QB - Nottinghamshire's Queer Bulletin Feb/Mar 07 - News section

Nottinghamshire's
Queer Bulletin

February/March 2007 Number 34

If you have any information, news, gossip or libel, please send it to

Lesbian and Gay Switchboard

7 Mansfield Road

Nottingham NG1 3FB

or e-mail notts@lgswitchboard.fsnet.co.uk

The deadline for the next edition will be mid March, 2007.

Switchboard is registered charity number 1114273

LGBT HISTORY MONTH

February 2007 marks the third LGBT History Month. Locally the following events have been arranged:

Feb. 1 - Feb 7th Displays in the foyer at County Hall. Different people will be by the display each day, including Pride organiser Pam Burrows, Sheelagh Gallagher and Laura Ewart (The Big Gay Read) all on the 1st, local historian Tony Bilton (2nd), info about the LGBT reading group (5th), gay author Narvel Annable (6th) and Brian Crosby (Unison) and your own QB editor (7th). 12.00-2.00 pm each day.

Feb 6th (Tue) Breakout gay men's group have a talk on Ye Olde Nottingham by Tony Bilton. It's at the Health Shop at 8.00 pm.

Feb. 8th and 9th LGBT History display at Notts Police HQ (Sherwood Lodge).

Feb. 10th (Sat) 3.00 pm A Gay History Walk (see DIARY for details)

Feb 12th (Mon) - Feb 24th (Sat). Angel Row Library 1st floor - a display of Switchboard's work and history + a Timeline of events since 1967.

Feb 15th (Thurs) 6.30 pm. Waterstones. Sarah Waters will be talking about her work. Tickets £3

Feb 20th (Tue) LGBT History Quiz in the Green Room at the Lord Roberts. Starts (fairly) promptly at 8.00 pm. There will be a small buffet. Entrance £1. Prizes for the winners.

A sequence of films at Broadway:

Feb. 8th (6.30) The Journey - 2 girls grow up together in India and then fall in love

Feb.19th (6.15) Breaking the Code - the story of Alan Turing, the gay man who cracked the German's Enigma code and, more or less, invented the computer.

Feb 28th (6.15) The Naked Civil Servant - the life and times of the flamboyant Quentin Crisp

February will also see the launch of an Anti-homophobic bullying pack + posters for Nottingham schools and a leaflet publicising new LGBT books from Notts County Libraries; for the full book list contact Beeston Library on 0115 9255168 or e-mail beeston.library@nottscc.gov.uk

YOU'RE ALL LEGAL NOW

This was the view of many people after the Sexual Offences Act was passed in 1967. Things were not that simple. Yes, you were no longer imprisoned if you had sex with a consenting male adult (that's over 21) in private (that's not in a hotel) ... though make sure you didn't live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Lesbians were not mentioned in the Act as the law didn't recognise their existence.

Not a lot changed on the legal front for over 30 years after the 1967 Act. You could still be thrown out of the armed forces until 1999; you could still be sacked simply for being lesbian or gay until 2003; any partnership you were in was denied any legal support until 2005.

Here we are in 2007 in a position where nearly all of the laws which discriminated against lesbians and gay men have been swept away - though changing the attitudes of many parts of society will take a lot longer.

What we should remember is that for LGB people living in some other parts of the world, the situation is still horrific. Go to the TRAVELLER BEWARE section of the Project's Themes to see the long list of countries which have imprisonment or even the death penalty for homosexuality.

NO BLOODY USE

Students at the University of Nottingham are supporting an online petition against the UK's ban on gay blood donors. The petition, which runs until April, has so far received around 800 signatures.The petition calls on the government to carry out a review of the National Blood Service policies and overturn the current policy against gay and bisexual men and instead discriminate against unsafe sexual practices.

James Walsh, of the NUS, said: "The policies of the NBS are outdated, making decisions as to whether or not your allowed to give blood on how honest you are."

Italy, South Africa, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Russia and France have all repealed previous bans.

An NBS spokesperson said "We have had these policies in place for many years in order to maximise blood safety." The NBS points out that it also bars heterosexuals who have indulged in dangerous practices and anyone who has recently had acupuncture or lived in countries where HIV infection is rife.

You can find the petition at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/bloodban/

SPARKLE WITH PRIDE

Nottingham Pride is set to sparkle with success again this year as it celebrates 5 years at the Arboretum (and 10 years since the first Nottingham Pride event, Pink Lace). The committee are excited by an offer to stage a HUGE after-Pride celebration at a venue in town. Details will be announced in a few months. In the meantime, the Pride committee is always welcoming new ideas and voices, so if you would like to volunteer to be steward on the day - Saturday 28th July - then drop them a line to info@nottinghampride.co.uk.

If you would like to run a stall, you can also contact that address to receive a stall-holders pack. For all you fun-loving queers who like to dress up, now's the time to start thinking of what you're going to wear to tie in with this year's theme - SPARKLE WITH PRIDE! Let's have a glittering Pride.

NEWS FROM THE GAI PROJECT

A SAD FAREWELL

It is with great sadness that the GAi Project bids farewell to a much loved and admired team member, Eli Joubert, who has returned to his homeland of South Africa to pursue his studies in clinical psychology. Although he was only with the project for just over a year, he will be greatly missed and everyone who has known him or worked with him will wish him all the success and happiness in his new pursuit.

With this in mind please be aware that until the posts are filled, Jens Zimmermann is the only member of the team currently left in the project. Whilst every effort will be made to continue the work of the project there may be a reduction in some of the services offered by the project.

FACTS AND TRIVIA

To mark LGBT History month the GAi Project will be posting interesting and amusing facts and trivia on their information boards located at the Foresters and AD2 ..... have a look. Also if you come and see us when we are doing outreach you can fill out a quiz to see how much you know about the history of the LGBT community. Free gift for all those who enter!

SORRY

For all of you eagerly awaiting the release of the sexual health hand books due for World AIDS Day, we are sorry to announce that there has been a delay, but we will let you know as soon as they are ready. Finally the GAi Project wishes everyone a fab New Year and hopes all your dreams come true.

NOTES AND QUEERIES

The Archers is the first soap to have a Civil Ceremony. On December 14th chef Ian and farming dogsbody Adam tied the knot, much to the embarrassment of stepfather Brian (what will the village think?) Aldridge. Will the course of true love run smoothly, or will one of them fall into the threshing machine? Dum-ti-dum-ti-dum-ti-dum dum-ti diddily dum.

The Conservative Party has chosen to become part of Stonewall's Diversity Champions programme, while the Labour Party has decided not to be involved. Not everyone is happy. Ann Widdecombe MP says "This is going back to ancient Rome. We should be promoting traditional marriage?". Let us recall that this is the party of Stephen Norris, Harvey Proctor, Cecil Parkinson, John Major, Stephen Milligan, David Mellors ... and many more with "interesting" histories in the bedroom. Perhaps she's referring to the Hamiltons.

Does your name influence the job you do? Think of all those TV gardeners: Pippa Greenwood, Bob Flowerdew, Alan Titchmarsh, Stefan Buczacki (Polish for carrot). It comes as no surprise that the World Health Organisation's announcement that circumcision can halve HIV infection came from Kevin de Cock.

NOTTINGHAM BUDDIES

The printed version of QB contains an article about Nottingham Buddies, which we are not including here as it contains errors. QB would like to make it clear that it represented the views of one individual member of the Buddies. It did not represent the views of others in the Buddies, nor those of QB.The Buddies scheme, like many parts of the NHS, is at present under review. Regardless of the outcome of that review, we have been informed that money for a scheme will still be made available, as will continued support for the volunteers within that scheme.

ONE NOTTINGHAM

One Nottingham is a local strategic partnership. It brings together the public, private, community and voluntary sectors based in Nottingham, so that every one living or working in the city has the chance to have their say about its future. One Nottingham's vision is to: "Reduce inequality, so that no one is disadvantaged by who they are or where they live".

At a recent meeting to take the One Nottingham agenda forwards, some people from the City LGBT Forum were present. The subject of the Police's 0800 anti-hate crime phone lines was mentioned and we were surprised by a) the almost 100% ignorance of their existence b) the interest it generated. It was agreed that it should be publicised through the Nottingham Arrow... we now just have to wait.

Concern about homophobic bullying in schools featured strongly in the workshop about young people. We hope that this concern provides a spur for action in local schools.

BRIEFS ON AND OFF THE SCENE

Central pub has had both a change of management (welcome to Sue Annable) and a change of name; it's now called Niche. It is described in an article in the Evening Post (so it must be true) as having the reputation of being the friendliest gay bar in Nottingham.

Pink is here. Nottingham's new Women Only night. Upstairs @ The Canalhouse Bar, Canal Street, NG1 7EH (Next to Via Fossa). The first night is Saturday March 3rd 8.00 pm to 1.00 am. Disco starts at 9.00 pm. £5 entry. For further information e-mail pink-women@hotmail.com.

We got into a thorough muddle about Badminton in the last issue of QB. Gays and lesbians obviously can't get enough of shuttlecockery as there are now three local badminton groups. There's: the all-women's badminton on Saturdays and Thursdays; the Badminton Social on Mondays and then the LGBT Badminton group on Tuesdays - all at the Victoria Leisure Centre.

In the last QB, mention was made of the hypnotic Powerpoint presentation of 436 Famous LGBT faces. Since then it has grown to 533 Faces and will be seen at various places during this February's LGBT History Month. It will be part of the display at County Hall, but will also be shown at Police HQ at Sherwood Lodge, at the Capital One building and Castle College. Boots dismissed it because it "didn't have a business focus" (?!)

HISTORY'S KINGS AND QUEENS

At the age of 18, King Frederick the Great of Prussia tried to run away with his lover Hans von Katte. In this pre-civil registration age, the elopement failed and von Katte was executed. Fred was a great soldier-king, hence "Great". He also composed symphonies and played the flute.

Edward II of England wasn't very much into kinging, so he let his lover Piers Gaveston run the country. Because of this, the Barons were revolting. Edward is perhaps most famous through Marlowe's play in which he is killed by a red hot poker up the bum.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria was often referred to as "Mad" King Ludwig. A little eccentric certainly, as his life centred around three things: Building fairytale castles, affairs with handsome young men and the operas of Wagner. In 1886 he was declared insane and died from drowning soon after.

Queen Anne of England was not just a style of furniture. She was a woman obsessed by Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. She married Prince George, but still could not bear to live apart from Lady Churchill. Her indifferent husband was more fond of food and drink.

Gustav III of Sweden was an enlightened and reforming king who just happened to have a fondness for his male courtiers. He was shot at a masked ball - the subject for Verdi's opera "Un ballo in maschera". While in Sweden, we could have mentioned Queen Christina or Gustav V, who caused a car crash when giving a blow job to his chauffeur (see QB no. 30).

WHAT GAY MEN LOOK LIKE (?)

What IS Kenneth Clarke MP doing here? See how you think Mr Clarke (definitely NOT gay) fits the 1964 article on "How to spot a homo". They wear suede shoes and sports jackets, they smoke and they like the company of ladies with large bosoms". Sorry Ken, you're a dead ringer.

From 1965 to 1968 about a third of the UK listened to Julian and Sandy (Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick) on Round the Horne. We only "saw" them on the radio, so you must judge whether their cartoon image fits.

The next picture is from 1973 and, unfortunately, is utterly true to life. It shows the opening night of La Chic club on Canal Street as reported in the Nottingham Evening Post.

By the late 1970s, we were encouraged to cast aside flared trousers and long hair in favour of a pick'n'mix macho, red indian, cowboy, leather, industrial or law enforcement look. Some people were allergic to the feathers.

In 2005, of course, "village people" were clad in PVC .... with absolutely nowhere to hide their iPods. The lesson, I suppose, is that you don't have to be gay to fit a gay stereotype and you don't have to be stereotypical in order to be gay.