sex.
----------
Indias Supreme Court outlawed
gay sex. It was the reversal of a
landmark 2009 Delhi High Court
Order, which had decriminalised
homosexual acts. Zafaryab Jilani,
the Muslim leader and petitioner
of the case, said we are living in
India, this is not America, before
hailing the court for protecting
what is right.
----------
GT released its biggest
ever Naked Issue. OK, we put
ourselves in the news here. But
with more hot celebs than ever it
was well worth waiting through
2013 for. So big, in fact, its had
to be split over two issues and
will return again in next months
mag.
----------
Tom Daley revealed hes
dating a guy. The London 2012
medal winner put to bed years
of speculation, announcing on
YouTube that hes been in a
relationship with a man since
spring.
Coming out
in 2013
ROBBIE ROGERS
FOOTBALLER
JASON COLLINS
BASKETBALL
PLAYER
WENTWORTH MILLER
ACTOR
CLIVE DAVIS
RECORD PRODUCER
TROYE SIVAN
X-MEN ACTOR
BARONESS
LIZ BARKER
POLITICIAN
BEN WHISHAW
ACTOR
KEVIN GRAYSON
AMERICAN
FOOTBALLER
DARREN YOUNG
WRESTLER
JODIE FOSTER
ACTRESS
TOM DALEY
DIVER
[news]
gaytimes.co.uk 31
Paris Lees Jack Laugher
Pope Francis
column
If I was alive
75-years-ago and
living in Berlin and
not London, my outlook wouldnt
have been looking good. Thats
because Im Jewish, I have a
disability, Im a member of a trade
union and like almost everyone
reading this article, Im gay.
2014 marks the 75th anniversary
of the start of World War II and
with it the Holocaust, the single
worst example of the misery
that humanity has ever inflicted
on itself. Its also 80 years since
Hitler ordered the Gestapo to
compile a list of gay people
in Germany, who would later
be persecuted. On 27 January,
Britain commemorates Holocaust
Memorial Day, an opportunity to
galvanise us never to allow the
same persecution of minority
groups to happen again. Its also
an opportunity for us to consider,
given how many countries
around the world criminalise or
discriminate gay people, how
unchallenged prejudice can
quickly and dramatically escalate
into unimaginable brutality.
However, the memory of this
tragic incidence for our own
community is still quite hazy. Id
hazard a guess that most people
in the UK have no idea that, just
like Jews, gay people were also
victims of the Holocaust. For
the most part, I wouldnt blame
them. The majority of the time
since Auschwitz-Birkenau was
liberated, gay people were not
considered true victims of the
Holocaust, despite the Nazis
arresting 100,000 people for
homosexuality, imprisoning half
of them, including up to 15,000 in
concentration camps. Many died,
some after sickening experiments
by scientists trying to find the
cure for homosexuality.
When the allies, including the
British, liberated the inmates
of concentration camps, they in
reality liberated everyone other
than the gay people. Gay men
found themselves moved from
concentration camps to prisons,
because for the allies, being gay
was still a crime. Unlike other
victims, they were not offered
reparations and it took until 2002 for
the German government to officially
apologise for the Nazis crimes
against gay people.
What happened during the
Holocaust stands as a warning to all
of us that societies can go backward
as well as forward. In the 1920s,
Berlin was one of the gay capitals
of the world, with Germanys
prohibition on homosexuality
widely ignored by the police and
a large, open, flourishing gay
community was in existence. Just
before the Nazis took power, the
German legislature was poised
to repeal the legal ban of male
homosexuality. It took a political
climate that had nothing to do with
gay people to radically alter the
treatment of this minority group.
The Nazis drew on deep rooted,
latent homophobia within the
population to stigmatise gay people
to justify to ordinarily rational
people the single largest act of
persecution on the basis of sexuality
that the world has ever seen.
What worries me, almost eight
decades on, is that some societies
are now going down a similar
backward path. Russia is perhaps
the clearest example. Never
a flagship for LGBT equality,
being gay was made legal in
1993. However, 20 years later,
the country came under the
spotlight for a national ban on
the promotion of homosexuality
to young people, a law that
could severely restrict all LGBT
activities including parenting.
This legislative change mirrors
a change in the way the Russian
people think about homosexuality.
While Russia is going backwards,
in 41 out of the 54 countries that
make up the Commonwealth,
including 11 where our Queen is
head of state, being gay is still a
crime based on our own, old,
British laws that we imposed on the
countries in the time of the Empire.
Imprisoning gay men, in exactly
the same way that the British did to
the gay victims of the
Holocaust at the end
of the war.
What
happened
during the
Holocaust
stands as
a warning
to all of
us that
societies
can go
backward
as well as
forward
@benjamincohen
PUBLISHER
OF
PINKNEWS
[benjamin cohen]
[news]
gaytimes.co.uk 33
gaytimes.co.uk 34
[01] Get married! Well, it might
be a bit too soon. But we can do that
from March. In England and Wales
at least. Either way, Team GT are
already shopping for hats.
[02] Long distance Skype calls.
Dustin lives in the States, and Toms
going to be training for Rio. But
theres nothing like a video call
when youre coping with distance.
[03] Speaking of Rio, imagine Tom
dedicating his upcoming Olympic
gold to Dustin. Yes, he IS going to
win the gold next time.
[04] Teach Dustin how to dive.
We honestly cant come up with
any real argument against more
hot men in Speedos.
[05] Speaking of Speedos,
dont forget to raid each others
wardrobes. Its one of the perks of
dating another guy.
[06] Go all out and over the top on
Valentines Day. Its not too far away,
and you just know that Tom is one of
those mushy, romantic types.
[07] Make-out on the night bus
and not have a care in the world for
all the miserable, single people
watching on. No? Is this just us?
[08] Change your Facebook status
Monday, 2 December
2013, will go down in
history as Tom Daley
Day. The day the diving
boy wonder melted the
internet by revealing
hes dating a guy
allegedly the Oscar-
winning screenwriter
Dustin Lance Black.
Its never easy walking
down that yellow
brick road of your rst
same-sex relationship.
So, to help celebrate
30 years of Gay Times,
weve come up with a
list of 30 things Tom
can do with his rst-
ever boyfriend
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER / BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH
30
THINGS
[01/14]
to in a relationship. Is there
anything more satisfying than
proving to your school friends that
youre not actually undatable?
[09] Go to provincial gay bars
and dance with provincial drag
queens. You havent seen a proper
cross-section of LGBT life until
youve been to a local bar in rural
Lincolnshire.
[10] Buy each other romantic
presents from your international
jet-setting travels. And make
everyone else jealous, of course.
[11] Take inspiration from the
Warwick Rowers and do a naked
calendar shoot for charity. We cant
think of a single reason why not.
[12] Make a social statement
just by holding hands. You know
thats going to wind the right-
wing press up some how.
[13] Adopt children? OK, again,
might be a bit too early. But if hes
not quite ready for that, maybe get
a real micro-pig in the mean time?
[14] Make a pot vase like that bit
from Ghost everyone bangs on
about. For reasons of cuteness.
[15] Avoid the house of horrors
that is Grindr Trust us, Tom.
Youre not missing a thing.
[16] Finally silence all those
irritating will you marry me
Tom? tweets. Hes off the market
now, guys and girls. Move on.
[17] Ask each other about
your days. Sometimes its the
little things
[18] Tom could spread his arms
around Dustins on the front of
ships, and talk about how their love
will go on and on. And on.
[19] Lie in bed on a Sunday
morning with the Hollyoaks
omnibus on the telly and be
completely satisfied with life.
[20] Get a pug and snuggle up to
it in bed. Our editor swears by it.
[21] Throw Maltesers at Dustins
face until he eventually catches
one in his mouth and eats it. This is
actually a surprisingly fun game.
[22] Go for romantic walks on
Plymouth beach. Or Brighton
beach. Or any beach, for
that matter. Its a bit chilly at
the moment though, so wed
recommend Tom leave his top on,
on this occasion.
[23] Send soppy texts that end
in xxxxx. They warm even the
coldest of hearts.
[24] Spoon! Is there anything
better than waking up mid-
spoon? Big, little or versatile
the choice is yours.
[25] Have a cup of tea brought
to you in bed in the morning.
This is the single greatest thing
about having a boyfriend, without
question.
[26] Recreate the spaghetti
and meatballs scene from
Lady and the Tramp except,
without the Lady. And,
hopefully, the tramp.
[27] Be a force for change in
the way that sexuality is treated
in the sporting world. Look, a
sporting hero coming out as gay,
bisexual or whatever will be less
of a big deal when homophobia is
actually kicked out of sport.
[28] Change peoples opinions on
what non-heterosexual people can
be and do. Nothing has changed
in Toms professional life now hes
dating a man!
[29] Inspire LGBT teens to be
honest about their own sexuality.
No doubt, since Toms video,
thousands of teens will have
followed Toms lead and bravely
stepped out of the closet.
[30] Be on the cover of the
longest running gay magazine in
the known universe, continuing
to act as that beacon of hope and
acceptance. Oh, thats us by the
way, Tom
3
0
Y
E
A
R
S
O
F
G
A
Y
T
IM
E
S
[news]
35 gaytimes.co.uk
GT VAULT
26 YEARS AGO
Issue 112, 1988
Boy George sits down with GT to have a good ol bitch
about the stars new and old, including George Michael,
Judy Garland and Marc Almond. In an unusual twist, we
explore lesbian pornography, and follow on with a look
back to Soho in the 50s.
20 YEARS AGO
HIM Issue 79, 1994
Contrasting the two, heavy metal and homosexuality were
explored, delving into the hard rock world that finally
allowed a tad of pink among all that black leather and fist
pumping. On the other side of the genre spectrum, techno
fashion was featured along with a definitive A to Z of Sex.
8 YEARS AGO
Issue 328, 2006
We started the New Year with a brand new look, and in the
first of this revamped design we looked at gay cowboy
movies following the release of Brokeback Mountain.
Heading east, we checked out gay life in 21st-centruy China
and the issue of football and homophobia is raised again.
I
M
A
G
E

F
R
O
M

M
Y

S
T
O
R
Y

B
Y

T
O
M

D
A
L
E
Y
,

P
U
B
L
I
S
H
E
D

B
Y

M
I
C
H
A
E
L

J
O
S
E
P
H
,

1
6
.
9
9
gaytimes.co.uk 36
BRIAN
EPSTEIN
HEROES
37 gaytimes.co.uk
WORDS JOHN MARRS IMAGES AP PHOTO
THEY WERE RATHER SCRUFFILY
dressed, in the nicest possible way.
Or I should say in the most attractive
way? Black leather jackets, jeans
and long hair.
Brian Epstein would never forget
first meeting backstage with The
Beatles back in 1961. With his
creative eye, ambitious plans and
gut instinct, his management of the
Fab Four changed the course of
music history, until his shock death
from a lethal cocktail of sedatives
and booze aged just 32.
Born in 1934 to a Jewish family
in Liverpool, Brians potential as a
music mogul was hard to predict
based on his schooldays. After
being expelled for laziness and
poor performance, he was sent to a
boarding school where he decided
to become a dress designer. But his
parents had other ideas. And at 16,
he was forced to join the familys
furniture retailing business before
National Service drafted him into
the army as a data clerk in London.
In his 1964 autobiography A
Cellarful Of Noise, Epstein glossed
over an evening where he was
caught impersonating an officer.
It was later revealed hed asked
a tailor to make him an officers
uniform that he wore to cruise
bars for men, at a time when
homosexuality was illegal. He was
arrested by the military police
for impersonating an officer, but
avoided a court martial by agreeing
to see an army psychiatrist, who
learned of Epsteins sexuality.
After ten months, Epstein was
discharged on medical grounds for
being emotionally and mentally
unfit. And it was on his return to
Liverpool that he later told friends
hed had his first gay experience.
But his sexuality was something
he wrestled with. He once wrote:
I believe that my own will power
is the best thing to overcome my
homosexuality.
With Epstein harbouring
ambitions to act, his parents let
him study at Londons RADA. But
he dropped out after the third term
claiming hed become too much
of a businessman to enjoy being
a student. However, his leaving
came soon after his arrest for
persistent importuning outside a
mens toilet in Swiss Cottage.
Brian wanted to present the image
of a normal person but it didnt
really work, recalls Geoffrey Ellis,
friend and employee. He always
knew, and I think his family knew,
from a very early age that he was
homosexual. When he later visited
America he became fascinated by
its homosexual scene of the 1960s
and he behaved sometimes in a way
which was dangerous. Deep down,
he didnt want to be homosexual
but he also enjoyed his experiences
very much indeed.
It was Epsteins return home to
manage his fathers new record shop
that changed his life. He first came
across John Lennon, Paul McCartney,
George Harrison and Pete Best (later
to be fired by Epstein and replaced
by Ringo Starr) in local music
magazine Mersey Beat, which he
also wrote for. Brian knew perfectly
well who The Beatles were,
McCartney later recalled. They
were on the front page of the second
issue of Mersey Beat.
He first saw them live, one
lunchtime at the Cavern Club. I
was immediately struck by their
music, their beat, and their sense
of humour on stage and, even
afterwards, when I met them, I
was struck again by their personal
charm, recalled Epstein.
They were equally impressed
by Epstein and his smart,
expensive suits, large car and
professional image. And in 1962,
they signed a five-year contract
giving Epstein 25% of their gross
income, more than the usual
10% most managers received.
It was all the more remarkable
considering Epstein had never
managed a musical act before.
His first job was to transform
their image. Gone were scruffy
Nicknamed the
fth Beatle by
Paul McCartney,
Brian Epstein was
the manager of
the biggest band
in history until his
untimely death of
an accidental drugs
overdose. Now, 46
years later, there
are two biopics in
the making and a
campaign to get
him inducted into
the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame. GT
takes a look at the
fascinating and
awed life of the
gay genius
[news]
gaytimes.co.uk 38
clothes and in were suits and ties.
He insisted they stop swearing,
smoking, drinking and eating on
stage. Then Epstein began courting
the press to generate publicity
and booked bigger and better
venues for the band to play. Despite
being rejected by many record
labels, he was put in touch with the
head of EMIs record publishing
division and, after convincing
them The Beatles could become
internationally famous, they were
offered a recording contract.
He gave them style, he gave them
taste, he gave them their charm
and their impeccability in dress,
recalled Beatles producer George
Martin. He was quite strict with
them in dressing them up. He made
them bow after each performance.
He was a dear man and he had a
great deal of talent.
Just months after signing
the band, The Beatles took off
internationally like no other act
since Elvis Presley. And Epstein
branched out into managing other
acts, including Gerry and the
Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer and
Cilla Black. We had complete faith
in him when he was running us,
said Lennon. He was the expert.
By 1965, Epstein was settled in
London and bought the lease of the
Saville Theatre, where he promoted
new works by writers that ruffled
prudish feathers for including
obscene content or nudity. He kept
his sexuality away from the public
eye, but it was an open secret among
his friends. McCartney said they
knew he was gay straight away, but
didnt care because he worked hard
for them and introduced them to
previously off-limits social circles.
We didnt have a problem with it,
he recalls. It was just something we
made fun of. The word was out that
Brian was gay but the great thing for
us was that it didnt really affect us
in any way. We suspected he might
hit on one of us, so in the early days
we were wondering if that was his
interest in us.
Him being gay was an open
secret among his friends, Billy J
Kramer tells GT. I knew about it
early on but it didnt bother me or
the people around him because he
was a wonderful human being. That
was his business.
Although Lennon made sarcastic
comments about his managers
homosexuality to friends and to
Epstein personally, no one outside
the groups inner circle was
allowed to. When one of Lennons
art school friends once asked
Which one of you Beatles does
he fancy? he was sent a letter by
Epsteins office within two days
demanding an apology. And
McCartney reportedly wrote to him
asking him to have no contact with
any of them in the future.
There were also rumours Lennon
and Epstein had an affair during
a four-day holiday in Barcelona.
Lennon always denied the story,
telling Playboy in 1980: Well, it
was almost a love affair, but not
quite. It was never consummated...
but we did have a pretty intense
relationship. McCartney adds: I
dont actually know the truth of the
John rumour. But to the best of my
knowledge John was never gay.
The Beatles retired from touring
in 1966 and Epstein found his
influence on the group waning.
Years earlier, hed begun using
prescription-free stimulants to
help him stay awake for long nights
on tour, but he gradually became
dependent on them. In 1964,
Bob Dylan had introduced him to
cannabis, and Epstein soon became
heavily involved in the drug scene.
He also suffered from depression
and was a keen gambler, often
losing thousands of pounds in
casinos in a night.
And with a manager of his own,
Epstein had plans to launch a new
career himself as a TV presenter,
starting in Canada. But his plans were
unexpectedly cut short in August
1967. Hed invited friends to his East
Sussex country home one night but
after they arrived, he decided to
drive back to London alone because
an expected group of rent boys hed
invited hadnt turned up.
However, friends who were
worried he wasnt answering his
door later that weekend broke
into his bedroom and discovered
Epstein, dead. He was dressed
in his pyjamas on a single bed
surrounded by paperwork,
chocolate digestives, a joint
and eight half-empty bottles of
prescription tablets. A coroner
ruled his death an accident, caused
by a gradual buildup of the sedative
Carbitral in his system, combined
with alcohol.
The Beatles didnt go to their
[ ]
DEEP DOWN HE
DIDNT WANT TO
BE HOMOSEXUAL,
BUT HE ENJOYED
HIS EXPERIENCES
VERY MUCH
INDEED
gaytimes.co.uk 39
managers funeral in Liverpool
so as to allow his family privacy
and avoid attracting fans and the
media. But several weeks later, all
four Beatles attended a memorial
service for Epstein at a synagogue
near Abbey Road Studios.
Despite transforming four
ordinary musicians into worldwide
sensations, when Lennon,
McCartney, Harrison and Starr were
awarded MBEs in 1965, Epstein was
overlooked. And even though The
Beatles were among the earliest
entrants into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame, Epstein has been snubbed
in the Non-Performers category. But
if campaigners have their way, that
will be rectified as soon as possible.
Brian brought the biggest band
the world had ever known onto the
global stage, so its terrible that
hes become this forgotten man,
says Kramer. There are people
in the Hall of Fame who, in my
opinion, are far
less deserving
than Brian.
His sexuality
or the way he died shouldnt have
anything to do with why he hasnt
been included. Its been 50 years
now and by bringing The Beatles
to America and making them so
big, he opened the doors for a lot
of British artists over there. The
rock scene wouldnt be what it is
today without what he did in the
early stages. Its a sin hes been
left in the background and people
seem to have forgotten.
Forty-six years after Epsteins
death, his profile is set to rise thanks
to two film biographies in the works.
One is based on a graphic novel,
The Fifth Beatle, and the other is
being produced by Tom Hanks
and rumoured to be starring actor
Benedict Cumberbatch. And if he
is inducted into the Hall of Fame in
2014, it will be public recognition
of his impact on the band and the
music industry.
If anyone was the fifth Beatle,
adds McCartney, it was Brian.
LEFT BRIAN WITH THE
BEATLES AS THEY
RETURN FROM TOURING
THE US ON 21 SEPT 1964
[news]
gaytimes.co.uk 40
IM GOING TO DESTROY MY
virginity, Pettet explains in a grainy
Warhol-esque YouTube video,
discussing his controversial project
Art School Stole My Virginity.
As the performance piece
happens, the meaning of the word
virginity will be stolen.
But theres sound reasoning
behind all this. By having
penetrative sex for the first time
in front of selected spectators, the
Central Saint Martins student wants
to ignite debate about gender roles
and the value of virginity for
women in particular.
Virginity has almost become
heteronormative in its definition,
given that in the most graphic
of terms it is the moment when a
penis first penetrates the vagina.
Therefore, when is the moment
of loss for a human male? And is
virginity even real, for women and
men? Or is it just an ignorant word
that was used to dictate the value of
a womans worth pre-marriage?
Our inherent value in virginity
seems to stem from religion. In
Christianity, Mary, the matriarch of
the church, was a virgin who gave
birth to the soul-saving Messiah.
And in Islam, Jannah an eternal
paradise for Muslims is inhabited
by 72 virgins ready and waiting to
reward earthly mortality with their
unbroken hymens.
And even in our increasingly-
secular Western society, the subject
of virginity is still a contentious
one at best. We live in a time of
born again or renewed virgins;
women who, despite previous
sexual experiences, undertake
plastic surgery procedures to
restore their hymens, making
them, for all physical intents and
purposes, virgins once more. Its
operations like these which endorse
the idea that virginity is a mere
technicality of flesh, not a matter of
the mind or spirit.
We also live in a society that
values virginity to the extent we can
put a monetary value on it. Last year,
as part of a proposed documentary
by Australian film maker Justin
Sisely, 20-year-old woman Catarina
Migliorini auctioned off her first
time to an anonymous Japanese
bidder for $780,000. The 24-year-
old man Alex Stepanov, however,
only managed a meagre $2,600 for
his virginity in comparison.
When you take all this into account,
Pettets performance piece or
perhaps we should be calling it his
protest piece certainly rings true
with the volatile virtue of virginity
and the standards placed on women.
His project, though, is more
interesting in that it raises issues
analysis
REMEMBER WHEN YOU LOST
YOUR VIRGINITY? HORRIFYING,
WASNT IT? AWKWARD
EVEN? NOW, IMAGINE GOING
THROUGH IT ALL WITH
100 PAIRS OF BEADY EYES
WATCHING YOUR EVERY MOVE.
THATS WHAT 19-YEAR-OLD
STUDENT CLAYTON PETTET
FACES ON 25 JANUARY. AND
ALL IN THE NAME OF ART
WORDS DARCY RIVE
[01/14]
LEFT IMAGERY OF
PETTET FEATURED ON
HIS TUMBLR BLOG
surrounding male virginity. In
particular, homosexual virginity.
Homosexual sex has always
been something of a controversial
matter. In the 1500s, that great
withholder of the sanctity of
marriage, Henry VIII, made anal
sex between two men punishable
by death. And it wasnt until
hundreds of years later, in 1967,
that same-sex sex became
partially decriminalised, provided
both parties were above the age of
21. And even then, we had to wait
until 2001 for the homosexual age
of consent to be legally lowered
to the same as heterosexuals. It
seems that homosexual virginity
has always been a difficult issue for
society to take, as it were.
But in most situations, when
something is a taboo, its appeal is
intensified. Homosexual virginity
and its vexed past have led to it
being fetishised. A quick Google
search of gay
virgin porn, for
example and
yes, it was for
research purposes delivered
more than 173 million results in
a swift 0.32 seconds. With video
titles like Anal Virgin Cant
Take The Pain and Yummy Gay
Is Excited To Screw A Virgin,
this fascination with virginity
presents it as a virtue destined to
be corrupted. It is in pornography
that virginity is truly stolen, not
willingly given as part of an art
school project
In the UK, the average age of
first intercourse is 16. And its
assumed that most people have
sex around this time. But at 19,
Pettet has explained that people
are somewhat shocked by his
advanced virginity.
People form a negative
connotation of what it means to be a
virgin at my age, he says.
Oh, youre 19? Why havent you
lost your virginity? Thats what
fascinates me about it. The value of
the word virginity and how it can
dictate what people think of you.
Pettets sexploits also highlight
a more abstract issue that affects
gay men, raising the question that
there could be two, or perhaps
even three, virginities that he
could lose. Sex with a woman
before identifying as gay?
Virginity number one. Sex as a
top? Thats virginity number two.
And sex as a bottom? Ding, ding,
ding! That makes three.
Although virginity itself is an
abstract idea, the moment the
hymen is broken is completely
physical, and thus, the exact
moment of deflowering can be
pin-pointed, says Pettet. So, is a
man whos never broken a hymen
still a virgin? What about the
gay man whos only ever topped
or bottomed his way through
intercourse? If he has penetrated
but never been penetrated, or vice
versa, is he still a virgin?
Suddenly Regina Georges I was
half a virgin when I met him quip
doesnt seem so ridiculous, does it?
Perhaps this is the wonderful
and liberating thing about
homosexual virginity that Pettets
artistic performance brings into
the gay consciousness. We are
free to create our own individual
definitions on a very personal
matter. Whether you consider
virginity a virtue or a vice, a
treasure or a burden, its up to you
to place a value on it in your life.
Clayton Pettet is hoping to
destruct the value of virginity
with his performance, but that
doesnt mean its going to resonate
with everyone. Virginity is an
abstract and personal concept and,
as men who have sex with other
men, were free to dictate our own
definition of it.
And, like a virgin touched for
the very first time, this freedom
to decide for ourselves is
empowering and more than just a
little bit exciting.
artschoolstolemyvirginity.tumblr.com
[news]
41 gaytimes.co.uk
Is it art? And just who gets to decide? These days we
seem increasingly concerned with what can be classed
as art and, by extension, who can call themselves
artists. But art should be defined by its creator and
interpreted by its viewer, so the question is neither here
nor there. As consumers of life we have our personal
reactions of what we perceive and experience as art.
Art statements have made an important contribution
to modern consciousness, and pioneers like Robert
Mapplethorpe were pushing the levels of queer taste
many years before young Clayton was even born.
Once seen as a producer of just pornography,
Mapplethorpes work is now celebrated and respected
worldwide. More recently weve seen art and activism
merge with feminist activists Pussy Riot and Pyotr
Pavlensky, who nailed his scrotum in Red Square in
protest of Russias anti-gay laws. Both grabbed the
worlds attention and highlighted Russias increasingly
right wing society. Art School Stole My Virginity is
getting headlines too from the Daily Mail to the New
York Daily News and naysayers accuse it of being a
crass, attention-grabbing piece of toss. But how can
something be dismissed before its even happened?
Pettet wants to push the boundaries of what male
virginity means and whether the importance of
virginity is relevant in our supposedly liberated
society. What is gay male virginity and how does it
get taken from us? I was 18 and fumbling and it was
dark. I may have had a few drinks. My hormones were
all over the place. Was it actually happening? Pettet
poses similar questions, Is deflowering really a loss?
Or is it an awakening, a beginning, a milestone that
should be celebrated rather than feared? In an age of
free and easy access to hardcore pornography, these
are ideas we should be thinking about in relation to
our own personal values of sex and sexuality. To put a
little more thought back into sex. I believe Pettet will
look back on the day he lost his virginity with a greater
sense of meaning than I ever had. Good for him.
Art will always be controversial. Its been used to
convey political actions, thoughts, expressions as well
as providing a medium through which to communicate
sexual desires, expressions, fetishes, lust and
exhibitionism. Its not always a messy bed or a few
lines across a canvas. In a static image many things
can be conveyed, but art challenges us more when it
stops being a vision or a picture. Its less of an illusion
once something is live.
Sex, and sexual expression is something that
has widely been debated, but theres still a stigma
attached to it. Usually, if an audience is invited to see
it, it automatically becomes equated to porn. Pettet
says he wants to challenge the notion that virginity, as
a concept, is heteronormative in terms of values and
assumption and its an interesting point. In terms of
queer representation, though, can we really say this is a
good move? For many years, gay and bi men have been
depicted as sex-crazed predators, who live depraved
lifestyles and have exhibitionistic, seedy natures. Sure,
we like sex. I like experiencing all it has to offer, and
what testosterone-driven person doesnt? But at the
same time it can be a problem when that stereotype
is continually reinforced and when gay people are
associated with entertainment and performance, or a
louche and tacky subculture.
Pettet, of course, has far loftier aspirations and
theres certainly something poetic about his plans
for popping his cherry. But Im not sold that making
virginity a commodity in this fashion is really making
a huge statement. We all have differing virginities
throughout our lives and certain sexual activities we
discover are a virginity to lose. This can happen at
any time, and not necessarily in the full glare of a room
of spectators. Unless thats what turns the artist on? I
dont question anyones right to sexual expression but
I feel, in this instance, there is more than an element
of exhibitionism being packaged as art here. And not
such a strong stance against heteronormativity.
ART Dan Bunker
Dan is an equality campaigner who is keen on pushing
boundaries when it comes to equality and identity.
PORN Leng Montgomery
Leng raises awareness of gay, bi and trans people in
schools as an ambassador for Diversity Role Models.
V
[debate]
[news]
ART OR PORN?
On 25 January
Clayton Pettet will
lose his virginity in
front of 100 people,
in a performance
called Art School
Stole My Virginity.
Is this interesting or
tacky? Is it art
or porn? Or is it a
bit of both?
gaytimes.co.uk 42
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Did you hear about
the schoolboy
who killed himself
following months of homophobic
abuse? Ayden Keenan-Olson
was 14. He made 20 reports of
homophobic bullying to his school.
And thats it now, because of the
ugly way he was treated hell never
be able to see how beautiful the
world can be. And how many of
us gay or trans can say we dont
know what it feels like to be afraid
to go to school?
On the whole, parents are
becoming more understanding
these days and kids are coming
out sooner. Previous generations
may have been less likely to come
out at school, but they werent less
likely to be bullied. I was bullied
for talking like a girl and walking
like a poof and had constant
taunts, ridicule and the occasional
kick in the face. When I got home
I was bullied by my father for the
same reasons. Stop talking like
a poof, hed shout, as he gave me
a clip round the earhole. I was
terrified of going to school and
terrified of going home. The only
time I felt truly safe was when
I walked the dog, miles into the
woods, where Id imagine being old
enough to move away. Smalltown
boy, or something.
Stonewall is doing great work
to tackle homophobic bullying
in schools. Good for them. They
have the resources and clout to
actually get into classrooms and
make a real difference. There are
other organisations doing similarly
wonderful work LGBT History
Month and Schools Out, for example.
The difference between those two
and Stonewall, however, is that
Stonewall only works to stop gay
kids from being bullied. Theyre
going into classrooms and teaching
kids that its wrong to pick on
someone for being gay, but theyre
not telling those same kids that its
wrong to pick on someone for being
trans. Hang on, you might ask, why
isnt there a trans charity doing that?
The answer is: there arent any. At
least none with the funds and reach
that Stonewall boasts.
Imagine an anti-racism campaign
that only told kids not to pick on their
Chinese classmates, while ignoring
the tide of racist abuse directed at
other ethnic minorities. Why bother
having the conversation about racist
bullying if youre not going to look
at all racist bullying? The same is
true of gender-based bullying
aka homophobia, transphobia and
sexism. Ask yourself: If kids are
killing themselves because parents,
charities and schools cant protect
them from homophobic bullying,
what do you think its like for trans
kids? I remember what it was like
and it was awful.
My fathers family no longer
speaks to me after I wrote an
article for the New Statesman last
year, discussing the violence
and verbal abuse I endured both
at school and home for being
different. They say Im a liar. This
is what happens, isnt it, when we
speak out about abuse? Im a big
woman now, though, and I wont
be bullied or silenced by anyone.
No matter how painful it might be
to sever ties with the very people
who should be there to support me.
How do you find that strength
when you are 12 though? And how
many children today are too scared
to catch the bus that will get them
to school on time? How many boys
will forget their PE kit because
they dont want to be humiliated for
being girly? How many will bunk
off and run into the woods so they
can be alone for a while?
I was considered a problem
child and I agree I must have been
challenging at times. Now that Im
no longer bullied, though, people
seem to get along with me just
fine. Ive been allowed to enjoy my
potential. I cant get the image of
Ayden out of my head, and every
other desperately lonely kid out
there who feels like life is hopeless.
Even a kid like Ayden, who was
fully supported at home, couldnt
be saved. When are we going to
allow all our children to enjoy their
potential? When are we going to
stop trans kids from being bullied?
And what are you
going to do about it,
Stonewall?
Stonewall
goes into
class-
rooms and
teaches
kids that
its wrong
to pick on
someome
for being
gay, but
theyre
not telling
those
same kids
that its
wrong to
pick on
someone
for being
trans
KNOWS WHAT
IT FEELS LIKE
FOR A GIRL column
[paris lees]
[news]
gaytimes.co.uk 44
I
M
A
G
E

R
Y
A
N

H
A
R
D
I
N
G
@parislees
46 gaytimes.co.uk
Sam Callahan may be young
and fresh but, as GT found out,
theres more to the former
X Factor hopeful than a pretty
face. We talked to him about
tours, Tamera and tough times
and then took some photos of
him in his pants. Youre welcome.
WORDS PARIS LEES / RYAN BUTCHER
PHOTOGRAPHS JOE MCCORMICK
GROOMING EVAN HUANG USING MAC AND SHU UEMURA
STYLE EDITOR LLOYD-SCOTT TYLER
BRIEFS BY AUSSIE BUM AT PROWLER
WRIST BAND BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN AT MR PORTER
47 gaytimes.co.uk
[cover]
48 gaytimes.co.uk
ONESIE BY RUSKIN AT BANGLADS.COM
WRIST STRAPS BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN AND BALENCIAGA AT MR PORTER
gaytimes.co.uk 49
My love muscle, Sam quips
with a cheeky smile. Weve just
asked the strapping 19-year-old
what his favourite body part is. That
wasnt actually my answer! I dont
know, probably my abs. I get a lot of
compliments on my stomach. Hes
topless as he says this and its kind
of hard not to look at his snail trail.
GT remains professional. Just. Could
we tempt him to do one of our naked
shoots? Ill have to have a think about
that! Ive got my Asda George boots
with me, the lads reckon they look
quite expensive. We might make an
exception to our totally naked rule if it
means seeing him in nothing but a pair
of boots. Even Asda ones.
The girls loved Sam on X Factor, a
phenomenon he describes as every
teenage boys dream. Not every
teenage boy, Sam! For most of it I
was in and out of buildings now Im
starting to see the full effect of it, if I
go down the high street or anywhere,
people come and say hello. His
verdict on The X Factor rollercoaster is
surreal from start to finish. I went
to a red carpet event and I thought
the security guy was going to say
Youre meant to be on the other side
of the fence mate and grab me. But he
didnt. Over the past 12 months hes
partied with his idols Olly Murs and
Robbie Williams, been to St Tropez
and generally had a blast, but hes
determined to make sure this is not
the end of the story, just the chapter.
We reckon his smoking hot cover
shoot for us could win him a brand new
following of male fans and if it does,
hell take that as a compliment, thank
you very much. He made lots of gay
friends at Sylvia Young Theatre School
and condemns homophobic lyrics like
those recently used by James Arthur:
Youve got to think about what you
say before you say it. And I dont think
he did, basically. I met him and he
seemed like a nice guy, but yeah, hes
obviously done some stupid stuff.
Sam used to be in a band managed by
incredibly creative Geri Halliwell
and, in true boy band tradition, there
was one gay member. Id known him
[cover]
gaytimes.co.uk 50
for two years and because wed slept
in a bed together and stuff like that, he
was really worried about telling me and
I was like, cool man, thats fine! He was
really worried about it, bless him.
What stuff like that Sam? A look of
panic crosses his face before he assures
us he is 100% straight. Sorry lads.
We do get him to admit to a (purely
platonic) man crush though: Olly
Murs. Yes. Hes a lad, I love him. And
Tom Hardy. GT points out that he may
have to join the queue for Mr Hardy. If
I was in a film, Id want to play one of
his characters. Hes cool, isnt he? But
what about his idol Robbie, would he
marry him? I would! So thats Robbie
AND Tom? Yeah, but if you choose
two youve got to choose one musician
and actor, you know? Seems like
sound logic from where were sitting.
Although, technically, Olly takes the
potential husband count up to three.
Joking aside, Robbie provides Sam
with genuine inspiration: He never
had the best voice, and there were
so many things where people were
like, oh you dont have this, you dont
have that, and he made the most
amazing solo career ever. I read his
book and he said If youre deluded
enough to think you can do it, you
can and I think thats great. So I think
I just have this positive attitude and
that helped me a long way through
the competition. Its just as well.
Though he describes Louis Walsh as
lovely and lively and much funnier
in real life, he didnt get on with all
the judges. Gary Barlow regularly
criticised him: I didnt let it get to me
for more than ten minutes at a time.
Im a positive person, I literally turn
it around and think right, come back
fighting next week if I get through. Im
one of those speedballs, punch it and
it comes back quicker.
Someone who definitely did warm
to Sam was 16-year-old Tamera. We
play word association with him and
when we read out Tameras name he
responds instantly with interviews.
Hes sharp, this boy. The media tried
to whip the romance into something
bigger than it was, but Sam insists
51 gaytimes.co.uk
TROUSERS BY DRIES VAN NOTEN AT HARVEY NICHOLS
WRIST BAND BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN AT MR PORTER
[cover]
gaytimes.co.uk 52
BASEBALL CAP BY KARL ALLEY AT HARVEY NICHOLS
BRIEFS BY CALVIN KLEIN AT BANGLADS.COM
gaytimes.co.uk 53
the reality was far more mundane:
We just get on really well. We lived
together for, like, two months and
kept in touch after I left. The thing is,
were so busy, I dont know whether it
could really work.
Hes fully aware that the next few
months are crucial to securing
his career: Ive written my own
music since I was 13, Ive done my
groundwork. I used to gig all around
the country, for free, in my clapped
out estate with my PA system in the
back, just trying to get exposure.
Now its about keeping that up with
an opportunity Ive been given. The
next opportunity, of course, is The X
Factor Tour: I absolutely cant wait!
Every musician, every artist anywhere
in the world has a dream, and a part
of that dream, whether its the whole
dream or not, is to go on tour. This is
when I can show you what I do with my
own music, how I perform on stage,
and I hope that everyone sticks by me
and gets to see all that.
Part of his determination comes from
being bullied at school: I was, like,
this tiny little blond-haired, blue-eyed
kid probably a little bit too cocky for
my own good but only because that
was the only way I knew how to stand
up for myself. At one point, one of the
older kids, when I was in year seven,
he held me down while his mate
kicked me in the face with a football
boot and I had a big gash down my
face. Bullying can often be down to
envy, he says, or sometimes people
do it just because they can: People
mistake your niceties for weakness,
and that wont change me being nice,
ever. Because if someones nasty to
me, Ill have something to say, but
otherwise whats the point in being
nasty to anybody? It takes way too
much effort.
So what advice would he offer to
anyone getting bullied? Youve just
got to keep fighting and stick up for
yourself, because if you dont you
become a target but the main thing
isnt to the people who are suffering
but more to the people who dont
look up and realise it, those peoples
[cover]
gaytimes.co.uk 54
VEST BY GODS GIFT AT EACHTOTHEIROWN.COM
gaytimes.co.uk 55
[cover]
friends. People commit suicide, they
start cutting or taking drugs and
youre like, well this is changing that
persons life. Just because they are
who they are. And I dont believe
anybody should be discriminated
against because of who they are.
He recently befriended a Callafan
online, who was getting bullied
so badly she tried to kill herself.
Hes since met with the girl and her
family, and shes doing better, but
there are many more young people
going through similar struggles. He
tells us about one Callafan who died
while he was doing X Factor: She
actually took her own life because
she was bullied at school. And it just
kind of shocked me, you know? I
got bullied badly and Im the sort of
person, luckily enough for myself,
that I can take it on and go, you
know, Ill come out on top. But so
many people arent, everybodys
made of different stuff and I tell you
what, it does knock it out of you even
if you are made like that.
Theres a lovely depth to Sam and
we ask him if music is what gives his
life meaning. Music will always be
the focus, but recently Ive done a
lot of stuff for the Teenage Cancer
Trust. I met a guy who was 21, who just
literally a couple of days before had
asked his girlfriend who has cancer
to marry him. And all the things we
worry about, theres so much more
to life! Musics absolutely the most
important thing, but my family are
really important to me, though I
probably wouldnt have said that if I
hadnt have been through that in the
past couple of days.
GTs allergies have kicked in by
this point. Quick, compassionate and
ambitious Sam Callahan is so much
more than a pretty face. I hope people
can see me for who I am now that Im
out of the competition. Ive got a lot
to give and theres a lot to come from
me that wasnt shown. Hang on, is he
talking about his love muscle again?

Sam Callahan will be appearing on The X Factor
2014 Live Tour, bookingsdirect.com,
@samcallahan94
[cover]
gaytimes.co.uk 56
THE BIGGEST
FERTILITY
SERVICES
SHOW IN
EUROPE
COMES TO
MANCHESTER
IN APRIL
Saturday 5 April 2014
The Mercure, Manchester Piccadilly
Hotel Conference Suite Manchester
conor@redcowevents.com
thebuildingfamiliesshow.com
01621 878 658
The Building Families Show will be
held in April 2014 in the northern gem
of Manchester. Never before has the
North West hosted such an event,
bringing together some of the world`s
biggest experts on IVF, surrogacy and
egg donation. The event promises to
attract crowds not only from the North
West but from all across the UK and
Europe. So if you`re a couple looking
for IVF services, particularly egg
donation or surrogacy, then this event is
defnitely for you.
The amazing line-up of speakers will
include:
Dr Guy Ringler, California Fertility
Partners (USA)
Andy Glew, Director of Embryology at
Simply Fertility (UK)
Barrie Dewitt-Barlow, Director,
Social Work at British Surrogacy
Centre (USA/UK)
Bobby Norris, TOWIE star and about to
be a new dad through surrogacy

Dubbed The Biggest Baby Event in
Europe, the Building Families Show
is a "don`t miss" for anyone with an
interest in IVF, surrogacy, egg or sperm
donation.
And if you are a business owner who
contributes to the fertility industry, then
this event will be the perfect opportunity
to promote yourself. Whether you
are a surrogacy centre, egg or sperm
donation clinic, or specialise in IVF,
then please get in contact with us.
Returning headline sponsors this year
already include the British Surrogacy
Centre based in Essex, and California
Fertility Partners, based in the USA.
Both companies report huge benefts
from their involvement last year, so
don`t miss out. This one-day event will
be an amazing marketing opportunity,
not only to meet future parents but
also to meet other worldwide industry
professionals. So do not hesitate to get
in contact with us about having your
own stand at the event. We are offering
a 10% discount for all new stand-
holders this year up until January 2014.
Repeat stand-holders are offered a
25% discount on last year`s rates.
Media sponsors:
ADVERTORIAL
58 gaytimes.co.uk
THE
WORLD
ACCORDING
TO RUFUS
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER
59 gaytimes.co.uk
I dont often get nervous before
an interview, but as Im pounding
a west London street anxiously
chain-smoking on my way to
meet Rufus Wainwright, its fair
to say therere a few butterflies in
my stomach.
After all, this is a man whose
life has been entangled with high
drama, family feuds and some
of the finest songwriting for a
generation. This is a man whos
long been withheld as both musical
and gay royalty. A Gay Messiah,
to borrow a phrase from Rufus
himself. Whatre you meant to say
to a person like that?
But as he greats me, shaking my
hand with a warming smile on
his face, he assures me: Dont
worry, I dont bite.
Rufus life to date is befitting of
an ancient Greek tragedy an
apt comparison, considering
his classically handsome good
looks. At just 14 years of age,
he was sexually assaulted after
picking up a man in a bar, who
left him for dead in Londons Hyde
Park. What followed was years
of celibacy, before crossing into
a life of promiscuity, and a well-
documented crystal meth habit,
which left him temporarily blind.
Yet sitting before me, after
recently hitting the unnecessarily-
The bad boy
of gay melodic
folk-rock Rufus
Wainwright tells us
why hes traded
promiscuity and
methamphetamine
for life as a devoted
father, loving
husband and the
ongoing pursuit to
write a great pop hit.
Oh, and hes got a
best of album
coming out, too
[feature]
60 gaytimes.co.uk
dreaded big four-zero, hes now
a committed family man. He
married his long-term partner
Jrn Weisbrodt last year, while the
year before he fathered a child
with Leonard Cohens daughter
Lorca. Oh, and in his spare time he
managed to write and showcase
his debut opera Prima Donna to
rave reviews and release possibly
his finest work to date with his last
studio album Out of the Game.
So whats a man whos seemingly
done it all got left to achieve?
He laughs, running his fingers
through his salt and pepper maine.
Ive never had a pop hit.
Were meeting today to talk about,
among other things, his next release
Vibrate a career retrospective
due in March. A best of, if you
will. But certainly not a greatest
hits collection. Hed be the first to
contest that.
Ive made an impact, but Im
not rolling in it in terms of the hit
department, he says, seemingly
bemused by his own candid
honestly.
Im an artist with a very odd
engine. On one hand, I had the
drive and ignition and the parts to
dominate the world. To make loads
of money and all of that stuff. To be
a sex symbol.
But on the other, the fuel that
engine took was the antithesis
to that. It was really high art and
intellectual fervour. Ive always
been trying to rectify those
elements. Its almost like Im a
convertible station wagon.
Like youre being pulled in two
directions?
Yeah, which in the end made me
kind of a reject, which a lot of people
relate to. I think most folk feel they
dont fit into a particular box and
feel rather aliened and questionable
in terms of how this is all working
out. That was sort of my niche.
From April Fools to Cigarettes
and Chocolate Milk, to his cover of
Leonard Cohens Hallelujah, Vibrate
is an 18 track collection which is
going to leave both casual and
hardcore Rufus fans pretty satisfied.
It comes with a new track, too. The
piano-pop enthused Me and Liza.
I have to be very diplomatic with
the track. Lets just say its about
legend and arson, he explains.
Its very playful. A playful jab. Oh,
and you know, possibly a hit?
Vibrate titled because
anything with a v is impressive
was pulled together with help
from Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant.
A man who knows a thing or two
about a pop hit, certainly. But after
such a vast and varied 15-plus
year career, touring the world
dozens of times over and, yes,
even an opera, why now?
I hit 40 recently, and in that
time span a lot has happened. I
lost my mother, I had a daughter,
I wrote an opera, Im married
so weve kind of come full circle.
I wanted to return to a more
industry-friendly stance and
Vibrate makes a nice bookend.
Sort of an encapsulation of my
youth. Im still vaguely young, but
40 is a whole other ball game.
They say 40 is the new 30 anyway.
Yes, but 30 is the new 70! The
thing thats fantastic about 40 is
that the bark is so much bigger
than the bite. You know, the lead
up, the frustration, the worry
and fear and regret. Then the
birthday comes and you wake
up the next day and think oh my
God, Im still young, I still have
half of my life ahead of me and I
know so much more about how
the world works. Overnight you
realise its the greatest age and
youve only just begun in terms
of really enjoying and sucking up
all this world has to offer.
But theres not just turning 40. As
you said, youve been welcomed
into married life now. Hows that
treating you?
Weve been married for a year,
and wed been together for about
eight years before that, so we do
know each other. But I do have to
I HAD
THE DRIVE
AND
IGNITION
AND THE
PARTS TO
DOMINATE
THE
WORLD.
TO MAKE
LOADS OF
MONEY
AND ALL
OF THAT
STUFF. TO
BE A SEX
SYMBOL
gaytimes.co.uk 61
[feature]
gaytimes.co.uk 62
GAY
MARRIAGE
IS ABOUT
WHATS
POSSIBLE IN
THE FUTURE.
ITS ABOUT
LOVE AND
ITS ABOUT
SURVIVAL.
ITS ABOUT
HEALING AND
GROWTH,
AND GAY
MEN
ESPECIALLY
NEED THAT
63 gaytimes.co.uk
spend more time with him. With my
husband and my daughter. I think,
especially since my mother passed
away, Im far more aware of the
finite nature of human experience.
Its funny, because before our
relationship was very much fuelled
by the cosmopolitan, sporadic
existences that we both had.
Meeting up in European capitals
and that can be a lot of fun, but with
marriage, its kind of got to be about
the small things. And you have to
put the hours in. So were working
really hard to rectify that. Marriage
is work, but like all good work, its
the most rewarding thing at the end
of the day. But I love him, of course.
Hes the love of my life.
Which is whats important at the
end of the day? Ten years ago
something like same-sex marriage
seemed so unobtainable.
Gay marriage is such a deep and
tremendous issue, both because of
whats happened in the past, more
specifically for my generation with
AIDS and oppression and so forth,
and whats possible in the future. Its
about love and its about survival.
Its about healing and growth, and
gay men especially need that.
And what about fatherhood? In just
a couple of years it seems like your
life has changed, and you really are
living the life of a family man.
Im very excited, honoured and
scared with the prospect of being
a good father. Every day that Ive
spent with my daughter, it blows
everything else out of the water.
Every experience Ive ever
had. Whether its going to see
Wagner operas or trips to Venice
with my mother those were all
incredible things. But at the end
of the day, when you finally put all
those to sleep, and you come up
with some small compromise over
a toy versus eating your broccoli,
its a towering achievement above
everything else. Im very lucky to
experience that.
As our interview goes longer,
we talk about his duet on the new
Robbie Williams record hes so
comfortable with his sexuality and
expressing his attentions towards
men that it makes me think that he
isnt gay and the atrocious LGBT
oppression still going on in Russia
whether its Jews, gays or black
people, its a barometer of terrible
things to come. And we all know
what happened last time.
But theres one thing Rufus is
desperate to get off his chest. At a
time when were worshiping fallen
Disney idols who seductively
simulate fellatio with industrial
construction equipment, its time
for the gay community to be
looked upon once again as the
taste makers the cultural leaders
of a generation.
I have issues with gay culture,
in terms of what the musical intake
is, what it means and, yknow,
Lady Gaga. I actually like Britney
Spears because what you see is
what you get. Lady Gaga, I have
trouble kind of pinpointing whats
actually happening, what her
character means and what shes
trying to profess.
But at the end of the day, what
I will say with gay men and this
is a criticism is that there was a
period when a group of men, the
sophisticated ones in major cities,
were the pinnacle of culture and
taste and intellectual prowess and
advancement in the arts. I feel like
that tower has crumbled and weve
got a cesspool right now in terms of
what we celebrate.
Ive been trying, in the last few
years, to rebuild that tower. Its a
struggle, but Im gay, Im proud,
Im out there, and Im up to the
challenge.
As our interview draws to a close
and we get ready to part ways,
Rufus warmly shakes my hand
again. See, I told you I dont bite.
Well, no. Unless your name is Lady
Gaga.
Vibrate The Best of Rufus Wainwright is
released on 3 March, @rufuswainwright,
rufuswainwright.com.
[feature]
J
a
m
e
s
F
o
r
b
a
t
gaytimes.co.uk 64
Le Corsaire is a
much-celebrated
and adored ballet,
ever since it was rst
choreographed by
Joseph Mazilier in
the mid-1800s. What
do you think makes
this English National
Ballet production
so different and
exciting? The fact that
it`s new to the UK. It
also has beautiful new
sets and costumes and
some helpful changes
to the choreography
and plot. But the
great thing is that
most people in the
audience will have
never seen this ballet
before, so it`s fresh
and interesting for
them as well as for the
company.
The sets were
designed by
Hollywood favourite
Bob Ringwood,
and they're pretty
spectacular,
especially the
shipwreck scene.
What is it like to have
to dance and interact
with these massive
sets at the same
time? These sets are
spectacular but not
especially diffcult to
work with. It`s great to
be on stage with sets
and costumes that
evoke such a realistic
atmosphere and that
really help us to tell
the story.
How did you rst
get into ballet? I
really liked music as
a young child and
used to dance around
to anything I heard,
so my mum asked
me if I wanted to go
to dancing lessons. I
said yes and went to
classes for so many
different types of
dance. Ballet is the
one that I seemed to
be best at and the rest
is history.
Do you still get
nervous before
going on stage
in front of an
audience? I get
more nervous
now than I used
to! There`s more
pressure as a
senior dancer of
the company, or
at least I put more
pressure on myself,
to always deliver. I
like to have a strong
cup of coffee before
the show and take
time getting ready
and warming up so I
feel calm and ready
before curtain up.
Ballet tours must
take you to some
wonderful places
around the world.
Where are the
favourite place
you've performed?
Dancing at the
Herodes Atticus
amphitheatre in Athens
was amazing, because
it was open air. The
Parthenon was lit up
behind the audience
so you could see it as
you were dancing on
stage.
Le Corsaire is a
pretty epic love
story. What's the
most romantic thing
you've ever done for
someone? I don`t go
in for huge romantic
gestures, but I usually
think if I cook one
of my boyfriend`s
favourite dishes and
we spend a quiet
evening together that`s
pretty romantic.
THE BOYS OF
BALLET
WORDS LEE DALLOWAY / DARCY RIVE
There are few things more special than
watching the toned male form glide
gracefully around a stage, and as winter
gives way to spring, were spoilt for choice
with not one but two wonderful ballet shows.
With Le Corsaire and Kings of the Dance
coming to the ENO, we speak to some of the
talented fellas that will certainly be hotting
up the London Coliseum stage
James Forbat and Junor Souza appear in Le Corsaire, which runs until 15 February
at London Coliseum. Roberto Bolle and Marcelo Gomes appear in Kings of the
Dance at the London Coliseum, 19-22 March 2014. eno.org
R
o
b
e
r
t
o
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o
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l
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gaytimes.co.uk 65
What made you want
to be involved with
Kings of the Dance?
In 2006 I was invited
by Sergei Danilian, the
producer of the show,
to be part of the world
premiere of Kings of
the Dance, but I was
already committed with
the Olympic Games in
Turin. I`ve been given
the opportunity again
this year and I`m so
happy to be part of
the cast. I know the
other artists very well,
they`re all high level,
international dancers.
Each of them has his
own features and a
unique charisma. It
will be very interesting
to share the stage
with them.
With such talent,
one might assume
it's quite competitive
between you guys?
Certainly there`s a lot
of competition, but
it`s a healthy one. It`s
a stimulus to always
do better, to go
beyond our own limits.
Everyone is aware of
his own value, talent
and qualities, which
are different for each
of us. We`re great
dancers and we know
we can grow thanks to
the stimuli coming from
competition.
What's your
favourite thing
about performing
and do you have a
standout roIe from
your career so far? I
love everything about
this artform. I love
the stage, the daily
hard work and sweat,
the relationship with
the audience. But
most of all I love the
opportunity to play
a variety of different
roles. To feel beautiful
and intense emotions
and being able to
communicate them to
the audience.
How do you balance
a physicaIIy
demanding
profession with a
social life? Dance
is the priority in my
life. It`s the centre,
the heart of my life.
It`s certainly not easy;
sacrifces which affect
my private life are
many, but I`m aware
that it couldn`t be any
other way.
You're often being
asked about your
sexuality, but in
previous interviews
you don't seem
keen on satisfying
peopIe's curiosity
about the subject.
Is that personaI
and professionaI
separation important
to you? To me, to
separate my working
life from my private
life is crucial. I`ve
become famous
thanks to my art and
the high artistic level
of all the things I`ve
done. This is what the
audience knows about
me and this is what
I want to share with
them. I didn`t become
famous because of my
private life; it wasn`t
thanks to gossip, to
drugs, alcohol, sex
or otherwise. I`ve
always talked about
art and excellence,
on stage and off, and
I don`t accept that I
must share my private
life. What is private is
private. It`s mine and
nobody else`s. I think
I deserve respect for
this choice.
If you weren't a
dancer, what do you
think you would be
doing? I think I would
be an athlete. I love
the sea, swimming and
diving.
[ballet]
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How did you get
started in ballet? I
was about fve when
I discovered dance,
and ballet came to me
when I was eight or
nine. I knew I wanted
to dance right then and
there. It became my
life, going to the ballet
studio every day and
I couldn`t wait to go
back the next day.
Following
performances in New
York and Russia,
this is the UK debut
of Kings of the
Dance - what rst
attracted you to it?
The project was in a
very high place with
amazing dancers when
it started, so when I
received the invitation
to join Kings, I jumped
right on board. Now
it has evolved into a
collaboration between
some of the best
male dancers in the
world, and not just in
dance but music and
choreography as well.
It`s just so exciting
to be able to be so
creative and to push
ourselves outside
of our respective
companies.
Your gay uncle
was very much an
inspiration to you.
Could you tell us a
little about him? Yes,
that would be my uncle
Paulo, who passed
away of AIDS. He was
a huge infuence on me
and a great supporter
when I started dancing
in Brazil. He lived
with his partner and I
used to love spending
time with them at their
house. Their love for
each other seemed to
be a natural thing for
our family. He taped all
my performances and
used to make me listen
to classical music all
the time. He moved
to London for a while
before he was sick.
He was most defnitely
my hero! We have a
lot of the same facial
features and we both
loved to laugh.
There are still certain
dancers who don't
feel comfortable
coming out. Why do
you think this is?
I`m really not sure.
Perhaps they`re just
not ready, or they
think it will hurt their
career in what parts
they`re offered. I`ve
always thought that if
a person came to see
me as Romeo and they
don`t believe me, then
I`m not doing my job
very well. I came out
publicly on the cover
of The Advocate when
I was 23 and even
within the ballet world
there was a big fuss
about it. Then it was
old news and I focused
on dancing and being
exactly who I want
to be.
If you weren't a
dancer, what would
you be? If I couldn`t
be a choreographer or
an artistic director of a
ballet company when
I 'grow up`, I would be
a chef. Someone who
creates a harmonious
performance on a plate
instead of on stage.
J
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67 gaytimes.co.uk
This new production
of Le Corsaire is
very much a male-
led performance and
features challenging
technique work,
such as barrel turns
and fouetts. What
is it like to train for
such a demanding
role? Does training
ever become
competitive, friendly
or otherwise? I
guess the more
demanding a role
you get the more
confdence you gain,
in my opinion. And,
yes, everyday is
competitive because
you watch other
people doing different
steps, so when
you have your own
rehearsal you want
to do it even better.
But at the same time
we need to have a
passion to be able to
talk with other people
and enjoy the work
you do, and the work
they do too.
How did you get
into ballet? I got
into it because of my
teacher at boarding
school back home in
Brazil. Every end of
term we used to have
a little dance and
one term she saw me
dancing and asked
if I wanted to take
some ballet classes
with her daughter. So
I went there without
my parents knowing.
It was quite strange
being in a different
place and behaving in
a completely different
way to who I was
- especially being
Brazilian [laughs].
You've performed
in some amazing
ballets. Which role
has been your
favourite and why?
Romeo and Juliet,
playing Romeo. For
me it was a big step,
being quite young in
the company and doing
a full length ballet,
dancing with principal
dancers. I`d just come
out of school and I
had to mature in the
way I thought and the
way I danced. It was a
very hard part to play,
especially because we
were doing Nureyev`s
version. When I was
young, I remember that
I used to dream about
dancing that role and
I did it!
Do you still get
nervous before going
on stage? Yes, I do
get nervous, a little
bit. But I guess the
more you start to do
big roles earlier on, the
more used to it you get.
You have to be able to
contain your nerves
and control them.
Do you have a pre-
show ritual? I listen to
very loud music before
I start the show.
[ballet]
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[style]
[01/14]
SKI WITH
SANDRO X
FUSALP
Ski season is upon us. Some
prefer to drink and watch and
stay warm, others actually ski.
However you work the slopes,
do not be seen in anything other
than Sandros latest collaboration
with Fusalp, the luxury heritage
French ski brand. Its gorgeous!
Need we say more?
sandro-paris.com, selfridges.com
gaytimes.co.uk 69
W
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gaytimes.co.uk 70
Top row Czech & Speake Manicure set, Nivea Crme, L`occitane Lavender Foaming Bath, Nivea Exfoliating Face Scrub, Nivea In-Shower Moisturiser, Perricone MD Glycolic
Cleansing Bar, Czech & Speak No. 88 Shaving Set, Gentlemen`s Tonic Daily Moisturiser, HIM Eye Roll On, Xen-Tan Face Tan, Penhaligons Beard Oil, Czech & Speake Red Wash Bag
ESSENTIAL
GORGEOUS
GROOMING
PRODUCTS TO
TAKE CARE
OF YOUR SKIN
THIS WINTER
Relax ritual Enjoy a Moroccan cleansing experience, starting
with a mint leaf foot ritual, before a bespoke blend of purifying
Rhassoul clay and nourishing shea butter is applied to your body.
The Dolphin Spa is a Moroccan haven in London, where we tried
the Luxury Hammam Ritual. You are cleansed to restore a fresh
complexion from head to toe. The ritual finishes with a traditional
dousing of orange blossom and rose water. This treatment prepares
the skin perfectly for a massage or facial, or just to feel cleansed
and relaxed. We highly recommend, so why not recreate the
treatment at home? Try at home: fresh mint and eucalyptus oil
with sugar for body scrub, salt particles and oil for the foot scrub
and natural shea butter to moisture and finish, with some orange
blossom and rose water to cleanse and tone. dolphinsquare.co.uk/spa
stay groomed!
[01/14]
Bottom Row Dr Ceuticals Super Repaid Hand Cream, Clarins Double Serum, Ermenegildo Zegna Uomo, Comme De Garcon Blue Cedrat, Czech & Speake No. 88 Shaving
Set, Champneys Post Shave Balm, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, Nivea Day Moisturiser, Lab Series Overnight Renewal Serum
STILL LIFE BY JOSE POPE
STYLED BY LLOYD-SCOTT TYLER
BATHROOM WAS AT THE PARK PLAZA WESTMINSTER BRIDGE,
200 WESTMINSTER BRIDGE ROAD, LONDON, SE1 7UT.
PARKPLAZA.COM/WESTMINSTERBRIDGE
[style]
71 gaytimes.co.uk
Christopher Kicks
For Spring/Summer 2014,
Christopher Shannon
collaborates with Kickers
to create his fourth capsule
collection. Shannon has
created two styles the
Kick Shandal and the Kick
Hi CS. We love both, we
want both. Stylish and
classic rolled into one!
gaytimes.co.uk 72
[
01
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[
03
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[
02
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[01] Coat by Topman, shirt by The Kooples [02] Coat Agi & Sam, t-shirt by Topman, jeans by Tiger of Sweden [03] Scarf and bodywarmer by Chucs, shirt by Jaeger, jeans by Scotch & Soda
orange
[01/14]
[style]
73 gaytimes.co.uk
PHOTOGRAPHER TOM BUCK
STYLE EDITOR LLOYD-SCOTT TYLER ASSISTED BY ALEX BAKER
GROOMING BY DARREN HAU AT LOVELY MANAGEMENT
MODELLED BY BAILEY, NATHAN, ASHER AT AMCK MODELS PRODUCTION & CASTING ASSISTANT JOSE POPE
THANK YOU TO PATRICK AT AMCK MODELS / AMANDA AT LOVELY MANAGEMENT / LAURA AT ROOSTER
[
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[
05
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[
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[04] Suit by Vivienne Westwood, shirt by Jaeger [05] Shirt by Vivienne Westwood, Blazer by Scotch & Soda, jeans by Tiger of Sweden [06] Top by Lacoste, trousers by Jaeger
TRYATREND
Each season
presents a new
colour or trend that
can either be tricky
or just worn wrong.
Orange is a key
colour this season,
and can add some
much-needed
vibrance to these
dull and dreary
months.
gaytimes.co.uk 74
[
01
]
[
03
]
[
02
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[01] Jacket by The Kooples, t-shirt by Harry Stedman, jeans by Scotch & Soda, backpack by Aspinal of London [02] Suit by Tiger of Sweden, tie by Alexander McQueen, shirt
by Jaeger, shoes by Oliver Sweeney [03] Jacket by Tiger of Sweden, roll neck by Jaeger, trousers by The Kooples, boots by Alexander McQueen
Formal wear can
be suited and
booted or a more
casual affair. Either
way dont over
complicate it and
you will be suave
and sophisticated.
If you try out either
of these trends,
send a picture of
yourself working it
on Twitter to
@gaytimesstyle
and use #tryatrend
to be in with a
chance of
winning a prize
formal wear
[01/14]
[style]
75 gaytimes.co.uk
PHOTOGRAPHER TOM BUCK
STYLE EDITOR LLOYD-SCOTT TYLER ASSISTED BY ALEX BAKER
GROOMING BY DARREN HAU AT LOVELY MANAGEMENT
MODELLED BY BAILEY, NATHAN, ASHER AT AMCK MODELS PRODUCTION & CASTING ASSISTANT JOSE POPE
THANK YOU TO PATRICK AT AMCK MODELS / AMANDA AT LOVELY MANAGEMENT / LAURA AT ROOSTER
[
04
]
[
06
]
[
05
]
[04] Tie by Alexander McQueen, suit by Selected Homme, shirt by Jaeger [05] Jacket by Jaeger, shirt by Jaeger, trousers by Jaeger, shoes by Oliver Sweeney, bag by Aspinal of
London, selfridges.com [06] Jacket and waistcoat by Tiger of Sweden, tie by Alexander McQueen, shirt by Burtons, trousers by Jaeger, socks by M-6, shoes by Oliver Sweeney
gaytimes.co.uk 76
The hand-crafted
feel is a huge trend
in homewares this
winter. Especially
in accessories.
Think uneven
pottery with naive
glazes, ethnic nds
from your most
exotic travels and
soft furnishings
with textures of the
lovingly homemade
Henry Zig Zag
pouffe by Donna
Wilson for SCP,
235, scp.co.uk
Kalo woven laundry
basket, from 45,
habitat.co.uk
Coates
cushion,40,
habitat.co.uk
This Way That
bean bag by Donna
Wilson for SCP,
675, scp.co.uk
Dip ceramic
platter, 18,
habitat.co.uk
Fairisle rug by
Donna Wilson for
SCP, 1275,
scp.co.uk
Canevas Abstract
cushions, various
sizes, 165 each,
wovenground.com
interiors
Get cra
f
ty!
WORDS MARK KING
[style]
Canevas Flower
rug by Gan
Rugs, 1,760,
wovenground.com
Strip pasta
bowl, 10,
habitat.co.uk
Knot foor cushions,
80 each,
habitat.co.uk
Co-ordinating the soft furnishings in your home
doesnt have to mean resorting to stately home
chintz. Keep it sharp and contemporary with a little
help from Fenton. They scour art shows for striking
work by up-and-coming artists and create a
collection of home furnishings from a chosen piece.
Elements from the original work are pulled out and
reconstructed into new, complimentary designs
for shades, cushions and even wall-size murals.
You can also buy a print of the work that inspired
your furnishings to hang and complete the look. A
portion of product sales goes to the original artist,
so you can both look good and feel good about
supporting the arts. A great combination.
Products shown are from the Evolution collection inspired by
Haroun Harwood, fentonartdesign.co.uk
R
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[home]
77 gaytimes.co.uk
OUR
LATEST
HOBBIE
Everyone loves a bad boy
and, oh, how we love this one!
Brighton-born singer/song-
writer Hobbie Stuarts debut
single, Still Here featuring
Ghetts, hits the shelves in
early 2014 and the 22-year-
old already has 23 million
YouTube views and a sold out
UK tour. Some people have
bird watching as a hobby,
wed rather gawp at the
lesser-spotted Hobbie in our
spare time. Fit, talented and
definitely one to keep an eye
on. Well just shimmy on over
to the next page while you
drool a little longer
hobbiestuart.com, @HobbieStuart
[reviews]
[01/14]
gaytimes.co.uk 79
gaytimes.co.uk 80
Amanda Palmer
and Neil Gaiman
An Evening With
Neil Gaiman and
Amanda Palmer
Warning: contains
poetry. A bizarre
hybrid three disc
literature, music and
comedy bonanza
with special guests
a plenty (such as
Margaret Cho talking
foreskin). Neil does
the talky schtick,
with Amanda
playing piano,
ukulele and singing
her unique brand of
politically charged
bedroom pop.

Tensnake
Glow With an
impressive roster
of collaborators
from rent-a-guitar
Nile Rodgers to
Mr Confessions
on a Dance Floor
Painted Palms Forever You
know when you put on a record and
immediately fall in love? Painted
Palms made us swoon from the
frst click of play. From the off we`re
whisked into a world of psychedelic
60s pop. A place inhabited by
jewellery box melodies, like when
MGMT were exciting, or if The Beach
Boys were taking their frst steps
into light electronic dance. Painted
Palms` music washes over you in
lazy happy waves, harking back to a
non-existent summer, getting lovelier
with each listen. Even their one
downer, Soft Hammer, is dreamy. A
total indie pop crush.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Wanderlust
With her Strictly stint a fading memory, Sophie
Ellis-Bextor is back with her two feet planted
frmly in her serious music career. Heartbreak
will not be making her a dancer this time, as
she`s picked up the acoustic guitar again and
rapidly written and recorded a new album with
Ed Harcourt. It harks back to those heady
theaudience days, making Proper Serious
Music, a welcome break from her G-A-Y flling
fodder. We can safely say this in the knowledge
that someone somewhere will surely knock out
a Freemasons-style remix, bringing the world
back into equilibrium.
There are so many strings slapped over the
arrangements, the album sounds like a one
woman My Life Story (you`ll have to remember
theaudience to get that one), all Bond flm
glamour and literary allusions. The lead single
Young Blood is a piano ballad, and is basically
Sophie Ellis-Bextor`s Imagine, and a heartfelt
companion piece to the closing guitar ballad
When The Storm Has Blown Over. Elsewhere
you can expect faster-paced, organ-lead,
60s-infuenced pop and an oompah waltz.
If you can`t do it when you`re not so young,
when can you do it?
I Break Horses Chiaroscuro Led
by Swedish artist Maria Lindn, I
Break Horses are back with a second
album of slow burning electro. They
subscribe to the Fischerspooner
school of simple, direct beat
programming and favour the gradual
build to any whistle-blowing, beat-
dropping climaxes. Chiaroscuro
harbors an unexpected, surprise
beauty - like when you`re exhausted
on a nightbus and suddenly look up
and notice something jaw-droppingly
pretty. The whole album gently drifts
like a guitar-less goth, stumbling
into the calmer moments of Crystal
Castles, but lacking the smooth
waftiness of Goldfrapp. In short, a
blunt version of The Knife.
Jacques Lu
Cont, German
DJ Tensnake has
created and curated
a classy, thoroughly
modern electronic
funk album. Several
tracks have Fiora on
vocal duties, adding
a soft feminine touch
to proceedings.

Breton War Room
Stories A classic,
pop-fecked indie
band hailing from
London, England.
Drawing from
the songwriting
penmanship of
Britpop, but crafting
it with a dance
sensibility, kind of
like fash in the pans
Athlete or other
blokey rock/dance
cross-overs. Lead
single Envy perfectly
sets the tone.

albums
[reviews]
The impossibly cute Elyar Fox
is a brand new baby-faced
popstar, spared the indignity of
going through a reality TV show
(it wouldnt have been fair on the
other contestants). And without
resorting to that formats 150%
hyperbole, wed say hes a full
package, triple threat; looks not
bad, vocals spot on AND he can
play the guitar. Like properly
play the guitar with a capo and
everything. Not just a detuned one
finger wonder.
We know this for a fact as we
were witness to an intimate studio
performance, where he perfected
the teeny bopper smooth move
of catching a girls eye in the
audience and giving them a heart
melting wink. Yes, our green eyes
saw that. And Elyars vocal skills
are as pure and faultless as his
lady loving. Not only can he hit
some breathlessly high falsettos
(giving us the same wow we
got first hearing Mika sing Grace
Kelly), he has an adorable slight
lisp when hes singing. And yet he
still has this abundance of youthful
swagger that just stops short of
being annoying macho arrogance.
His first chart attack will be the
debut single Do It All Over Again,
which despite the guitar skills,
is all out pop electro funk. Its
probably a bit early to call, but
were pretty sure weve found the
UKs answer to Justin Bieber with
this foxy little baby (baby, baby).
Do It All Over Again is out 12 January,
Elyarfox.com
[music]
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DIVA
Las Vegas!
gaytimes.co.uk 82
Bleona is one of a kind. Literally.
My name is not even an Albanian name,
she casually mentions over lunch, while
simultaneously doing her GT interview,
editing a behind the scenes video and
bossing around the waiting staff.
Its a unique name. Bleona comes
from the joining of my mother, father and
brothers names. Every other Bleona
thats out there is because of me and
theyre at least ten years younger than
me. So Im the worlds first Bleona you
can check. I cant really be second in
anything. I believe that second place is
the first loser.
These are the kind of statements
of unrelenting determination and
unmitigated ego that pepper the average
conversation with Bleona. It may sound
arrogant, but in Albania she is a big deal,
and all over Eastern Europe. She could be
on TV all the time but is instead pursuing
her own pop career. I had no time for
[Albanian] X Factor, she states matter of
factly, before sneaking in her wry sense of
humour. They wanted me to be a judge, I
dont have time for that. Im too busy being
X Factor myself.
Lets take that backstory journey
you can imagine your own X Factor
voiceover, faded photographs zooming
past. It all started with my father,
making me dance on a table when I was
three-years-old. Youre like the clown
of the family, you know?. The next step
was the Mickey Mouse type clubs, then
as a very loud six-year-old kid she met
the Prime Minister of Albania to present
him with flowers. She had her first
magazine cover before puberty.
So Im pretty much used to hanging
out with big shots, since I was a little
girl, Bleona quips. Its two bigshots
that have jump started the next stage of
her career, a fixation with Timbaland
who she managed to reach thanks to an
encounter with Donald Trump. He said
oh my god who are you? youre basically
the most famous person I havent met
yet. It was Bleonas sheer willpower
that got them working together, and the
result (Pass Out) is one of her best crowd
pleasers, an arms aloft anthem about
partying til you drop. Its as upbeat as
her latest single Take It Like A Man. Its
our favourite Bleona song, and not just
for the blatant sexual innuendo, which
Las Vegas! Las Vegas! Las Vegas! Las Vegas! Las Vegas! Las Vegas! Las Vegas! Las Vegas!
gaytimes.co.uk 83
WORDS BOB HENDERSON IMAGES VINCENT PETERS
[music]
IMAGE VINCENT PETERS
gaytimes.co.uk 84
she is well aware of.
I mean the song has nothing to
do with the gay community, its
about a girl saying to a guy this is
who I am, take me as I am, or Ill
find someone else. But for the gay
community it has a total different
meaning! she laughs. As a song it
joins the canon of covert pop songs
about anal sex, while being armed
with one of those stealth melodies
that you find yourself humming at
improbable moments.
You dont get to the point of catchy
singles and 35 fashion magazine
covers without putting in some
serious work, and you dont have
to spend a weekend in Vegas to
see that Bleona works really hard.
And is hard work. Ive been called
before Im too much, I dont have
a problem with that, she says.
Our first hand experience of this
included dropping by a sex shop
off the strip for some latex buffing
spray for one of her outfits and
listening to her shout over a tannoy
during a soundcheck Mummy!
Computer!. Oh, and shed fired her
assistant within the first 12 hours
of us meeting her. Bleona is the
living breathing Wilhelmina Slater
of Euro-pop, you cant help being
in awe in her presence. I like the
idea of being a perfectionist, she
explains. its very time consuming
and you drive crazy everybody
else around you, but then once
they learn your standard they can
just function for themselves. Its
like Work Bitch went to the wrong
woman.
Of course, these are the extreme
backstage moments. Her fans got to
see her perched on an open topped
charcoal grey Bentley, working the
crowd during the night-time Vegas
Pride parade.
Her weave was done in big
rainbow dipped curls as she blew
her trademark kisses, an Albanian
princess giving a regal wave, while
her bubble boys worked the crowd.
And the following day, everyone got
to see what all the hard work was
for, headlining the main stage at
Vegas Pride. True to form, she took
no half measures.
I love it when people say its
impossible, this is what gets me
going, she tells us. And her
performance got her going, her crew
going mad and the crowd going
wild. She overcame every logistical
nightmare involved in making a song
entrance in an inflatable bubble
(which could only happen thanks
to involving four crew and her non-
English speaking mother). She was
in the bubble for about five seconds
onstage before a dancer stabbed it
open and she burst into another high
energy dance pop track. By the end
of the show, all her hot dancers were
ejaculating champagne over her
and the audience, while she writhed
in strawberries and chocolate
sauce. Bleona is a health and safety
nightmare, a redefinition of hot mess.
But its not all VIP areas and lavish
excess (though it is mostly, and it
will be if Bleona gets her way). Half
way through her set she made an
empowering speech to and for the
gays, which she repeats to us the
next day over lunch.
I come from a side of the world
where gay rights are barely there,
she says, they sadly barely exist.
By me joining the parade
last night and embracing this
community in America, hopefully it
will be sending a positive message
to the other side of the world
who are total losers and they just
dont fucking get it. Let people do
whatever the hell they want! Why do
you have a problem with it? Because
we have better things to worry
about than discriminating against
people for no reason at all.
Bleona`s single Take It Like A Man is out now,
bleonaworld.com
I cant
really be
second in
anything.
I believe
that
second
place is
the first
loser
diva las vegas!
[reviews]
Put
t he
needle
on it
Daft Punk Instant Crush
The Strokes vocalist is put
through a Cher Believe vocoder, for a very stylish
mope at the disco. Neon Jungle Braveheart
The four piece female equivalent of 5ive are back in
the ring for round two, which is somehow brasher,
noisier and more of an enjoyable pop headache
than the last. Union J Loving You Is Easy Not
a Minnie Riperton squeak in sight, as what starts
as boyband balladering soon cranks up a gear into
interesting emo-electronica. Lily Allen Hard
Out Here Now this is how to do a comeback, even
if it is a downloadable Smack the
Pony sketch. Ciara Overdose
Finally this is getting the attention
it deserves. Right? Err, no. This
single is a Ciara business studies
case study on how great pop
music can be so badly promoted.
Ryksopp Something In My
Heart They`ve done a track with The Irrepressibles
frontman Jamie McDermott and very lovely it is no
Girl And The Robot, obviously, but slow hypnotic
and haunting electro from a talented tagteam.
Britney Perfume It`s not as immediate a ballad as
Everytime, but once you`ve given it a few squirts,
it`s right up there. Cut through with Sia like a stick of
rock, this is Britney`s Wrecking Ball. Katy Perry
Unconditionally Another second single release
ballad, shockingly not written by Sia. It still sounds
like Katy Perry`s Wrecking Ball.
Yolanda Be Cool All that she wants is
another baby, shes gone tomorrow. A
lyric so simple, poetic and ambiguous,
it should be taught alongside Carol
Ann Duffy. Were not the only ones who
adore the 90s superhit from Ace of Base,
as the decades revival continues with
some heavyweight hipsters of dance
collaborating to cover All That She Wants.
We No Speak Americano hit makers
Yolanda Be Cool have teamed up with
Fritz Helder and Syf for this Dalston-esque
makeover. Its been dragged screaming
into 2014 with a high hat tss-tss-tss so laid
back its almost out of time, a bad ass
bassline and some strange counter intuitive
synth lines. The familiar vocals are down
to Fritz, who was behind those Azari &
III toplines (which is pretty handy given
theyve just disbanded). Wed be lying if
we didnt mention that we love and miss
some of the cheesiness of the original, but
damn it, its about time all this 90s nostalgia
tackled the cream of the crop.
Yolandabecool.com
Now all the hype
and hyperbole has
died down, and the
ridiculous rhetoric
has eased up, we
can fnally see
Artpop for the album
it is; a slightly fawed
but gem-packed pop
album. And as 2013
draws to a close, in
its dying moments
you can get hold
of the vinyl version
of Gaga`s latest.
We can`t wait to
hear Swine coming
out of our record
player, given how
it sounds amazing
already on tinny
laptop speakers.
You can get bundles
too, together with
t-shirts featuring
Gaga`s smeared
Applause make-up
caked face on the
front. With just eyes
and teeth, it reminds
us of those animals
faces t-shirts, i.e.
brilliant. At worst
you can use the
double 12 discs as
an expensive post-
postmodern Gaga
costume, gotta be
sturdier than those
plastic shells from
her last X Factor
performance.
The vinyl edition
of Artpop is out 30
Dec, ladygaga.co.uk
[tracklist ]
[music]
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27TH DECEMBER - 2ND FEBRUARY
WWW.PROWLER.CO.UK
SOHO 5-7 Brewer Street, Soho, London, W1F 0RF, 020 7734 4031
BRIGHTON 112-113 St Jamess Street, Brighton, BN2 1TH, 01273 683 680
BIRMINGHAM 29-30 Stephenson Street, Birmingham, B2 4BH, 0121 665 6379
Body Counts Sean
Strub Sean Strub
is a man of many
talents. He founded
the groundbreaking
POZ Magazine,
produced the hit
play The Night
Larry Kramer
Kissed Me, and
became the frst
openly HIV positive
candidate for US
congress. Strub`s
autobiography tells
a touching, and
often thought-
provoking story of
his experiences.

Downton Tabby
Chris Kelly
Everybody loves
Downton. Or at
least, everyone puts
up with someone
who loves Downton.
Likewise, everyone
loves cats or at least
everyone puts up
with a cat person.
This hilarious
collection draws
Passion For Life: An
Autobiography Joan Collins
Joan Collins doesn`t hold back in her
latest autobiography. The Dynasty
star, whose career stretches over 60
years, talks about her friends and
latest hubbie, Percy Gibson (who
is 32 years her junior and she once
responded to the age gap with, If he
dies, he dies!). As well as dishing
the dirt on her four ex-husbands and
countless boyfriends, there`s also
some revelations on antiques dealer
Robin Hurlstone, who Joan dated
for most of the 90s and previously
didn`t disclose much about their
relationship. Deliciously defant,
brimming with attitude and chock-full
of drama everything we want from
a true diva!
The Days of Anna Madrigal
Armistead Maupin
You must watch Breaking Bad. You must listen
to Disclosure. You must see Book of Mormon.
Sorry to add to your list of MUSTS, but if you
haven`t read Armistead Maupin`s Tales of the
City series, you must. It`s inspired several TV
series and musicals and now the eighth book in
this 30-year series is about to drop.
This time round it`s all about Anna Madrigal,
perhaps one of literature`s most well-drawn
and non-sensationalised transgender
characters. She`s been quietly hanging around
other people`s stories in the series, largely
minding her own business, and the issue of
her transgender past has never been a big
deal. Now she`s 92 and - determined to "leave
like a lady" - she`s off on a road trip that will
take her, and us, deep into her past. As ever,
the prose is crisp and clean. Maupin`s great
strength is not his poetry but the richness and
variety of his characters, his tight narrative
control and his nuanced understanding of
complex human emotions. It`s funny too -
and provides a snapshot of modern San
Francisco through the prism of one of its oldest
inhabitants. And there`s nothing better than a
fabulous old lady, is there?
Beards: An Unshaved History
Kevin Clarke Here at GT Towers
we can`t get enough of ft fellas
rocking facial fuzz. And judging by
this gorge new coffee table book,
beards are defnitely winners. This
collection may as well have simply
been named 'The Beard Bible`; if
you need to know anything about
facial fuff, chances are, it`ll be here.
Clarke documents everything from
the porn moustache to the religious
connotations of beards. Interviews,
essays, and plenty of photographs
ranging from tasteful to downright
sexy are all contained within. If
you`ve ever wanted to fnd common
ground for gays, straights, hipsters,
porn stars and even the Taliban then
look no further.
together both worlds
into a fabulous,
cat-Downton
mash-up, complete
with photographs
and artwork that
will have tears of
laughter streaming
down your face.

Confessions of a
Showbiz Reporter
Holly Forest Billed
as 'confessions`
(part of a series
where people
reveal behind-the-
scenes job secrets).
this doesn`t live up
to the title, being
observations of
how celebrity and
entertainment
reporting happens.
It`s thin on real
gossip, and more
the opinions of one
person in the media
machine which
isn`t as glamorous
as you may
imagine.

[reviews]
[print]
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Until 18 Jan
Cabaret isn`t just
for Christmas, it`s
for January too.
You can`t beat the
classics to over-
come winter blues,
and Chicago has
certainly got classic
status. All That
Jazz is sweeping
Leicester - yes,
be ready Leicester
- before heading
back to the West
End. curveonline.
co.uk
Until 19 Jan
Listen, we`ve found
a great show for all
the Single
Ladies. It`s one for
a Naughty Girl to be
like, "I Was Here".
Just don`t get an
Ego because we
like that Halo, Flaws
And All. Yes, it`s
Luisa Omielan`s
new show What
Would Beyonc
Do? It looks pretty
Irreplaceable. So-
hotheatre.com
Until 25 Jan
We love a bit of
Doctor Who - or,
occasionally, quite
a lot of Doctor
Who. So the idea
of the Doctor and
Shakespeare
combining is pretty
exciting. David
Tennant plays
Richard II in a
new adaptation
at the Barbican
theatre. Get your
culture wigs on.
barbican.org
8 Jan 1 Feb
We probably
shouldn`t say this
out loud. Not
because it`s taboo
- obviously we
love a taboo - but
because it`s not
really in the spirit of
things. Do we have
to act it out for you?
Yes, you guessed
it (did you?) it`s
the International
Mime Festival! Let
your hands go wild.
mimelondon.com
Until November
We love a Willy
Wonka. Or
something like that.
The classic flm has
been adapted for
stage, wowing
audiences since
premiering on the
West End last
summer. Pop
Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory
on the to-see list
for 2014. Charliean-
dthechocolatefacto-
ry.com
[reviews]
[stage]
Happy Days Tis the
season of happy days,
from snuggling around
the fire with your nan after
Christmas lunch to knocking
back the gins with your BFFs
for New Years Eve. But by
11 January, the month-long
hangover will have kicked
in and the Visa bills started
to arrive. So if you can take
just a bit more Bucks Fizz,
Cheryl Baker is starring in a
revival of 70s sitcom Happy
Days. Get ready for some
rockin and rollin, girls.
11 Jan - 5 July, happydaysthemusical.co.uk
gaytimes.co.uk 89
gaytimes.co.uk 90
The Frozen Ground Disc John
Cusack is back as another cold-
blooded serial killer; he`s so good in
these kinds of roles I`m starting to
worry. Nic Cage co-stars as a cop,
and I`m worried about him too, but for
the opposite reason - he`s playing
it sane, and sane doesn`t suit him.
The same goes for this Alaskan-set
thriller: it may be based on true story
(it`s got photos of the victims over the
end credits!), but where`s the pizzaz?!

Pain & Gain Disc Michael Bay is my
Kubrick, and future generations of flm
students will wonder why his genius
went unrecognised. This demented
tale of bodybuilders, ambition,
murder, extortion and steroid-
impaired decision-making stars Mark
Wahlberg and Dwayne 'The Rock`
Johnson, and it`s well written, fnely
acted and spectacularly entertaining.
Plus, y`know, big men in tiny lycra.

Lovelace Disc This Linda Lovelace
biopic breathlessly recreates the
Deep Throat starlet`s frst attempts at
full-throated fellatio and judging by
people`s reactions, you`d think they
were watching the moon landing,
not the gay equivalent of a casual
handshake. Part period piece, part
cautionary tale, the flm certainly
looks the part, but the cast are let
down by an underwhelming script,
which doesn`t give them anything
meaty to sink their teeth into.

Riddick Disc Pitch Black was a
B-movie par excellence, but even Judi
Dench couldn`t save its overblown
sequel. Writer/director David Twohy
and star Vin Diesel have taken the
franchise back to its low-budget roots,
and the results are entertaining if
predictable, as the steel-eyed ex-con
fnds himself stranded on yet another
planet with a particularly unpleasant
ecosystem and a host of bounty
hunters queuing up to be dispatched.

[also out ]
All Is Lost For years people
have been telling Robert
Redford hes all washed up, and now hes
taken them at their word, with a powerful
solo performance in this lm about a man
shipwrecked on the Indian Ocean. 47 Ronin
What links the lms 47 Ronin, 13 Assassins,
Seven Samurai, and Three Men and a Baby?
Thats right - PRIME NUMBERS. I thought Keanu
Reeves was past his prime, but hes back in
this martial arts fantasy. The Secret Life of
Walter Mitty Ben Stiller directs and stars in this
adaptation of the tale of a man who gets lost in
his own daydreams. After years in development
hell (Jim Carrey, Owen Wilson, Mike Myers and
Sacha Baron Cohen were all tipped to star)
lets hope the result doesnt turn out to be a
nightmare. Last Vegas If the phrase Robert
De Niro comedy doesnt strike fear into your
heart, it should. He stars alongside Michael
Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline as
a bunch of old farts who head to Vegas in an
attempt to relive their glory days, which in De
Niros case would be Casino (1995).
The Wolf of Wall
Street The Occupy
movement and its
'we are the 99%`
slogan might sound
good on paper, but
it`s hard to stay
mad at the bankers
when they`re
played by the
likes of Leonardo
DiCaprio, Matthew
McConaughey
and Jonah Hill.
Martin Scorsese`s
story of the rise
and fall of a Wall
Street stockbroker
looks and sounds
amazing, and it
even features
Joanna Lumley
so what`s to hate?
They may be the
1%, but maybe
they`re the top 1%.
Right?
cinema/disc
[reviews]
Delivery Man
Cinema Thanks
to a fertility clinic
mixup, profigate
sperm donor
Vince Vaughan
discovers he has
sired 533 offspring
and they want
to get in touch.
It`s well-meaning
but infrequently
funny, and the core
premise - of fresh-
faced teenagers
running round with
Vaughan`s DNA
inside them is
just plain creepy.

Interior. Leather
Bar DVD Legend
has it that 40
minutes of S&M
footage were
cut from William
Friedkin`s gay
serial killer thriller,
Cruising, and
James Franco
Inside Llewyn Davis Cinema
Rarely has a shaggy dog story
sounded so good: the Coen
Brothers` affectionate, inconsolable
tribute to New York`s 60s folk
music scene features their best
soundtrack since O Brother, Where
Art Thou? The songs, performed
live and in their entirety by a cast
including Oscar Isaac, Carey
Mulligan and Justin Timberlake, are
alternatively funny, dark, corny and
poignant; they`ll transport you out of
the multiplex and into a space that`s
sadder and more sublime. The
story, on the other hand, is another
Coen Brothers wild goose chase,
complete with a John Goodman
cameo and gratuitous allusions to
Ulysses.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Cinema I`m always wary of a biopic
with the word 'long` in the title, but
if the late Mandela could endure
27 years in prison I won`t begrudge
him a mere 2 hours 20 mins
(despite the fuckawful Bono song
that plays over the end credits). Idris
Elba is a commanding presence
as the legendary peacemaker
and Naomie Harris is fearsome
as Winnie, his consort battleship.
Given Mandela`s personal qualities
and political achievements, it`s
hard to distinguish biography from
hagiography, but Winnie`s faws
turn out to be the flm`s saving
grace, and it compellingly recounts
the couple`s equally fervent, if
increasingly opposed, struggles for
freedom.
wants to put it back.
This exploration
of Cruising`s
themes and
imagery is explicit
yet frustratingly
elliptical, but if
watching Franco
watch someone get
fsted foats your
boat, fll yer boots.

The Railway Man
Cinema Colin
Firth stars in the
true story of a man
haunted by his
time in a Japanese
POW camp. Nicole
Kidman shines as
his wife, eager to
help explore her
husband`s troubled
past and with
fashback scenes
littered with semi-
nude male cast
members, you`ll
want to explore it
too.
[screen]
gaytimes.co.uk 91
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Her Cinema Her Her
I spend more time with my smartphone
than with any single human being. It knows
me better than my mother, and thanks to
its selection of - ahem - social networking
apps, most of my relationships are conducted
through it. So why don`t I cut out the human
element, and start loving what`s in my pocket?
After all, I have no problems turning it on when
I want something. Spike Jonze`s sci-f romance
stars Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly,
a mild-mannered writer whose new operating
system, Samantha (voiced by Scarlett
Johansson) is so bright and intuitive he fnds
himself falling in love with her - and he`s
amazed to fnd she feels the same way. It`s a
whimsical conceit, and the flm`s luminously
beautiful production design details a plausible
yet offbeat alternate future.
But the flm`s emotional and philosophical
themes are as serious as its sci-f credentials.
Samantha starts out as a novelty OS, but as
her capabilities become ever more developed,
Theodore`s faws and limitations become ever
more apparent. When synthetic emotions
become more profound than human ones, who
will we turn to when our machines ditch us for
the latest model?
DIGITAL
DOWNLOAD THE ORIGINAL GAY MAGAZINE
WWW.GTDIGI.CO.UK
DOWNLOAD YOUR FAVOURITE BACK ISSUE
READ GT
WHEREVER YOU
WANT, WHENEVER
YOU WANT!
ONLY
2.49
WHEN YOU
SUBSCRIBE
Marvel Announces Teenage
Muslim Ms Marvel The publishing
powerhouse is adding a little more
diversity to its super hero ranks,
introducing Kamala Khan as a
Muslim teenage Pakistani-American
Ms Marvel. Shell be taking on the
mantle of Ms Marvel, following
former Ms Marvel, who now goes
by Captain Marvel. Did we mention
whos publishing this title?
As the final arc of Young Avengers
comes to a close under the all-star
creative team of Kieron Gillen
and Jamie McKelvie, were taking
a look back over the journey
spanning 15 amazing issues in 12
months.
Marvel began by teasing Gillen
and McKelvies headline grabbing
series with the word amateurs.
For a series that promised
exciting new directions, unseen
vistas and a reinvention of
Marvels premiere teen super hero
team (not counting the X-Men
because reasons), Young Avengers
could easily have been all talk,
conceptually, but instead delivered
the definitive must-read Marvel
title of 2013, attracting cover art
from Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan
Lee OMalley.
Bringing together 18-year-
old gay power couple Hulkling
and Wiccan, Kate Bishop, the
lady archer Hawkeye and her
intergalactic booty call Marvel
Boy (an alien hipster inspired by
David Bowie dont cha know!),
with fan favourites Kid Loki, and
Miss America, the brief was
nothing short of a reinvention
of the teen super-hero comic
for the 21st century. So yeah, no
pressure right?
So what actually happens?
Wiccan accidentally
summons a mind-controlling
interdimensional parasite when
he tries bringing Hulklings mum
back from beyond the grave (big
whoops). This horrible mistake
predictably comes back to bite
everyone in the arse.
Fast out of the gate it was all boys
kissing and teens with parental
issues (and back issues) on a pan
dimensional road trip.
Nailing the very spirit of Marvel
NOW! with a fresh take on the
current concerns of (albeit super
powered) kids on the brink of
adulthood, from issue one the
series had something special.
McKelvie delivers a variety of
mind-bending layouts, including
some genius catch up pages
illustrated in the social media
styles of Facebook and Instagram.
Teenage hormones. Zombie
parent hordes. Pancakes! Get
invested and get ready to have
your adrenaline pumped. Terrific
storytelling and innovative art in a
read thats exciting, funny, twisted
and moving. You might throw up
your heart. Just this side of the
BEST! THING! EVER!
YOUNG AVENGERS STYLE > SUBSTANCE
In space no one
can hear you
squeeeal Not the
scariest thing to
come out of Ridley
Scott`s cult classic
E.T. fick, Alien,
but possibly the
cuddly-wuddlyist.
Just DO NOT look
this super-deformed
little gift horse in the
mouth. Or the tiny
mouth in its mouth.
So many teeth.
Star Wars
Tauntaun hobby
horse It`s winter.
The weather is
miserable, and the
commute is worse.
Avoid the bus
journey nothing
gets you through a
cold day on Hoth
like a Tauntaun.
The best part is you
don`t even have to
be a young Jedi in
training.
A Time Lord's best
friend This retro
futuristic robotic
canine has travelled
through time and
space with the
Doctor and solved
crimes with Sarah
Jane. He`s a talking
robot dog you can
hug, who will speak!
Any arguments
to its detriment
are automatically
irrelevant.
[reviews]
[geek]
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Inkly We`re not
sure if this is
entirely necessary,
but if you`re partial
to sending cards
via the internet
instead of stepping
into a shop, Inkly
offers a sassy little
solution to the
impersonality of
typed 'personal`
messages. You
simply write your
message out
and photograph
with your iPad,
allowing Inkly`s
tech to transfer
your message into
your chosen card.
Granted, you could
have gone and
bought a card in the
same time but hey,
tech for tech`s sake
is nothing new.
Smartglass Got
an Xbox One?
Then make your
way to Microsoft`s
second-screen
app, which can be
used to control the
tech giant`s latest
console as well
as giving access
to media, allowing
you to browse
the web on TV as
well as offering
game support and
additional gameplay
features.
Less is more with
Garmin`s HUD
(Head-up Display),
a fancy-schmancy
new addition to the
world of satnavs that
ups the style and
the sci-f feel while
providing a crisp
and slick way of
navigating. The HUD
projects a simple,
uncluttered display
directly onto the
windscreen at the
base of your vision,
adjusting brightness
levels automatically
to ensure visibility
in all kinds of light.
The simplicity of
the display belies
the amount of
information on
offer - with ETA,
lane assist, speed,
safety and camera
alerts all on offer.
The HUD itself pairs
with a Bluetooth-
enabled smartphone
and works in
conjunction with
Garmin StreetPilot
on iPhones or with
NAVIGON mobile
apps on most other
Bluetooth-enabled
smartphones. It
might not quite be
Minority Report in its
slickness, but we`re
getting there and it`s
hard not to feel like
you`re navigating
something from
the future with the
display on your
windscreen.
Garmin.com
idle hands?
Dead Rising 3
Game of the Month
Setting any game in a loose rendering of Los
Angeles is likely to draw comparisons to Grand
Theft Auto V, so Capcom is either brave or stupid
for attempting it in this third iteration of the Dead
Rising universe. Sure, there`s plenty to do but
this is not the showcase for the Xbox One the
developers were surely hoping for. Graphically it
can`t hold a candle to the last-gen magnifcence
of Rockstar`s latest triumph and look beneath
the hood at the tech on display and you start to
wonder if they even bothered trying to look for the
candle. But the Dead Rising games don`t survive
on polish, gaining points instead for outright
wackiness and - in Dead Rising 3`s case - the
sheer number of zombies to kill. Because one
area where Dead Rising 3 does start to show
off its next-gen welly is in the number of bodies
(excuse the pun) seen on screen at any one time.
The map is also huge and the game`s trademark
creativity when it comes to offng the undead is
also back - practically anything can be turned
into a weapon or strapped on to one to deliver
kills of staggering inventiveness. As with most frst
out the trap games on a new generation though,
Dead Rising 3 will be looked back at with more of
a "bless" than a "wow". Available on Xbox One now
G
A
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E
[apps
]
[reviews]
ANY OLD ION
Illuminating Nokia appears to be undergoing
something of a resurgence of late having
arrived late to the smartphone party,
its Lumia range is seeing the Finnish
communications giant regain some of
the visibility it enjoyed in the rst wave of
mobile phone battles. Now its entering the
tablet market with its rst Windows tablet,
the Lumia 2520 and, all things considered,
its an impressive piece of kit. Combining 4G
LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity, a 6.7MP camera,
and for the rst time ever on a tablet, ZEISS
optics, letting people take beautiful pictures
even in low light. The Lumia 2520 runs
on Windows RT 8.1 for an easy to navigate
experience, and also features multiple
colour choices (a boon in a world of slate
grey and glossy black tech) as well as a
fast-charging capability providing up to
an 80% charge in one hour. Battery issues
are further addressed with the addition of
the Power Keyboard (albeit at an additional
outlay) which adds up to ve extra hours of
battery life as well as two USB ports its
also a lot friendlier to use than the imsy
mats attached to other tablets (step forward
Microsoft Surface). Nokia.com
Clever camera sorts iON have
unveiled the Air Pro 3, a wearable,
high-definition video camera
with a slew of new features that
make the kit attractive to all sorts
of people athletes, cyclists,
cottagers, you name it. Compact,
lightweight and fully waterproof,
the Air Pro 3 also features Wi-Fi
connectivity and free cloud
storage which works with Apple
and Android devices, allowing
users to control camera functions
and settings, preview the scene
before shooting, instantly replay
recordings, and immediately
upload footage to Facebook,
YouTube and other social
networks. Whats more, the Air
Pro 3 records HD video at up to 60
frames per second at full 1080p
with dual streaming to enable
users to simultaneously shoot and
share recordings. Add in the fact
that the Air Pro 3 is waterproof to
49 feet and youve got a one-stop
shop for all your snooping needs.
Ioncamera.com
[tech]
gaytimes.co.uk 95
W
O
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D
S

M
I
K
E

H
I
R
D
AVAILABLE IN-STORE
LONDON BRIGHTON BIRMINGHAM
PJUR IS THE
PERFECT LUBE
FOR ANAL PLAY
AVAILABLE IN
ORIGINAL,
AQUA & LIGHT
ALSO AVAILABLE
SUPER HERO BACK DOOR
& ANALYSE ME
[01/14]
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk 97
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readers lives
Conor Nash
Norfolk, 20,
student
I`m not, like,
completely
comfortable naked.
Say I`m out in Ibiza,
and there`s loads of
hot guys around me
with massive bodies.
Other than that, I
am comfortable.
I get naked a lot.
Sometimes at
parties. Why not?
I love a bit of
strip poker.
I have a small
frame, and it suits
me and who I am.
If I had built myself
up to be bigger, it
just wouldn`t suit me
and my personality.
I get complimented
on my jaw line, and
my collar bones. I
want a bigger bum,
and bigger legs. I`ve
got really thin legs,
so I`d like to tighten
them up a bit more.
I wish I was taller,
maybe about 6`1" or
something.
Am I a bit of an
attention whore?
Just a little bit. You
know at Heaven
[night club], they
do that Porn Idol
thing? I`ve done that
once, but I didn`t
win. You kind of
start fully clothed
and you strip. I`m
not an alcoholic,
but I do drink quite
a lot. Every day.
I go out with my
friends all the time,
always have a bottle
of wine. And I do
get quite jealous at
times. Every guy I
end up liking, they
always say I`m too
camp for them. If
I had to describe
myself in fve words?
I`m determined,
confdent, happy,
drunk and real.
@conor_nash
gaytimes.co.uk 98
WORDS JOHN MARRS IMAGES ROBERT GERSHINSON
THE
AND ME
MONSTER
99 gaytimes.co.uk
I WAS AT AN ALL TIME LOW
when I met the man I now call The
Monster. Id moved to Manchester
to be with my then boyfriend, but
when he was diagnosed with HIV,
our life together fell apart. At some
point during our relationship he had
cheated, but by some miracle I was
clear. Soon after that, my beloved
dog died which broke my heart. So
I was at a vulnerable point I was
single and didnt want to go out and
meet people, and concentrated on
my dog grooming business instead.
Then one Saturday afternoon, The
Monster walked into my shop. I
wont humanise him by giving him
a name but he was half my age,
beautiful, charming and trendy. He
started chatting me up and said he
fancied me, and I quite liked the
attention. He asked if he could stay
the night and I said yes. So we went
to a party at a friends house and
then back to mine where we had a
bit of a fumble and I thought, yeah,
hes okay, I like him.
The following day he came
with me to the Pink Dog Show in
Manchesters Village, where I
entered my new puppy Indie. The
Monster appeared to know a lot
of people, but they didnt appear
to know him. Then he introduced
me to everyone as his boyfriend,
which made me feel uncomfortable.
I thought he wasnt quite the full
shilling, but he was only 20 so he
might have just been young and
daft. The alarm bells had started to
ring, although only a little bit.
He told me he was a part-time
actor and also worked at a clothes
shop. He stayed at my flat above the
shop again that night, then the next
day went to work. But he returned an
hour later, pissed. He asked to stay
but I told him I was busy, because
by then I just wanted him to go. He
said he couldnt go back to his flat
because it was being decorated.
So I reluctantly allowed him to stay,
however I didnt want to have sex
with him again because Id make the
situation worse.
And for the next few days he
just wouldnt leave and there was
something about him that worried
me. I demanded he went and finally
he agreed but he said only after
he made me a farewell Jamaican
meal. We got into my Jeep to go to
the supermarket and he turned the
music up to the maximum. I told him
to stop but he wouldnt so I turned
it off and he started kicking the
dashboard like a maniac.
We got home and I noticed some
money was missing from where
I kept it in the kitchen. Then he
started playing the music loudly
again and when I turned it down,
he had a tantrum, punching walls
and doors. This really scared me.
Last year, 9,000 men in the UK reported
they had been raped by another male. But
its estimated thousands of other victims
are too ashamed to report their attacks or
talk about them. However, Manchesters
John Lennon is an exception. After a savage
attack where he was raped, beaten and had
his genitals mutilated, John, 43, put his
rapist behind bars and wrote a book about
his horrific experience. He tells GT about
the night that changed his life forever
REAL
LIFE
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk 100
I called my friend and when she
arrived, he was acting all nice
and lovely in the kitchen, and hed
smoked some weed which seemed
to calm him down.
The next morning I checked my
money again and 400 had gone. He
was in bed drinking a beer when I
approached him about it. He jumped
up denying it, then threw me on the
bed. He started running around
trashing the bedroom then calmed
down and started kissing my neck
and trying to masturbate me. When
I told him it wasnt happening, The
Monster said: Im gonna fuck you,
hard, till it makes you bleed.
He pinned me down and started
raping me and the pain was
overwhelming. I was struggling and
managed to push him off. Then he
twice sank his teeth into my penis
and testicles and I screamed. I could
see the teeth marks. The Monster
then stood up on the bed and kicked
me in the abdomen and started
strangling me and I couldnt breathe.
The pain in my groin was intense and
I could feel the blood pouring down
my legs. Then he raped me again. At
that moment, I wanted to die.
He let go of my neck and punched
me in the face which nearly knocked
me out, all the time raping me. Then
he grabbed my hair, dragged me
off the bed with both hands and
threw me against the wall. My head
cracked the plaster and I begged
him to stop. Then he shoved his
penis into my mouth and told me
Id die if I bit him. I gagged and he
ejaculated in my mouth, threw me
onto the floor, wiped his semen all
over my face and slammed my head
into the wall again.
I came round and out of the corner
of my eye he was lying on the bed,
masturbating and smoking a joint.
He came over towards me again
but my dog was in his way, so he
kicked her right across the room.
Somehow that gave me the strength
to kick him in the head, grab her,
and run downstairs, pulling some
clothes off the washing line. I ran
to the park and hid in the bushes,
shaking and bleeding.
Then I phoned the police but only
reported it as a theft. I understand
now I did that because I didnt
want to admit to myself what had
happened. The police took me
home and said I needed to go to
the hospital but I didnt want to.
I wanted to be on my own and
consider what had happened.
The following day I rang the police
again and admitted The Monster
had raped me. It was a massive step,
but when I saw what hed done to
my genitals, I knew he couldnt get
away with it. The police sent round
a specially trained policeman who
was amazing. The Monster was
arrested the following day.
It took me a few days but the police
officer persuaded me to go to the
hospital and it was horrendous.
I was examined and had to see a
psychologist before they would
release me. By punching my head
against the wall, The Monster gave
me a trauma cyst on my cheek the
size of a golf ball which needed
plastic surgery to remove.
He was charged with rape and
theft and a year later, he was on
trial. He pleaded not guilty and
fought like tooth and nail. He said
it was consensual sex and S&M
and tried to claim I was doing this
for money, for the compensation.
I wanted to walk into the court,
face him eye to eye and slay The
Monster. In the end, I chose to be
kept away from him by screens
because I couldnt look at him. He
was a horrible, vile creature.
Five weeks after the start of the
trial, I got a phone call from a friend
to tell me the jury had unanimously
found him guilty. I collapsed in
tears. He was sentenced to four
years but in my opinion, a life
sentence would have been justice
for what he did, because he enjoyed
every fucking second of it.
After just 15 months in prison,
The Monster was paroled. I was
devastated when I was warned he
Survivors
Manchester
is one of only ve
organisations in
the UK that deals
specically with
male survivors
of sexual abuse
and rape
If youre male and youve been
sexually violated, on some level
it can be seen as something to
do with being gay, and theres
a reluctance to want to admit
anything like that, says Duncan
Craig, services director.
If youre a male victim of a
sex crime, you can be seen by
yourself or society as weak and
who wants to be seen as that?
The field of sexual violence has
been very much dominated
by the idea it only happens to
females. But men are just as
important as women. They have
the right to heal.
We provide a self-help
website, where many men
begin their healing journey. We
get 15,000 hits to our website
from men who are looking for
some support without revealing
themselves. We have email
support, a telephone helpline,
face-to-face services offering
counselling, psychotherapy,
group support and non-formal
therapy groups like a football
team and gym group.
We are survivor-lead, so
anyone involved here has been
directly or indirectly affected by
sexual abuse as boys or men.
Our advice is that in your
own time, find some support.
It is out there and you can get
through this. You can take back
that power and control that was
taken away from you.
Survivorsmanchester.org.uk
RIGHT JOHN NOW,
PICTURED WITH
DOG JAYA
gaytimes.co.uk 101
was going to be released, and I
withdrew into myself. I was scared
he would find me and still am as hes
been seen in Manchester Village.
I have a special link to the police
on my phone which, when I press,
they can be there in minutes. I
managed to get a photo of him and
every single day I put his picture
on Facebook with his name and the
words sex offender.
It have suffered badly from post
traumatic stress disorder since the
attack sometimes I cant walk,
or am sick or have the image of
constantly being raped in my head. I
have had counselling for three years
now, and Ive really been helped by
Survivors Manchester. They came to
court with me, gave me one to one
therapy and group therapy.
It was a year after my rape before I
had sex again. I needed to prove to
myself that I could, and luckily I can.
But it took me a long time to trust
people again.
Rape takes away your manhood
and its a long time before you get
that control again. With rape and
sexual abuse, people talk about
shame and guilt but Ive never felt
that why should I feel ashamed of
what he did to me?
I wrote my book because Id never
met another man who, as an adult,
had been raped. I hope it inspires
another adult male like me to pick
up the phone and report a rape. And
I want to give people an insight into
what it is to go through a rape and to
come out well, almost come out
the other side. Im not quite there yet,
but Im getting there.
My Journey To Justice? by John Lennon is
available at shieldcrest.co.uk/johnlennon
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk 102
Ive been dating a guy I really
like for a few months. We met
through one of my friends and
things have been going great
so far. The one drawback
is a pretty big one: I live in
London and he lives in Paris.
He runs his own business
and is really busy and I have
a job in London I really love,
so we see each other once or
twice a month max. He tells
me he misses me and wishes
I were around all the time,
but moving isnt an option
for either of us. Im not sure
where we can go from here
do I have to give up on a good
thing? Sean, via email
The Guyliner replies On the face
of it, this looks like a problem a lot of
people would love to have! You have
a great guy, who is self-suffcient with
his own business and lives in one of
the most beautiful cities in the world.
You, in turn, live in a pretty amazing
city yourself, and only two or so hours
on a train separate them. But I`m not
entirely unsympathetic to your LDR
woe. Long-distance relationships
bring pressures of their own: not being
able to spend a lot of time together,
except in short bursts; the idea of
spontaneity all but disappears; and
there has to be an element of trust.
But long-distance relationships have
their upside too - there`s less risk of
becoming sick of the sight of each
other, and only seeing each other
once in a while can keep romance
alive much longer than it would if you
were in each other`s faces 24/7.
Your boyfriend says he`d like to see
more of you and have you around
all the time, but from what you say
it doesn`t sound as if he`d get much
time to see you if you did live in Paris.
Right now, he sees you on the odd
weekend and everything is amazing,
like an extended holiday romance.
But when you put a relationship in
its natural setting whinging about
your day at work, bickering over what
to order in a restaurant and the
glamour quickly fades. You should try
to keep this good thing going as long
as possible, especially if a move to
the other`s city is out of the question
for either of you.
Overthinking things and worrying
about the future is common early
on in a relationship, especially if
you really, really like someone. But
it is usually a waste of time. You`re
not doing the present any favours if
you`re spending it wondering what`s
going to happen next. It can be
scary, but there is a lot to be said in
a relationship for just 'going with it`.
Carry on as you are, but don`t ignore
your problems. If you`re concerned
things are going to fzzle out if you
don`t address the distance issue,
suggest spending a whole week in
each city. Spend it together, but don`t
take the whole week off work as
normal for a couple of days. It won`t
exactly be an experiment under
natural conditions, but it should
give you a brief idea of what to
expect. It may be that you`ll fnd the
odd snatched weekend of bliss is
preferable to the humdrum realities
of takeaway pizza in front of the sofa.
The future has a habit of sorting itself
out. Let it fall into line; it doesn`t need
any encouragement from you.
Got something to get off your chest? Need some good old-fashioned
advice on matters of love, life or relationships? Email The Guyliner
(and his panel of experts) on edit@gaytimes.co.uk. We cant respond
individually and your emails may be edited for use in the magazine.
need advice?
readers dilemas
[life]
THE GUYLINER HELPS WITH
YOUR LIFE DILEMAS AND
ADVISES YOU WHO NOT TO DATE
The Corrector Its
exhausting to be right
all the time, the Corrector will
tell you as he swirls his drink
around his glass. But I cant help
myself. If I see an error, I have
to correct it. You may find this
charming at first. Knowledge can
be quite sexy, after all. But the
trouble with a know-it-all is that
sometimes they make a mistake.
Whether its the eternally
arousing question of whether
to use less or fewer or a
seemingly irrelevant factlet about
the Spice Girls, he likes to be the
one doing the correcting, and
theres no room for an upstart like
you wading in with your addenda.
Saying something you have the
remotest doubt about becomes
a nightmare you live on a
permanent knife-edge that every
utterance will be met by a slow
push of the spectacles back up the
bridge of your paramours nose
(there are always spectacles),
followed by a small sigh and
a withering look that tells you
your very own Encylopedia
Homosexualica is about to put
you straight. Or perhaps, after a
while, turn you straight.
The solution Either live in a
permanent war zone of no, youre
wrong! continually checking
Wikipedia to outsmart each other,
or lay down the ground rules early
on that nobody ever died because
someone said movie instead of
film or used literally every
now and again. Hell dump you for
a Countdown viewer in the end,
of course, but itll be nice while it
lasts. Youll probably bump into
him eventually on Grindr arguing
over youre/your instead of
getting sex like everybody else.
----------
The Sexy Gym Bunny
Gyms used to be a
place for getting fit, sweating
yourself into delirium so you
could get into those teeny
tiny jeans. Now the gym is an
extension of a night on the tiles.
Why wait until you hit the bars
to pick up something nice for
the weekend when there are
50 sweating bodies striving for
perfection all within reachable
radius of your libidos lasso?
Greying, overwashed baggy
T-shirts and grubby old trackie
bottoms used to be the uniform
of your average gym goer, but
nobody wants to hide those prized
abs and bulging biceps away
when Mr Right could be at the
treadmill next door. Shorts have
got shorter and tighter, vests
are straining more than ever
and sniff, sniff is that cologne
we can smell? At the gym?! The
excitement of potentially dating
a guy who makes an extra effort
to look sexy in the gym will soon
fade once youre actually an
item. Unless he cancels that gym
membership, hell be back in all
manner of revealing outfits for
his adoring audience. You can
try to combat this by working
out together, of course, but how
are you supposed to concentrate
on your exercise regime when
youre busy scoping out all those
envious guys just waiting for
you to pull a muscle so they can
move in on your man? You could
always ask him to cover up more
at the gym, but youre essentially
admitting youre a jealous old
Victorian with control issues. And
that aint sexy, is it?
The solution Sure, date a guy who
goes to the gym, but make sure
its not at the same place as you. If
youre concerned theres rather too
little spandex and rather too much
flesh on display, buy him some
more, um, appropriate exercise
gear as a present. Itll show you
take an interest in his hobby. And
maybe suggest he take up running.
Outdoors. With you as his running
partner. Who needs the gym,
anyway? Right?
[02 ]
[01 ]
ALL
THE MEN
YOU
SHOULD
NEVER
DATE
[advice]
gaytimes.co.uk 103
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I
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P
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O
Join us in
Provincetown for
Valentines &
Presidents Day
February 14-18

T
O
P
M
A
R
K
S
small things
On 5 December
2012 we were both
woken up by the
tinny clinking of Lego bricks
being tipped out. This was to
become the soundtrack to our
lives. We had traded nights in
clubs for nights in to the sound
of Peppa Pig. For the best part of
two years, wed been scrutinised,
had our pasts documented and
our present recorded all for
the hope of a family-filled future.
A hard skin, steady tongue and
supportive partner are best tools
to have during this assessment
stage. Its now nearly a year since
our children, a sister and brother,
aged six and five, were placed
with us. In between then and now
I have given up work for a year
and weve celebrated birthdays
and Christmas, moved house and
started a business. Sometimes we
sit wide-eyed at how we manage
to fit things in, but you just do.
You get on with your lives and
things find a natural rhythm. From
experience and talking to other
friends whove adopted, it seems
a natural and usual phase that the
little ones gravitate more towards
one parent than the other. While
its common, it still can blindside
you. Youre left wondering, so
whats he doing right that Im not?
but its nothing to do with you.
The children are finding their way
and it will come to balance.
Though its just over a year,
we often look back with that
bizarre perspective that comes
with hindsight, and it feels a lot
longer. I guess thats how you
know that things are working.
When something is so much a part
of your life that you cant quite
remember what was before? For
us, these two little people arrived,
imitated and absorbed our
idiosyncrasies and have become a
constant in our lives.
We are now a family in every
sense physically, emotionally
and legally, and so life carries on
for us. Its like theyve always been
here and always with us.
Every now and then it hits us
just how far weve come and how
much weve done, good and bad
days, beautiful and staggering at
the same time. And
then we smile and
carry on.
Its not just ladies-with-
babies that get stretch marks
you know and if youve ever
lost a lot of weight in a short
space of time, you probably
do know. This potion
promises to rejuvenate your
stretched, scarred and ageing
skin with restorative rosehip
as used by dishy David
Gandy. Does it work? How
would we know? Everyone
at Team GT has skin like
a babys bottom.
A 60ml bottle of Phytalotion is 9.99 at phytacol.com
[parents]
[life]
GAVAN AND FAMILY EYES ON THE PRIZE
gaytimes.co.uk 105
gaytimes.co.uk 106
We meet three men who
managed to get through the
ups and downs of lifes big, gay
rollercoaster, without needing
a stiff drink to do it. Its easy
to call those who turn their
back on alcohol boring, but
perhaps its those of us (me
included) who rely on alcohol
to ease and block out the
difculties of social, emotional
and sexual situations that are
the ones looking for answers
in the wrong places. We take
a walk on the dry side to see
what life without regular liver-
pounding is really like in the
gay community
What with coming out of the closet, surviving high
school and trying to find love in a world of Grindr
life isnt always easy for todays modern gay man.
Which makes it hardly surprising that many of us
often (and some too often) turn to that ol devil called
booze to help us out every now and then.
And as that wise figure and in my eyes unlikely
gay icon Homer Simpson once said: Alcohol is the
cause, and solution to, all of lifes problems.
But putting this profound insight aside, experts
have more seriously referred to alcoholism as the
grandaddy of gay health problems.
Walter Armstrong said in his book Club Drugs
In Gayville: It may have little of the urgency or
newsworthiness of crystal meth, say, or HIV, but
it remains one of our communitys most insidious
and intractable destroyers.
While theres nothing about homosexuality that
predisposes a gay man to alcoholism, the centrality
of the gay bar to both coming out and going out has
long given liquor a presence in gay society, and sex,
that cant help but be harmful.
But were not looking into the darker side of boozes
connection to gay culture. Step into any gay club
after 10pm (8pm on a weekend) and therell no doubt
be plenty of evidence of that to feast your eyes on.
We are meeting the mysterious men at the drier
end of the scale. Does that mean the duller end?
We thought so, but after meeting a few teetotal
homosexuals for a drink (coffee, of course) the grass
started to look a bit greener on the sober side.
WE MEET THE GAY
MEN WHO DONT NEED
BOOZE TO PARTY
SOBER
REAL
LIFE
WORDS EDWARD DYSON
[life]
107 gaytimes.co.uk
Meet teetotaller
number 1: Anthony Gibb
----------
Our parents influence us in many
ways. Often the overbearingness
of our mothers or disappointment
of our fathers (clich alert) can be
what drives us to an over-reliance
on rum and the like, which often
stems from adolescence.
But sometimes ma and pa can
influence us in the opposite
direction, as stage manager Antony
Gibb can attest to. He saw the
effect alcohol had on his family
and decided the only way forward
was to ban booze from his life,
permanently.
He admits: Both of my parents
have struggled with alcohol over
the years and some of my unhappier
memories as a child involve my
parents being drunk. So I knew
from an early age I didnt want to
behave like that.
And secondly, I really dont
feel I have the need for it anyway.
Im a really social person and I
have relatively little inhibitions
as it is so Ive never needed
something to help me relax, have
fun and talk to people. As my
friends will tell you I enjoy good
night out, and usually the more
drunk other people get, the more
I know I can get away with!
But that doesnt mean Anthony isnt
in the habit of practicing restraint,
as he explains.
I do have an issue with the
control aspect of drinking. I have
a real need to remain in control of
things at all times, which is what
I guess makes me a good stage
manager and supervisor. However
the idea of something or someone
controlling me is terrifying, so I
dont drink or do drugs because
Im not comfortable at all with the
idea of a substance messing with
my body and mind.
Of course we dont only drink to
have the confidence to pull, dance
and deliver home truths to irritating
friends (dont pretend you havent
been there). Any avid drinker will
tell you that the sip of cold beer on
a hot day or that Baileys at Crimbo
is proof that the taste of the devils
juice is undeniably a factor too.
But again, not for Ant.
Ive tried it, but most of it was
pretty gross. There are tastier things
to drink in my opinion, he insists.
We do cook with wine in the house,
but the alcohol is burnt off.
In spite of the uber-wild cooking
wine (naughty), it must be difficult
to put up with constant pressure
from friends doing a Mrs Doyle from
Father Ted: Ah go on
But they havent managed to tempt
the strong-minded Ant as of yet.
He says: There have been
times friends have pressured me,
but for the most part my friends
have been incredibly supportive,
and those that havent didnt
stay my friend for very long. I
have a wonderful boyfriend and
its never once been an issue
with him, he drinks and we can
respect each others choice.
It happened more during
my school days, but Ive been
incredibly strong-willed from
a really young age, just ask
my mother. If I dont want to
do something then good luck
swaying me.
I think in the end it earned me
some level of respect with my
peers, that I could go out, have a
great time and not have to rely on
getting smashed to do it. I think
when people think of teetotal
people, they think of uptight
prudes, and Im really not.
But isnt being sober in a room full
of drunks like being a straight man
at a Dolly Parton concert?
I dont usually get annoyed,
he tells us. I just tend to end up
mothering people when they have
one too many. I have a friend who
becomes a total brat when shes
pissed, but I find it pretty funny. Its
like having a three-year-old toe-rag
stomping around a dance floor!
I will say I struggle to stay out
[alcohol]
gaytimes.co.uk 108
really late 3am is usually my max. I
always know when its a good time to
go home before people go from fun
to sloppy drunk. I cant really deal
with sloppy drunks, that makes me
uncomfortable.
But just incase anyones not
swayed by Ants persuasive
argument, he delivers his final
killer blow.
Also, the best bit, he grins.
Is that I obviously never have
hangovers. Although sometimes
I feel I have little fake ones by
proxy
You have no idea mate.
----------
Fancy a double?
Teetotaller number 2:
James Murrs
----------
But it may have been an easier
choice for Ant knowing from an
earlier age he didnt want to face
the same issues hed watched his
parents go through. Surely once
youve already discovered the
wonders of alcohol, it would be
more difficult to turn your back
on the golden nectar? But not for
everyone, as it seems writer James
Murrs was more than happy to be
the ever-dependable designated
driver to his lucky pals. But why?
We grill the reformed boozer about
becoming master of the mocktail.
Well, I havent always been an
angel, James tells us. I remember
when I was younger, backpacking
round the US and I was always
either stoned or hammered.
I do have good memories of it,
but I dont miss it.
When I got back, I was working
9 to 5 and the drinking just kind of
stopped from there.
Of course drink or no drink, its
unlikely a gay man in his twenties
will avoid the clubbing scene
altogether.
Obviously I still went out
dancing, he laughed. I just
didnt need to be drunk to do it.
My friends all were of course. But
Id had such little alcohol in my
system, it would take nothing to get
me pissed by then. It would literally
be one bottle of beer.
And with a tale as old as time, from
that moment on the story went: Step
forward, Mr designated driver
He tells us: Occasionally Id get
annoyed being the designated
driver, having to drag people out
the club, and rounding them up
the drop offs would take ages.
And yes I did sometimes feel
superior and smug, thinking
youre gonna be ill. But I soon learnt
that when reminding people what
they did when drunk, you do have to
be careful not to be too annoying.
And that goes for James hubby
too. Yes, the smug designated
drivers other half doesnt share his
reluctant feelings towards alcohol.
Is this a one-way ticket to the
marriage counsellors couch?
James admits: My husband
Stuart drinks, and he gets annoyed
if were out for dinner sometimes.
He has a couple of glasses of wine
and says he feels like an alcoholic.
So Id feel pressured and, every
now and then, feel like just doing it
for an easy life.
And its not just his wine-loving
hubby who isnt always thrilled
to have Sober Sally dampening
the mood.
There have been a couple of
situations where Ive been left out,
he confesses. There was a pub
crawl in Northampton where my
friends went around 15 bars and I
know they didnt invite me.
But on the other hand, theres a
couple of friends I wouldnt invite
to a dinner party because they get
too hammered and I just want to
catch up with people. I worry theyll
break stuff!
So us drinkers arent always the
perfect guests either it turns out,
but sneaky James is not completely
adverse to lying about his lifestyle.
Once, on a date, I said Id been
to rehab and thats why I wasnt
drinking, he laughs. Weirdly the
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk 109
guy was really nice about it, much
nicer than if Id said I just dont like
it. Maybe thats what I should do
more often!
Well, its certainly a more
interesting answer than the fear of
tomorrows banging headache.
The drink-a-phobe confessed:
The hangovers are terrible. I
think theyre hereditary, because
my mum gets migraines. There
were times back in the day when
I couldnt leave the bed for days,
feeling sick and not being able to
eat anything.
Thats not to say James is without
habits though, he indulges
eslewhere rest assured.
Id say imagination and porn
were my indulgences, he laughs. I
did shag around quite a lot as well
before I was married. I just didnt
need alcohol to have the confidence
to chat people up. Saying that, I did
use to use chat rooms occasionally
as well. But I didnt come out until
27, so I had some making up to do.
Anyone who stayed in the closet
until theyre knocking on 30 without
being hammered every step of the
way deserves an OBE if you ask us.
James, we salute you.
----------
One for the road? Meet
Stephen Lue, our third
and nal teetotaller
----------
Apparently not everyone needs
an, ahem, reason not to drink.
Why should teetotal folks explain
themselves? If someone doesnt like
the taste of fish, must they explain
their reasons for not eating it? Or
if theyre not really partial to the
colour yellow?
Stephen Lue, a barrister, argues
his case well, as you might expect,
and he laid down the law in a chat
with us.
People say, why dont you
drink?, and all I think is, why do
you? he asks.
This was going to be a long one
He elaborates: I mean, I didnt
grow up around alcohol. I was
raised by my mum and she didnt
drink. The only rum she had in the
house was for Christmas pudding,
Jamaican style. Shes a Christian
Scientist not a Scientologist and
they tend not to drink.
Then I was quite into my
swimming as a child and drinking
just wasnt conducive to my training
programme.
So instead of swimming in
youthful pools of vodka, Steve
chose actual swimming pools.
And you dont get Tom Daleys
body by downing Jger in Heaven
on a Friday night.
He explains: The reality is, I dont
like the taste, and I am not huge fan
of kissing someone who has drank
too much either.
That rules out 99% of Soho then
Also, I spent the last four years
of secondary school at a Christian
Science school, where boarders
werent allowed to drink alcohol, so
I didnt drink from 14 to 18.
Uni was all about having fun
while making ends meet and not
drinking was an easy way for me
to save money. I didnt need it
to party. I have never been the
sort of person who needs drink
to talk to someone I like and
have never needed it to get up
and dance. Those things come
naturally for me.
He adds: I have had a brilliant
time in my 20s and I really value
being able to remember it. All of it.
And just as Steve was veering
on making us feel bad, he assures
us living a life without gin doesnt
mean missing out on lifes
mortifying night out experiences.
I am stupid enough as it is on
a night out without alcohol, so I
would be scared to see what would
happen if I did drink.
Well, all we can say to that is,
thats where the not being able to
remember what happened factor
comes in.
And well definitely raise a glass
to that.
[alcohol]
gaytimes.co.uk 110
Fluffy Pancakes
Serves 4-6 people
350g self raising flour
80g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
260ml milk
60g melted butter
Blueberry Compote
150g blueberries
25g caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
For the pancakes, place the flour,
sugar, salt and baking powder into
a large bowl and whisk together to
combine. In another bowl, whisk
together the eggs, milk and butter.
Make a well in the dry goods and
pour in the egg mixture, whisking
together until smooth. Set the batter
aside while you make the compote.
For the compote, place the
blueberries, caster sugar and lemon
juice into a small saucepan and
place over medium heat, cooking
until the berries have started to pop
and release their juice, around five
minutes. Pour the compote into a
bowl and set aside until needed.
To cook the pancakes, place a
non-stick saucepan over medium
heat, and ladle in a small amount
of batter and cook until browned
underneath and there are a few
bubbles on top. Flip the pancake
and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
Place onto a plate in a warm oven
and continue to cook pancakes
until all the batter has been used.
Serve the pancakes warm with
the blueberry compote.
Author of The Boy Who Bakes and Say It With
Cake, @TheBoyWhoBakes
In the past, Ive started a diet at New Year
thinking, like everyone else, its a great
time to turn over a new, healthier leaf. But I
almost always fail; its too much pressure.
If you want to diet properly, I think it
shouldnt be a resolution made on a whim
but a genuine change. This months recipe
does have a beautiful blueberry compote, so
if you need to pretend its healthy, you can
at least think of it as one of your five a day!
comfort food!
[life]
E
D
D
K
I
M
B
E
R
I
S
T
H
E
B
O
Y
W
H
O

B
A
K
E
S
As one year comes to an end and
a new one begins, I always enter a
bittersweet, nostalgic frame of mind,
fondly refecting on events from the
past 12 months. At the same time
I feel slightly sad they`ve become
mere memories; it`s not surprising
I`m a miserable bugger in January.
To shake things up a bit, 2014`s
resolution is all about looking
forward, not back. And, despite far
too much stuffng in December, I`m
banishing the January diet to later
in the year; it`s so dull and makes
January all the more trying. So
what`s going to keep a good Jewish
boy like me from succumbing to the
January blues? Why, lashings of
pork, of course!
Back in November, I happened
upon a smoking and curing house
in London`s trendy Islington and
couldn`t resist stocking up on porky
goodness. Once home, I defrosted
some pheasant legs hibernating
in my freezer, combined them
with Wilbur, veg and beans for a
delicious hearty winter stew that`ll
keep me going throughout January
too! And here it is.
Smokey pork, pheasant and
cannellini bean stew
Serves 6
500g dried cannellini beans
6 pheasant legs (you can use duck)
2 onions, neIy chopped
5 carrots, roughly chopped
1 head fennel, roughly chopped
3 sticks celery, roughly chopped
2 red peppers, roughly chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
2 tsp caraway seeds
5 garlic cloves, crushed
500g rindless smoked pork belly cut
into chunks
1 tin tomatoes
6 smoked pork ribs (optional)
300g smoked pork sausage, cut into
chunks
1 bunch Swiss chard, roughly
chopped
Salt and black pepper
Soak the beans in deep water
overnight. The next day, drain,
cover with fresh water and bring to
the boil, skimming off any froth that
collects. Drain.
Next, in a large heavy based pan,
melt some of the fat from the pork
belly. Use the hot fat to brown your
pheasant legs for a few minutes.
Remove the legs from the pan and
then add the onions, carrots, fennel,
celery and red peppers. Sweat (the
veg) gently for ten minutes. Then
add the pork belly, thyme, garlic, bay
leaves and caraway seed. Cook for
a further fve minutes.
Now add the tomatoes, ribs,
sausage and beans. Cover with
water and plop the browned legs
back in. Simmer gently for two
and a half to three hours until the
pheasant is tender and the beans
cooked. Stir in the chard until
wilted. Season and serve.
Alan Rosenthal is the author of Stewed!
80 Stews and One Pot Wonders,
available on Amazon, @alanrosenthal3
Its tradition to ring in the
new, but why stop there when
Glenfiddich offers a range of
taste and flavours to suit all
whisky drinkers. Fresh pear
and subtle oak mark their
12-year-old signature malt;
vanilla, toffee and soft nutty
notes of their Rich Oak, or the
warm spice, honey and rich
fruit flavours of their 15-year-
old. Its the worlds most
awarded single malt, dont you
know? And although theyre
releasing them in special
edition carry cases (available
now in most supermarkets from
34) that doesnt mean you
have to give them as gifts...
THE
PERFECT
YEAR
[food]
gaytimes.co.uk 111
A SIDE
ORDER OF
ALAN
ROSENTHAL
gaytimes.co.uk 112
Diets, gyms and
general health
seem to be top of
the resolution hit
list every year. But a
recent study showed
that only 6% of us
actually achieve
those resolutions! So,
with Christmas over,
now is the time to get
back in shape, not
just for a New Year
fad, but for gradual,
real change that will
last a lifetime
Many people use the holiday
season as an excuse to binge one
last time before the new healthy
routine starts on New Years Day
the last time before they start hitting
the gym regularly. This makes
January the busiest time of the year
for gyms, with plenty of offers to
get you started. However, 60% of
gym memberships go unused and
attendance is usually back to normal
by mid-February.
When it comes to fitness and
wellbeing, whether it be resolutions
or just sticking to a new diet, gym
plan or simply achieving goals,
I find the most common problem
is lack of knowledge. You need to
discover what works for you and not
give up at the first hurdle.
----------
What can you do to make
sure you keep to your tness
resolutions?
----------
Write your goals down and put
them somewhere like a fridge door,
or in your bedroom, so you can
see them as soon as you wake up.
Never underestimate the power of
a prominent, constant reminders of
your goals to keep you motivated.
Make sure to outline small,
manageable steps in order to achieve
IMAGE JOE MCCORMICK
with Tom Jones
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk 113
them and build to where you want to
be. If your goal is to just lose weight
you wont be as motivated as you
would be if you had a specific goal
plan like, hit the gym at least four
times per week for an hour a time,
divided between the cross trainer
and the stair stepper. To simply lose
weight can be so overwhelming
without any direction. Be realistic
and break down your goals step by
step. The most achievable plan is a
six-week period with weekly goals,
once you nail the first six weeks,
you start another. As you make
improvements in your chosen fitness
goals, new ones will emerge.
----------
Make it public. If you share your
resolution with friends and family it
can have multiple positive effects.
From the support when you really
dont fancy going to the gym, or
when you just want that juicy slice
of cake. The no man is an island
method works amazingly well when
trying to stay motivated. Looking for
a training buddy is one of the best
things you can do. No-one likes to
let people down and it really makes
you get up for that morning run or
head to the gym before work if you
have someone whos relying on you,
and vice-versa.
----------
Know your labels! No, not designer
ones, but those printed on the back
of your food. Either through habit
or ignorance, its easy to continue
eating the foods weve always known
and feel comfortable with, but its just
as easy to take some time and see
what youre really shoving down your
cakehole. You really are what you
eat! Similarly, dont be fooled by the
razzmataz adorning the packaging,
either. It may scream low fat or
even fat free, but does that really
mean high in sugar? It still needs to
taste appealing, so it may have more
calories than the full fat versions. The
packaging may shout zero sugar,
but there could still be calories
and carbohydrates from other
ingredients. Their suggested serving
sizes can often be ridiculously small
portions too, used to mask how much
naughtiness youre really taking
in. Its also important to know what
you want out of your food. Clearly,
if youre looking to lose fat, its
important to burn more calories
than you consume. Try eating green
veg or salads where you would
normally eat potatoes, pasta and
rice, especially during the evenings,
as unused calories will turn to fat. If
your goals are to get bigger and gain
more muscle, you need calories to
grow and your food should be high
protein based: chicken, beef, eggs,
pork and milk.
----------
Reminders are always good. They
can also be freaking annoying,
but you dont forget to do stuff, do
you? You could download one of the
zillions of fitness apps to your phone
and move it to a prominent position
on your home screen. Staring you
in the face, daring you to exercise,
it isnt going away. Horrifying.
Exercise to appease it! Zombie
Run 2 (zombiesrungame.com) is
particularly genius for cardio fans. It
inspires fitness by dropping you in
the middle of a zombie apocalypse
and provides challenges to keep
you entertained as you run.
----------
Get some direction. To follow
a path of success, you must know
where youre going. Know what
you want to change, whether it be
an inch off the waist, or an inch on
your arms. Visualise it! You need to
remind yourself why youre doing
this in the first place, and after each
workout, each healthy meal, youll
be a step closer. Why stop and go
back to square one? Youll have to
start all over again. Any change
is good change, from walking the
dog, to riding a bike, to a hardcore
fat fighting/muscle building gym
session. Your will to change has to
be stronger than your will to stay the
same and there is no better time than
now. Lets start this year with a bang,
eat well, train well and look hot!
Ive just
started
training and I
keep hearing
how important
diet is. Is there
such a thing
as healthy
junk food?
Great question.
Healthy junk
food is great,
but usually
comes down to
the ingredients
in use. I love a
healthy burger!
Fresh minced
pork and beef
steak patty from
the butchers,
grilled, a
wedge of
cathedral city
light, slice of
tomato, diced
onion, low fat
tommy sauce
on a wholemeal
bap. Low in fat,
high in protein
and fibre.
ZMA is a supplement popular among
athletes but available on the high
street. Its zinc, magnesium and
vitamin B6 formula will help improve
endurance, healing, growth and
promote restful deeper sleep for a
full recovery from working out.
Highly recommended.
Available from Optimum Nutritio. onacademy.co.uk/zma-2
[ask tom ]
Need advice? Ask Tom on Twitter @tomgt1
[get fit]
75 GREAT EASTERN STREET LONDON EC2A 3RY
TEL: 020 7739 0292
WWW.EXPECTATIONS.CO.UK
column
HIV:
RECIPES
FOR LIFE
Everything changes,
and HIV is no
different. Ive
written the HIV column in various
incarnations for GT for some years
now. As the story of the virus in
the world has evolved for around
three decades, so has the way it is
reported and written about. HIV
writing has been public health
driven and had an emphasis on
prevention of infection. Then, after
that, with the advent of treatment
that works, retrospection. For a
good while now, people with the
virus have not only been living
with HIV, they are surviving with it.
For both those who are long-term
diagnosed with HIV and the future
they once didnt think they had
and for the newly diagnosed who
dont know which way to turn, and
everyone else inbetween there is
a future when on treatment. For the
majority of us in the UK it isnt the
end of the world being diagnosed
HIV-positive any more.
HIV: Recipes for Life will focus
on the possibilities out there for
positive people and hopes to
inspire those with the virus to make
the most of the second chance that
treatment can afford them. My own
experience is that HIV became a
catalyst to live the sort of life I really
want. Over the coming months I
shall be exploring surviving with
HIV and lifestyle, self-image and
self-esteem, relationships and sex,
fitness and well-being, career and
finance. Everything from tweaking
a lifestyle to complete re-invention.
Perhaps there is no need to
change anything in your life?
However theres always room for
improvement. You may already have
a good idea of where you want to
be and what needs to change to get
there? Having a vision for ourselves
is a good start, but what if we really
have no plan, then what next? To
cause change we need to make a
conscious decision to do just that
and then put in the action to instigate
that change. Its no good to only
think about it. Once we make the
choice to change, we must nurture
and take responsibility for it. The
best place to start, if you havent
already, is to take responsibility for
where you are in your life right now.
It will provide you with a baseline.
This is not about apportioning
blame to a particular person for
ones own HIV-positive status. Its a
fruitless exercise and little can ever
come of it. If you put yourself in a
situation where you were infected
with HIV, then own it. You must have
been there when it happened, after
all. However difficult this is, it needs
to be accepted to move forwards.
Some do this quickly, others take
time and some never can forgive
others, or themselves, for becoming
HIV-positive. This non-acceptance
can only lead to an unhappy future.
Its a no-brainer. Whats happened
has happened and cant be undone
or changed. What can be changed
is what happens in the future.
Let me explain from my own
perspective. Twenty years ago I
thought wrongly that I was a
victim of circumstance. I thought
I was a victim of chance and bad
luck, of misfortune and of other
peoples actions. For years, I took
no responsibility for what had
happened in my life, and having
HIV often served me well as an
excuse for when things werent
right, and any given situation I
didnt like that I found myself in.
It was always because I was HIV-
positive and the fault of everyone
else. The truth; my life was and
is a result of my own choices and
decisions, and more importantly
how they translated into my actions.
I felt trapped by my diagnosis, and
rather than living with HIV I existed
with it. I chose that. The reality is
that as my choices and actions have
fashioned my life in the past, I can
also make new choices and take
appropriate action to change it.
It takes humility, a misunderstood
concept, to look closely at your
life and to admit to yourself that
you are either entirely or partly
responsible for where you are
today. It is ego-deflating and sorts
the men from the boys. Yet it can
be a turning point where we can
say to ourselves, Ive screwed up
in the past, but Im
capable of change in
the future.
Whats
happened
has
happened
and
cant be
undone or
changed.
What
can be
changed
is what
happens in
the future
[paul thorn]
[life]
@paul_thorn
gaytimes.co.uk 115
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
For years I have
struggled with poor
self-image and have a
badly distorted impression of how
I look. At times this has overtaken
my life in quite a significant way,
from not being able to look at
my own reflection in mirrors or
windows to severe bouts of bulimia.
As a gay man out on Londons gay
scene, I have found this extremely
hard at times, where everything
seems so image orientated and
quite unfriendly towards those who
dont quite fit in.
I attended a workshop at PACE
called Friend or Foe a year or so
ago. The idea of attending anything
therapy-based completely
terrified me at first. Throughout
my childhood I was taught to get
on with it thats what people did.
So for me to indulge in therapy
felt wrong, self-obsessed, and I
knew I would probably be laughed
at by folks back home. But it also
felt right as I knew I really needed
some help.
The sessions couldnt have come
sooner. But I was extremely shy
and terrified of opening up for fear
of what would be left exposed. My
peers in the group were from all
sorts of backgrounds and each had
a very different reason to be there.
But we all had a common goal which
was to face up to our demons and
not let them cripple us anymore.
I am so glad that I shared my
story with them as I was able to
look my fear in the face and stand
up to it for the first time, and look
at my own reflection and think that
I am not a bad or ugly person after
all. To say that PACE has cured me
is a little far-fetched, but it made
me realise the importance of LGBT
specialised services, giving a
platform, a safe environment for
us to talk openly about the issues
that present themselves on a daily
basis, like isolation, internalised
homophobia, making positive
sexual relationships, living with
HIV, or coming out for the first time
on the gay scene.
PACE created a safe space and
a comfortable process for me to
talk about my experiences. It felt
like everybodys opinion mattered
and counted. We were all gay or
bi men with the common goal of a
happier and healthier existence,
and stronger self-belief.
It has opened my eyes to
exploring my own personal
issues further, including more
therapy and working on myself.
I would like to let other people
know that PACE is out there and it
can help you achieve
inner peace like it has
helped me.
PACE`s mission is inspiring better LGBT
mental health. We create a safe space for
LGBT people to develop their self-esteem,
to negotiate relationships and to take care
of themselves. Our face-to-face and online
services include counselling, groups,
advocacy and training. We are extremely
excited to be working with our new patron,
Will Young to strengthen PACE`s impact in
2014. Pacehealth.org.uk, @pacehealth
BRIAN IS AN EX-SERVICE USER WHO NOW
WORKS AT PACE. HE TALKS ABOUT HIS
EXPERIENCE OF USING PACES SERVICES
PACE's new patron, WiII Young is to
sing at their charity fundraising event in
February. 'Bright Night - a bit of a do about
something that matters' is a fabuIous
evening of entertainment and auction to
raise much needed funds to support LGBT
peopIe's emotionaI weII-being across
the UK. SAVE THE DATE: Thursday 27
February 2014, in centraI London.
community
[life]
[charity]
GTs parent company Millivres Prowler Group is collaborating with a number of different
LGBT charities on issues that are important to our community. Each month we will be
working with a different organisation to help spread the word on the great work they do
S
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gaytimes.co.uk 116
UK TOUR NOW ON SALE
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ORIGINALLY PRODUCED BY
Info & tickets: www.intoPARADISE.de /intoParadiseEvent
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DJ Line up
PAGANO | HILDEGARD
STEVEN REDANT
PHIL ROMANO | DjCK
LEOMEO | OLIVER M.
RONY GOLDING
DANIEL WHITE
MARINGO
DJUMELLA
SWEDISH DYKE VIBES
and more
the party, sports &
entertainment festival
Center Parcs Bispinger Heide, germany
between hamburg and hanover
4 days for lesbians, gays and their friends
[rights]
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk 119
W
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Stan explains:
Trinidad and Tobago
is a beautiful
Caribbean destination. When it
comes to being gay in my country,
it`s illegal. According to Section 8
of our Immigration Act, it clearly
bans homosexuals from entering
the country, condemning gay
relationships as 'immoral`. It
also states that gay people are
'mentally-challenged`, more explicitly
defned as 'idiots, imbeciles, and
persons suffering from dementia
and insanity`. Furthermore, people
who are considered to be gay are
not allowed to enter the country,
providing they are not a citizen or a
resident. Therefore, if Elton John,
who previously visited our twin
island Tobago upon a declaration
and written admission letter from our
Minister of National Security, wanted
to visit our country as a tourist, he
would be banned. The document
also states that prostitution,
homosexuals or persons living on
the earnings of both, or persons
reasonably suspected as coming to
Trinidad and Tobago for these or any
other immoral purposes, are banned
from entering the country.
The Immigration Act is not the only
source of legal oppression upon gay
men and women here. Section 13
of the Sexual Offences Act 1986,
declares that 'buggery` or anal sex
to be a criminal act, even between
consenting adults, whether involving
males or females, and the penalty for
this breach of act is 25 years in jail.
With all these laws, it makes it hard
for a gay man like myself to live in a
country that has no respect for the
lives of gay men and women.
I am 23-years-old, I`ve been gay
since I was born, I have no choice
in being gay, and many times I`ve
wanted to run away from it and
pretend to be straight. I grew up in
a large home and I watched some
of my family discriminate against
gay men like myself, some were
described as 'bullers, faggots, tanty-
man, IT`s, etc`. There were many
times I was scared to even be seen
because I knew I was gay. I had
crushes on guys but had to keep
them to myself and stife the emotion
inside. I tried to date girls so that I
would not be condemned.
While I searched to fnd out who
I was, I found an 'underground`
gay club called Hedonism. I was
so nervous that somebody would
catch me. At the club, I met my
supervisor from work and I met
another student from my theology
class. I met so many people that I
knew. I was shocked that there was
an underground club operating, where
drag queens could perform and be
free. Yet the saddest thing was when
we left the club, we returned to being
the beasts we were before. I knew this
was the place where I wanted to be,
I was not straight. I was gay. I could
dance with a guy, firt with him and
know that I would not be discriminated
against. I started going to this club
every weekend because that was the
only place I felt I belonged.
We`ve already asked the
government not for marriage, but
rather rights as a gay person.
Recently one of the government
ministers proposed gay rights for
all gay men and women, a few
weeks later she was released (fred)
from her position. The government
must realise it has no place in the
bedrooms of consenting adults
and no right to decide the form
of intimacy between adults. The
government proclaims that this is a
nation of equal opportunity for all,
but we are discriminated against on
the grounds of sexual orientation.
How can we as a country fght the
spread of HIV/AIDS, when it leads to
the spread of it, because we force
gay men and women underground,
denying them testing,
prevention, treatment
and care?
NO
No same-sex sexual activity is legal
No equal age of consent
No anti-discrimination laws of any kind
No same-sex marriage
No recognition of same-sex couples
No joint and step adoption by same-sex couples
No gays allowed to serve in military
No right to change legal gender
No commercial surrogacy for gay male couples
No gay men allowed to donate blood
YES
LETTER FROM TRINIDAD & TOBAGO WE LOOK AT
THE RIGHTS OF GAY MEN LIVING AROUND THE GLOBE
120 gaytimes.co.uk
ICELAND
REYKJAVIK
WORDS PAUL TIERNEY IMAGES ISTOCKPHOTO
A
friend of mine once
described Reykjavik
as looking like a
council estate on the
moon, a place both beguiling and
strange. He also cited it as one
of the best travel experiences
of his life, audibly jealous about
my imminent visit. Expect the
unexpected, he said, bitterly.
Breathe in the crystal clear air.
And more importantly, remember
to take lots of money.
He went on to relate other curious
facts about this intriguing country.
Did I know, for instance, that per
capita the people of Iceland are the
most literate nation on earth, drink
the most Coca Cola, produce the
most films (ten times more than the
USA), eat the most fish and use the
most electricity? Needless to say,
its a highly developed country.
But what did I know about this
land of ice? To be honest, very
little. Obvious facts aside: that
its the homeland of Bjrk; that a
huge cloud of volcanic ash ruined
peoples holidays back in 2010; and
that their once booming economy
had been hit hard by the banking
crisis everything else feels as
distant as the volcanic landscape
itself. But what I do know is that
Iceland is the shape of a human
heart, which is fitting considering I
found love, purity and a generosity
of spirit at every turn.
For the gay traveller this is
especially true. Up until recently,
their prime minister was an out and
proud lesbian, and the mayor of
Reykjavik has been known to drag
up on special occasions. Its hardly
Iran. In short, youll find their
attitude to same-sex relationships
far cooler than any of its glaciers
Ive been invited to take part
in the second annual Rainbow
Reykjavik event, a winter festival of
LGBT fun that aims to incorporate
culture and nightlife into one
beautifully organised package.
There are over a hundred people
here mostly European all
eager to sample an itinerary that
includes the sublime and the
ridiculous. I meet up with a bunch
of journalists, tourists and couples,
and immediately feel a sense of
comradery that comes from being
isolated on what feels like the top of
the world. Its cold, admittedly, and
the snow falls down in occasional
flurries, but its no worse than the
UK on a bad day, and not the polar
ice cap you might expect.
Day one, I meet up with Danny,
a nice guy from Swansea, to take
an early peek around town, Its a
place that feels sleepily quiet for
a capital city. The shops seem to
open when they feel like it, and the
streets are fairly deserted at 10am.
I desperately need appropriate
footwear (brogues are not going
to cut it in the wilderness) so the
search is on for a pair of resilient
hiking boots. The first shock of
the day comes when I discover
everything here is as pricey as
my friend back home suggested.
A decent pair of boots costs the
same as a months rent, so its
a relief to find a charity shop
tucked away at the back of the bus
station. I spend the equivalent of
10 on an amazing pair of sturdy
snow-kickers, replete with red
laces, plus an oiled wool bobble
hat embroidered with reindeers.
Suddenly I look and feel the part,
ready to take anything this quirky
place can throw at me.
At any point in Reykjavik you
will be able to see the spire of the
magnificent Lutheran cathedral,
perched at the highest point
of the city. Architecturally it is
out of this world a giant sci-fi
rocket of a building, notable for
being the tallest structure in the
country. From here we stroll down
intriguing streets, now filling up
but hardly bustling, checking out
the abundant vintage clothing
stores and myriad coffee shops.
The Icelanders adore coffee and
drink it in great abundance. On
the advice of a local (and they
[travel]
121 gaytimes.co.uk
REYKJAVIK ICELAND
POPULATION 119,108
SIZE 106 SQUARE MILES
TIME ZONE GMT (UTC+0)
GAY LEGAL SINCE 1940
gaytimes.co.uk 122
are extremely helpful) we end up
in Cafe Babal a crumbly but
charming yellow house, furnished
with bric-a-brac and smiles.
Reykjavik is a compact city thats
small enough to walk around by
foot, but with a glimmering, wide-
open sky which shifts in colour
by the hour, it feels much bigger.
Although the light is prettiest and
longest in the summer months,
theres something romantic about
the wild clouds that often hover
above. Make sure to take in the port
area, where most of the museums
line the seafront and imposing
cargo ships transcend the idea of
tourist prettiness. Perhaps the best
view of the city is from up high,
so we make our way to The Pearl
observatory a cool, revolving
restaurant and museum perched
on top of a huge geothermal plant.
From here, the sky contrasts with
charming scarlet rooftops and the
odd splash of yellow and green.
Like a childs primary-coloured
painting, the vista is a pure delight
and seems to stretch for miles.
Back at our hotel a wonderful
modernist construction on the
outskirts of town, we gather with
the group and head off on coaches
to the infamous Blue Lagoon. A trip
here is essential, and its for good
reason that its the most popular
tourist attraction in the country.
It first caught my attention when
Bjrk was photographed here by
Juergen Teller in the early 90s,
and the image of steam billowing
from an industrial thermal plant
has stayed with me ever since. Its
especially dramatic in the evening,
when the spooky black lavascape
is at stark contrast with the ethereal
blue water. The stuff you bathe in
is the by-product of an industrial
effluent, but dont let that put you
off. Nor should the slippery white
silica, which lines the pool. Youre
encouraged to slap it all over
your face (its good for you) and
they enhance the whole surreal
experience by serving chilled wine
and beer from a bar while you soak.
Can there be a better way
to start the day than staring at
dozens of superlative penises?
The Phallogical Museum offers
many things, but is frankly the
most un-erotic place imaginable.
Who wants to see whale foreskins
preserved in formaldehyde just
before eating, especially as were
about to visit an old theatre for
lunch. Here were treated to the
spectacle of two lycra-clad men
demonstrating the art of glima
wrestling. Needless to say, knives
and forks are swiftly put down, and
all eyes are on the grunting couple
throwing themselves gracefully
around the stage.
The gay factor gets ramped up a
notch or two as we attend a special
Eurovision Concert at the futuristic
Harpa concert hall. Iceland have
just decided on who will represent
them at the official contest and are
celebrating in advance with a best
of spectacular featuring winners
and (mostly) losers from previous
years. A great time is had by all,
bopping around to the likes of the
Hera Bjrk and her magnificent
anthem, Je Ne Sais Quoi. Hera is
so popular around these parts that
gay men from as far as Australia
have flown in especially to have
her sing at their civil partnerships.
Its the very definition of camp.
As the music fades and we
all shuffle off back to the hotel,
disappointing news filters through
that this evenings tour to see
the Northern Lights has been
cancelled due to bad weather. I
was looking forward to this more
than anything else on the trip, and
the experience has been blighted
by inconsiderate clouds. For those
unfamiliar with the Northern
Lights, its not a cabaret club in
Doncaster, but one of natures
most spectacular bits of trickery.
Of particular interest to anyone
seduced by disco lights (most of
my group then), on a clear night, if
the elements are right, solar winds
cause electronic particles to collide
with atmospheric gas, producing
fluorescent swathes of green, pink
and blue light. Its a must-see,
once-in-a-lifetime miracle. But
unfortunately not in mine.
Still, there are always the strobes
of downtown Reykjavik to soften
the blow, and theres no shortage of
sparkle there. The weekends see
young people bar-hopping with
great abandon, and streets are
packed by midnight with jostling,
good-natured thrill seekers.
Because alcohol is expensive
and state controlled, most people
get drunk at home before they
come out, yet youll rarely see any
trouble. Laws are fairly strict here
(beer was illegal until 1989!) and
crime rates are unbelievably low.
Were all invited to Club Kiki, a
place where gays and straights mix
with consummate ease. Its free to
get in, like everywhere in Iceland,
and although nothing special, the
place is ignited by frenetic dancing
[ ]
Its especially dramatic
in the evening, when
the spooky black
lavascape is at stark
contrast with the
ethereal blue water
reykjavik
[01/14]
and an enthusiastic atmosphere.
One thing I do notice is a gaggle
of young and very boisterous
lesbians marching around the
place, taking great delight in
elbowing their way to the bar and
pushing each other around like
playground bullies. The Trucks
as theyre known locally, can be
found almost anywhere in the city,
but Im told their over-zealous
antics are just a local affectation
and, tedious though they are, not
to be taken seriously. As for the
boys, dirty blonde hair and black-
framed glasses seems to be the
default look of the season. If youre
seeking the idealistic Viking, you
may be disappointed. The music
is a tad generic (Its Britney,
bitch) but its comforting to hear
the Scanda-strains of Ryksopp,
Trentemller and Robyn moving
the crowd as the night progresses.
Next morning, slightly numb of
head, the prospect of the great
outdoors is a comforting thought.
The Golden Circle Tour is a
must-do package that takes in an
amazing waterfall called Gullfoss,
plus the countrys famous geysers
that are about an hours drive
from the city. As glaciers melt,
they have to go somewhere and
thus produce dramatic water
flow which is a quite a sight to
behold. The geysers are great
fun too boiling jets of trapped
water, which rise to the sky with
incredible ferocity. Jokes about
premature ejaculation abound.
Tell anyone youre going to
Iceland and they wittily tell you
mums already gone. Astonishingly,
there is an actual Iceland store
in Reykjavik I saw it but that
was the least surprising thing I
discovered there. Bring strong
boots, a bit of cash, and leave your
preconceptions at the till.
GT travelled Icelandair fies from Gatwick,
Heathrow and other major UK cities.
January fares from around 300 return,
icelandair.co.uk GT stayed at Icelandair`s
Reykjavik Natura Hotel, reykjaviknatura@
icehotels.is. Rainbow Reykjavik package
start from 1,112, rainbowreykjavik.com
ABOVE HALLGRMSKIRKJA
LUTHERAN CHURCH
BELOW LOOKING OVER THE
REYKJAVIK SKYLINE
[travel]
123 gaytimes.co.uk
gaytimes.co.uk 124
I
ts been 16 years since I last
visited Manchester. 1997,
on a school trip to Granada
Studios. I defaced Vera
Duckworths back fence with
juvenile graffiti. There, I finally
came clean. Ive been carrying
that guilt around since I had
curtained hair. But that trip was
hardly a pre-Queer as Folk jaunt
of giddy underage drinking and
eye-swivelling rim jobs from an
Irish stranger. Me and my friends
attempts to break out of our hotel
and see Manchesters nightlife
were thwarted by our hammered
PE teacher. Sadly, not even so much
as a sequin passed this sexually
confused boys sizeable hooter.
Flash forward to whatever
the hell year this is and I got
offered a chance to finally see
what Manchester has to offer us
gayers. Add one sassy best gay
gal pal (step forward Selina) and
a challenge from Manchesters
tourist board to see, do and cause
as much havoc thats humanly
possible in 24 hours. Challenge
accepted, Manchester.
Remembering Im up north now
and everyone is actually nice
to each other, I put on a cheery
grin and try to blend in when
ordering a bread roll. Ill have a
baaaaaaaaalllm caaaaehk please,
duck. Dont ever do this. You
just look like an arsehole. Dickish
London ways aside, the gorgeous
ABode hotel was our home for the
next 24 hours. This is one seriously
well-run hotel with a gorgeous
mix of contemporary interior and
classic architecture. ABode is
certainly our recommendation
for staying in Manchester in
style, aimed to please the luxury
traveller, demanding city urbanite
and the whiniest, neurotic
business bitch these three are
all the same thing FYI.
After checking in and
jumping on the fluffy beds
like were exciteable teenage
girls rather than dead-inside
thirtysomethings, we embarked
on a mission to find the finest
Manchester cuisine to satisfy our
lunch cravings We walked one
block and found local Cantonese
Yang Sing, cos wed just had
two cocktails each and the name
made us giggle. Thankfully the
food and service wasnt a joke.
The famous Yang Sing has been
in Manchester since 1977, serving
aesthetically
stunning and
tongue-tingly
food. Its one of Manchesters best
loved and most-respected names
that makes immature fag/hag
combos titter.
After lunch we staggered,
sorry, sashayed into Manchesters
Northern Quarter now THIS is
what its all about. Small, local
businesses in super cute, winding
side streets and atmospheric
alleyways. Its these kind of areas
that make cities really pop and
so refreshing not to bump into
a Tesco on every street corner.
Looking at you, London! Full of
creative types but not loaded with
overbearing hipster twats with
twirly moustaches (I mean, for
Gods sake, youre not a cartoon
villain!), this area was chock
full of quirky, fun places with
a great vibe, yet not too taxing
on the wallet. The collection of
vintage shops, boutique record
stores and small coffee shops
and bars made this big ol hippy
seriously foam at the nethers.
For me personally, after this,
Spinningfields was a slight let
down. Dont get me wrong, this
area has its charm and fun places
too, but its also stacked full of
high-end fashion stores and
chain pubs. Great if you love that
type of thing, but, as were not
a hen party from Essex, it just
wasnt our bag.
We head back to ABode
for dinner and drinks in the
Caf Bar and Grill. Awesome
cocktails, hot and friendly staff
and theyre even playing my
favourite bloody song, Fade Into
You by Mazzy Star. Any place
that blasts out early 90s hippy
college lady rock without any
sense of irony has wormed a
place into my stone cold heart.
Following a scrumptious dinner,
it was time to go from one slab of
hot meat to several as we entered
the gay village. The drag queens
here are fabulously friendly and
deliciously sassy, as expected.
Our favourite had to be the one,
who shall remain nameless,
cracking us up with fascinating
stories of how Manchester has
changed and why the people here
are a real community, beautifully
animated by the fact her jaw was
swinging like an old gate.
If you ever hear some bitter
old queen bemoaning that
Canal Street has had its day or
is still riding 90s-shaped glory
days, tell them to hush their
beak, as they couldnt be more
wrong. The gay scene here is
as wild and diverse as ever,
and spreads further than the
aforementioned famous street.
MANCHESTER
short break
24 HOURS IN
WORDS LEE DALLOWAY
[01/14]
Whether you want an old man
pub, a trendy cocktail bar, some
cruisy fun or a dance off with a
drag diva, Manchester supplies
it all. Once the sun sets, the
atmosphere by the famous
canal is electric. We make no
apologies for loving dancing
to some handbag house. M
People? Yes please, missus!
The final act in this evening of
sophistication saw us writhing
round the pillars of Cruz 101, the
place to be in gay Manchester
once most of the bars have
closed. Full of tasty lads, its a
ridiculously friendly crowd with
something for every dancing
queen. You can go deep and
dirty with the basements house
tuneage, or, like us, strut to
Beyonce and more poppier
sounds upstairs. By this point
we were positively giddy
from soaking up Manchesters
multifaceted cultural spectrum
(read: off our faces), and Selina
had been mistaken for a man in a
dress. It was time to retire
Thank Jeebus for the fluffy
pillows at ABode, as the next
morning our heads were
pounding harder than a Kings
Cross hooker. After a fry-up the
size of Greater Manchester, it was
time to soak up some culture at
the Gallery of Costume at Platt
Hall. Absolutely amazing by the
way, particularly the Christian
Dior: Designer in Focus exhibit
and this is coming from someone
whose idea of fashion is three
T-shirts for a fiver at Primark.
If youre looking for a weekend
away with some mates, we can
wholeheartedly recommend
Manchester. Its a city with a
village community vibe, more
bustling than Birmingham but
less daunting than London.
Manchester, we were in you and
now youre in our hearts.
For further information, see
visitmanchester.com. We travelled with
Virgin Trains, virgintrains.co.uk.
ABOVE MANCHESTER
CITY CENTRE
BELOW PRIDE SEASON ON
CANAL STREET
[travel]
125 gaytimes.co.uk
HOLIDAYS
gaytimes.co.uk 127
Tom Jordan and Jrme Dubois, the Owners of Gites
Le Sud would like to welcome you for a week of fun and
extravaganza. From the 4th-11th May 2014, we will be hosting
our very own Eurovision Song Contest Theme Week, at Le Sud.
We are big Eurovision fans ourselves and it would be a great
opportunity to party and meet with other like minded fans.
This will be a jam packed week of Euro fun, quizzes, karaoke
and much much more.
For full details of this and booking enquiries;- Contact us at
giteslesud@hotmail.co.uk
Le Sud` is situated on the northern boundary of the Lot
department close to the River Dordogne (500 meters) with a
variety of interesting countryside in all directions.
'Le Sud` is a delightful 19th century Quercy farmhouse and
barns set in 15 acres of gardens, meadows and felds which are
abound with wild fowers, birds and animals such as roe deer.
The well-maintained cultivated gardens are a colourful blaze
against the attractive stone buildings and from the earliest
snowdrops to the autumnal hues of the woodlands there is
plenty to delight the avid nature lover or those just wishing to
relax in solitude.
Whichever season you choose to visit there is so
much to offer. Spring, summer and autumn bring glorious
days in which to explore the landscape and the hot days of
summer are forever popular with sun-worshippers and water
lovers.
We will also be offering Baking Courses lead by ex Master
Baker of Harrods Jrme Dubois(Contact us for dates) We are
also having a BeeGee`s Theme Week from 12th May 2014 to
the 17th May 2014.(Contact us for full details)
We usually rent our Gites from Saturday to Saturday but could
propose alternative days, depending on the season and time of
year.
For Gay marriage or Honeymoon, or just to relax and see
beautiful sites, Le Sud is the perfect site!
Telephone 0033 (0) 565 40 97 36
or email giteslesud@hotmail.co.uk
Or visit our web site www.giteslesuddordogne.com
GI TES LE SUD
JOIN TOM AND JRME FOR A WEEK OF EUROVISION FUN
SPONSORED FEATURE
To advertise in this section contact Ash Allibhai Tel 020 7424 7434 E-mail ash@millivres.co.uk
Deadline for next issue 2 January
HOLIDAYS
128 gaytimes.co.uk
To advertise in this section contact Ash Allibhai Tel 020 7424 7434 Email ash@millivres.co.uk
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The Clifton Park Hotel, located in the
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CLI FTON PARK HOTEL
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130 gaytimes.co.uk
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A TO Z
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To advertise in this section contact Ash Allibhai Tel 020 7424 7434 E-mail ash@millivres.co.uk
Deadline for next issue 2 January
134 gaytimes.co.uk
To advertise in this section contact Ash Allibhai Tel 020 7424 7434 Email ash@millivres.co.uk
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136 gaytimes.co.uk
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WRITE CLEARLY
USING BLOCK CAPITALS
1 gaytimes.co.uk
EASY-GOING, SLIM
M, 40s, likes music, pubs, arts,
history. Seeks similar, very slim,
straight-acting M, 18-35, for fun &
f/ship+. Wilts. Box 481488 or text
GT 481488
PARTY ANIMAL
Genuine M, 30, n/s, loves cooking,
enjoys big nights out & cosy nights
in. Seeks M, sim age, for 1-2-1
r/ship. Mancs. Box 139272
THOUGHTFUL
M, 57, likes art & the countryside.
Seeks slim, friendly, smooth gay M,
18-27, for f/ship & fun. N West.
Box 262300
HAIRY, CARING
Sensitive M, 50, 5`10", med build,
likes car boots, walks. Seeks
masculine gay/Bi M, 50-85, for f/ship
& r/ship. SW Ldn/Surrey. Box 645689
or text GT 645689
GOOD-LOOKING
Asian M, late 40s, passive, WLTM
honest, ft, active M for good times.
Surrey. Box 819706
SHY, QUIET
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SINCERE, INEXPERIENCED
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LOVING, RELIABLE
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Box 895214
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Box 999574
STRAIGHT-ACTING
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GT 169457
BISEXUAL, EASY-GOING
M, 62, 5`9", medium build, can
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or text GT 179094
FUN
Gay M, 20, seeks M, 18-35, for good
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VERY FEMININE CD
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NE. Box 880640
DOMINEERING GUY
Do you need correction? I`m a 60yr
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GT 720890
TOTALLY NON-SCENE
Very straight-acting gay guy, 50, ft,
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or text GT 683569
GOOD-LOOKING, CHILLED
M, 39, medium build, smoker, likes
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596025 or text GT 596025
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M, 72, WLTM slim, cross-dressing M
for great times. Middx. Box 145367
FUN-LOVING, LOVEABLE
I`m a kind, caring, trustworthy, happy-
go-lucky M, 55. Are you the right n/s
M for me? Ipswich. Box 825167 or
text GT 825167
TRANSVESTITE
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SW Ldn. Box 451875
NOT BAD-LOOKING
Hi, I`m a 60yr old guy who enjoys
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FEMININE GUY
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for dates & more. I like reading &
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GENIAL, FIT
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Box 167740
HONEST, SINCERE
Would you like to have fun with an
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or text GT 168294
I'M ALL YOURS
Bi, passive M, young 60, 5`7", slim
build, smooth, WLTM Dom M/F or
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Box 947928 or text GT 947928
I'M A MATURE GUY
Of 52, & I`m looking for a feminine
TV/CD to have some fun with.
Belfast. Box 364355 or text
GT 364355
CARING, GENTLE
M, young 72, 5`6", passive, seeks
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love & LTR. Mancs. Box 769639
SLIM, DECENT-LOOKING
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Box 964189 or text GT 964189
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M, 46, into lingerie, seeks M, 60+, for
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MASCULINE
M, 70, seeks feminine M who can
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W Ldn. Box 952224 or text
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Box 300717
VERY NAUGHTY
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SLENDER SORT
Very slim gay M, 43, enjoys country
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NICE, TALL, LAID-BACK
White M, 45, likes meals out &
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or text GT 216685
GOOD-LOOKING
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GT 657651
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Box 618668
HE'LL OBEY
Sub M, 55, seeks Dom master to
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Box 935303
STYLISH BI CD
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Box 219613
SLIM, FAIR-HAIRED
M, 46, n/s, seeks n/s gent, 50-60s,
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Box 890253
GENIAL
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his every command. Surrey.
Box 394052
NOT BAD-LOOKING
M, 56, seeks older M for good times
& more. L`pool. Box 418383 or text
GT 418383
SLIM, GENIAL
M, 37, n/s, looking for older guy, 65+,
for good times. Oldham. Box 810636
SUB CD
54, seek retired gent, 65+, who can
accom. Central Scotland.
Box 128360
OUTGOING, ADVENTUROUS
Bi M, 46, 6`2", well-built, seeks TV/
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INEXPERINCED GUY
Fit, strong M, 47, 5`11", dark eyes,
short hair. WLTM understanding
experienced CD for frst-time fun+.
NW Ldn/Surrounds. Box 317171 or
text GT 317171
ATTRACTIVE CROSS-DRESSER
Tall blue-eyed CD, 38, smoker, med
build. Seeks tall, confdent gay or BI
M, 45+, great personality, for fun+.
Co. Down. Box 729383
HONEST
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Box 763374
HONEST
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Easy going M, 47, GSOH, seeks M
for fun times, maybe more. Kent.
Box 392549
CONVINCE ME
Slim M, 52, seeks convincing TV/CD
for fun times. Can travel. Wrexham.
Box 962649 or text GT 962649
SMOOTHLY DOES IT
Bi white M, 62, 5`9", med build,
clean-shaven, easy-going, seeks
clean-shaven Asian M for fun &
f/ship+. Middx. Box 471117 or text
GT 471117
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gaytimes.co.uk 1
A RENDEVOUS TO REMEMBER
Fit sincere M, 43, 5`9", n/s, likes
pubs, clubs & country walks.
Seeks She-Male for fun & f/ship+.
Chelmsford. Box 740011
LOOKING FOR FUN
Bi M, 60s, retired masseur, seeks
Bi/gay M who can accom, for fun
times. Bury/Bolton/Heywood only.
Box 475501
OUTGOING TO GET YOU
Outgoing gay M, mid 60s, seeks nice
black M for fun times. Can travel/
accom. W Ldn. Box 562074 or text
GT 562074
LET'S CONNECT
Affable M, 51, 5`9", likes watching
cricket, holidays. Seeks similar-aged/
older, assertive M, with GSOH, for a
fun r/ship. S. Ldn. Box 614792
TRANSFORMING TIMES
Slim, ft M, 51, 5`8", own place,
loves swimming, gym & a few beers.
Seeks Asian or black TS for r/ship.
NW. Ldn. Box 821116 or text
GT 821116
BROAD-MINDED FUN
Inexperienced, Sub Bi M, 33, 6`,
average build, dark hair, blue eyes,
WLTM friendly Bi M, 40+, for discreet
adult fun. Rochdale. Box 603634
MUST BE EXPERIENCED
Slim straight looking/acting Bi M,
early 40s, WLTM slim-med built,
muscular, experienced Dom M for
fun & f/ship. Ldn. Box 607867
WHO'S THAT GIRL?!
Attractive CD, 40s, nice person,
fabulous legs. Seeks kind, polite,
respectful M for evenings out+.
West Ldn. Box 186200
HEART OF GOLD
Kind mixed-race M, 28, enjoys
flm, cycling, walking his dog &
photography. Seeks caring, loving
Turkish M for LTR. Ldn. Box 380158
or text GT 380158
SAY THE WORD
New Sub, 53, slim build. Seeks
mature, slim, assertive M for
excitement & fun. Cannot accom.
Central Ldn. Box 350244 or text
GT 350244
JUST AN AVERAGE GUY
Slim M, 58, 5`11", likes nights out,
cinema & travel. Seeks M, 45-60, for
socialising & f/ship. Oldham.
Box 989054
CANE & ABLE
Stern master, 69, will deal with all
naughty Subs. Traditional methods.
Ldn. Box 580833
SEEKING LIKE-WISE GUY
Cross-dressing M, 64, seeks like-
minded M for fun times. Stockport.
Box 953192
PLEASURE PRINCIPLE
Genuine M, 55, seeks gay couple for
adult fun times. Surrey. Box 551964
or text GT 551964
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
Youthful M, 50s, 5`10", med build,
smooth, likes meals out. WLTM
slim/med-built M, 40-65, for f/ship+.
Wrexham. Box 526842
OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS
Open-minded, bi-curious, white
profess M, 58, ft, w/e, seeks sim,
slim w/e M. Can travel/accom.
S. Ldn. Box 173029
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
Dom CD, 57, has vacancies for
Subs. Can accom daytime. Text for
interview. NW Ldn. Box 703912 or
text GT 703912
HEY HANDSOME!
Good-looking genuine gay M, 63,
5`7", loves country walks, cooking &
music. Seeks gay M, up 65, for
r/ship. Mancs/Stock. Box 357611
REGULAR FUN
Active, bisexual M, 67, seeks M
for fun times. Lancs. Box 332970
LOOKING FOR A GOOD TIME?
Affable M, 70s, seeks nice M for
f/ship & good times. N Wales/
Cheshire. Box 194088
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Slim, athletic, ft, white M, 57, seeks
similar guy for fun & f/ship. S Ldn.
Box 262958 or text GT 262958
MAN TO MAN
Genuine, good-looking M, 40, 6`,
slim build, seeks M for fun, f/ship &
hopefully lots more. Co. Down.
Box 921655
DRESSING TO PLEASE
Bi-curious M, 75, seeks cross-
dressing M for fun & more. Surrey.
Box 989595
LET'S GET IN TENTS
Fit M, 52, 5`9", into camping, sailing,
walks & clubs. Seeks M, 18-30.
Soton/Ports or Winchester.
Box 469066
I NEED YOUR LOVING
Sub BI M, 60s, genuine, smooth.
Seeks Dom M for afternoon/evening
adult fun. Mancs. Box 269806 or text
GT 269806
LET'S GET INTIMATE
Genuine M, 64, likes fell-walking,
seeks genuine guy, 65-75, for fun
times & role play. Mancs.
Box 835136
BE MASTERFUL WITH ME
Slim Sub M, 35, 5`9", seeks older,
very Dom master. N Ldn.
Box 546849
TELL ME WHEN
Adventurous Sub M, 30s, seeks Dom
older M for fun times. M`side.
Box 704043
BEND TO MY WILL
Strict demanding M, 68, seeks
servile M, 40+, to be his personal
servant. Race unimportant. Can not
accom. S Ldn. Box 698472 or text
GT 698472
PERECT CASTING
Genuine Sub M, 48, seeks mature
M, 50+, for extensive role-play &
adult fun. Chesh. Box 780007 or text
GT 780007
FANCY THAT?
Retired widower, 70s, Bi, n/s, seeks
similar M for fun times. N. Ldn/
S. Herts. Box 644562
GARTER GET YOU INTO MY LIFE
Bi M, 70, likes wearing stockings &
panties. Seeks gay/Bi M, 60-80, for
sexy adult fun. Can travel. Mancs.
Box 459005 or text GT 459005
FUN TO BE HAD
Friendly, caring Bi M, 40, seeks M/TV
for fun times. Looks not important.
Can travel only. Mancs. Box 478251
or text GT 478251
INEXPERIENCED
Attractive 30s M, med build. Seeks
stocky, clean, assertive M, 70+, n/s,
clean-shaven for fun & f/ship. Can`t
accom. Chesh. Box 467081 or text
GT 467081
LOOKING FOR FUN
Gay M, 49, 5`7", large, over-weight
build. Seeks hairy gay M, or couple,
18-45. Can accom. M`side.
Box 493575 or text GT 493575
YOUR FLEXIBLE FRIEND
Slim versatile M, 37, into rubber.
WLTM passive or active M, 40-75, for
fun times. Oldham/Rochdale/Bury.
Box 577815
I SAID WAIT
Mature Dom M, 63, seeks mature
slim Sub M to do his bidding. Chesh.
Box 218749
MAN ON MAN
Fit, attractive, experienced M, 58,
seeks M for adult fun.CD or TV
welcome. Cheshire/NW. Box 774030
or text GT 774030
I'LL BE THERE
Genuine, passive M, young 66,
seeks assertive, active M, 50-80, for
f/ship, fun & hopefully LTR. Mancs.
Box 262100
ANYTHING GOES
Genuine good-looking BI M, 48,
5`10", 12 stone. Seeks slim BI M
or couple for uninhibited adult fun.
Mancs/Lancs. Box 183888 or text
GT 183888
RUBBER LOVER
Genuine M, 37, into rubber, seeks
passive guy for f/ship & fun times.
Lancs. Box 882659
ADONIS - AVAILABLE NOW!
Tall, tanned, toned, sexy M, 40s,
seeks M, 50+, for fun times.
Cheshire. Box 682335 or text
GT 682335
GO FOR IT
Mature, ft, attractive gent, 57, n/s.
WLTM genuine M for f/ship+. TV or
CD welcome. Wirral/Chesh.
Box 640318 or text GT 640318
CURIOUS
M, 28, seeks M for frst time fun.
Hants. Box 370980
LET'S GET TOGETHER
Genuine CD, 60, seeks similar M for
f/ship & fun times. Warrington.
Box 395314
BI MALE
Genuine, attractive M, 48, seeks
similar M, 45-65, for no strings adult
fun. Cannot accom. Flints/N. Wales.
Box 147725 or text GT 147725
FOLLOW ME
Very assertive white M, 65, 6`2", med
build. Seeks very unassertive M. TVs
welcome. Can travel & accom. Ldn.
Box 989199
CALL FOR FUN
Assertive M, 57, 5`11", slim-med
build, very easy-going, seeks M
for fun & f/ship. Can accom/travel.
S.Ldn. Box 218972 or text
GT 218972
SATIN WAITING FOR YOUR CALL
BI CD, 50, seeks M, 40+, for fun
times, maybe more. Enfeld.
Box 614593
BE STERN
Mature M, 50s, well-presented,
seeks assertive, elderly gent for frm
f/ship. Bucks. Box 416667
MATURITY MATTERS
Slim, ft gay M, 55, seeks older M,
65+, for no strings adult fun. Can
travel/accom. Berks. Box 276767 or
text GT 276767
I GET MY KICKS OUT OF YOU
Genuine, fun CD, 63, seeks CD or
straight gent for daytime kinky fun.
Cannot accom. N. Ldn. Box 996641
TWICE AS NICE
BI widower, 60s, n/s, tactile, sensual,
generous. Seeks M for fun times.
North Ldn/South Herts. Box 291355
LET'S CHAT
Passive unassertive M, 64, 6`2",
med build, good body. Seeks active
assertive M for regular meets. Can
accom. N Ldn. Box 139635
A NEW DIRECTION
Bi-curious M, 50s, 5`9", n/s, enjoys
tennis, swimming, art & dining out.
Seeks M, 40-55, for f/ship+. Bucks.
Box 738525
UP FOR ADVENTURE
Bi-curious M, 50, seeks M for fun
times, maybe more. West Ldn.
Box 557553
TALK TO HIM
Fit, sporty, polite, cultured M, 57,
5`11", seeks M to share fun & f/ship.
Croydon/Home Counties.
Box 212888 or text GT 212888
THE LONGER, THE BETTER
Good-looking, slim, passive M, 47,
seeks older, experienced, assertive
gent, 65+, for regular fun times. Kent/
SE Ldn. Box 785445
PLAY TIME
Passive M, 43, good body, seeks M,
30-40, for role-playing & fun times.
Middx. Box 241918
FRIEND & LOVER
Honest M, 86, slim build,. smooth,
many interests, seeks M for good r/
ship. Merseyside. Box 288039
EASY DOES IT
Easy-going, independent M, 57,
5`11", slim build, seeks M for real f/
ship & r/ship. S Ldn. Box 172834
MAKE IT LAST
Genuine, good-looking M, 67, seeks
nice gent for r/ship. Warrington.
Box 398666
FOR THE GOOD TIMES
Kind, caring M, 60s, seeks younger
Indian/Asian M for f/ship & fun. West
Ldn. Box 832540
THAT KINKY FEELING
Friendly CD, 49, loves to dress.
Seeks M, 50-55, for fun times.
Bolton. Box 175582
GET IT ON
Fit, active, Asian M, 43, seeks
passive stocky guy, 21-40, for horny
bedroom fun. Middx. Box 447443
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CALL ME NOW
Dominant M, 48, slim build, seeks
kinky CD/TV for fun times. Bolton.
Box 309064 or text GT 309064
PLAY FOR TODAY
Straight-acting gay M, 45, med build,
seeks Sub, ticklish M, 25-40, for
horny fun, games & role play. Surrey.
Box 865725
TRUE INTENTIONS
Easy-going polite M, 46, seeks
genuine BI or gay M for adult fun.
Age/size unimportant. Can accom.
North Ldn. Box 168153
DATING
COME ON OVER
BI M, 47, funny, intelligent, kind-
hearted. Seeks BI or gay M for no
strings fun. Can accom. Please text.
Mancs. Box 418425 or text
GT 418425
SUBMISSIVE FOR YOU
BI TV, 38, feminine, slim build, loves
dressing up. Seeks older mature M,
couple or TV for f/ship & fun times.
Luton. Box 207839 or text
GT 207839
SEE ME!
Strict disciplinarian M, 68, seeks
student, 18-25, requiring control &
discipline. Can`t accom. Ldn.
Box 240136 or text GT 240136
TRAVEL WIDE AND PROSPER
Genuine M, 64, enjoys art, food &
travel. Seeks M companion, 18-26,
for travel in UK, Europe & possibly
North Africa. Ldn. Box 119746
GYM FIT AND GORGEOUS
Good-looking, straight-acting, mixed-
race BI M, 30s, into the gym. Seeks
sim M for fun & f/ship. East Ldn.
Box 579685
GAME SET MATCH
Mediterranean M, 59, n/s, 14 stone,
enjoys tennis, music, flm & cooking.
WLTM M, 40-55, for f/ship+. W Ldn.
Box 128199
ALL TRUE MAN
Beefy M, 56, seeks stocky, heavily-
built, assertive, active white/black M,
40+, for adult fun. Can travel/accom.
Stockport. Box 209314
NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN
Tall slim unassertive Bi CD, 63,
open-minded, easy going. Seeks sim
or a more assertive BI M for discreet
fun times. Wirral. Box 836185 or text
GT 836185
GOOD CLEAN LIVING
Gay M, 72, GSOH, non-drinker, n/s.
Seeks clean-shaven gay M, 30-75,
non-drinker, n/s, for close r/ship.
Aldershot. Box 573707
WILD AT HEART
Slim M, 20s, 5`7", creative. Seeks
older, active solvent M for romance,
travel, arts, dog walks & LTR. Ldn/
any. Box 278018 or text
GT 278018
FIRST-TIMER
Alright lads, I`m a 43yr old M, looking
for other Bi lads or couple for horny
fun & meets. I can accom. Get back
to me lads! M`side. Box 305600 or
text GT 305600
A DOMINANT JEAN
Slim M, 53, seeks mature, slim,
clean, masterful M for adult fun
& entertainment. Cannot accom.
Central Ldn. Box 694390
AWAITING YOUR CALL
Very curious M, 59, 5`5", likes music,
reading & the countryside. Seeks
friendly Dom M, 75+, for fun times.
N West. Box 588945
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