Menier Revives La Cage aux Folles for Christmas

The Menier Chocolate Factory will continue its Christmas tradition of major revivals of classic Broadway musicals this year with Jerry Herman’s La Cage Aux Folles. West End veteran Terry Johnson will direct the new production of the 1983 musical comedy, which opens 3 December 2007 (previews from 23 November) and continues in Southwark until 8 March 2008.

Based on the 1973 French play by Jean Poiret and subsequent 1978 French-Italian screen version, the musical focuses on a gay couple - George, the manager of a St Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his star attraction - and the adventures that ensue when George's son brings home his fiancée's ultra-conservative parents to meet them.

La Cage Aux Folles has a book by Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy) and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, whose other classics include Hello Dolly!, Mame and Mack and Mabel. The score features songs including “I Am What I Am”, “The Best of Times”, “Song on the Sand”, “Maculinity” and the title number.

Cast includes: Douglas Hodge as Albin and Philip Quast as Georges.

La Cage Aux Folles
Menier Chocolate Factory
51/53 Southwark Street
London SE1 1RU
boxoffice: 020 79077060 or online

Menier Chocolate Factory
Review

Homotopia

Homotopia, Liverpool’s festival by and for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, will open on 1st November and offer visitors a variety of events including theatre, film, art, performance, photography, heritage and storytelling until the 19th. The festival was founded in 2004 and is now in its third edition.

You can download a copy of the festival programme here (pdf file, 11Mb).

Homotopia

Arte e omosessualità

The exhibition Art and Homosexuality, from Van Gloeden to Pierre et Gilles opened last Saturday in Florence, Italy. Until 6 January 2008, 220 works by 150 artists will be on display in the Royal Palace.

The exhibition, originally organized for another city, Milan, and another venue, Palazzo della Ragione, reopens now in Florence after the censorship that closed it immediately after its opening in July this year.

Promoted by Vittorio Sgarbi, curated by Eugenio Viola and organized by Artematica, this exhibition, the most extensive of its kind ever staged in Italy, presents an investigation of the connections between art and homosexuality in the period stretching from the birth of photography through to the present day.

The visual representation of subjects closely associated with homoeroticism is present throughout the history of humanity, although the cultural values it expresses and the underlying meanings are naturally the reflection of the specific historical and socio-cultural contexts. Scenes with homoerotic contents appear on the vases of ancient Greece and in the Persian bas-reliefs, at the dawn of eastern art, in the Italian Renaissance and in the Baroque period. A subtle fil rouge that by way of short circuits and fundamental passages reaches the present day, developing independently and long before the advent of the modern concept of gender’s diversity.

However, what should we identify with the term “homoerotic art”? Works created by artists of whose homosexuality we are certain and in which frequently, but not necessarily, we find something that references an homoerotic taste? Or should we consider the work of artists who are not officially homosexual but whose creations reveal an extraordinary eroticism that encourages such an interpretation? Departing from the homosexuality of an artist for the interpretation of his/her work triggers a series of particularly thorny questions. Knowledge of the (homo)sexual orientation of the artist generally alerts us to the possible presence of a metaphorical representation of homosexuality. What kind of relationship is established between the biography of the artist and the interpretation of his/her work?

The criteria for the selection of the works exhibited does not consider this relationship, but is instead based on the specific characteristics of the individual works, identifying, beyond the conventional identities of gender, a thematic strand within a common mode of feeling, of expressing states of being, attitudes and emotions, without any claim to define the canons of a “homosexual specific” within the art. On the basis of this approach, a number of works exhibit openly homoerotic contents, while in others this is expressed obliquely through specific codes, symbols, allusions, allegories and metaphors. An itinerary that from the Arcadian photographs of Baron von Gloeden explores the territories of homoerotic photography, from Herb Ritts and Bruce Weber to Mapplethorpe, from Jack Pierson to Bruce Labruce, with a glance at the camp aesthetic of James Bidgood revived in more recent years by David Lachapelle. Artists who are working in a historical period in which it is possible to freely treat gay, lesbian or transgender themes, presenting anxieties and questions that are preponderant and frequently crucial for much of the art of the end of the last century and the opening of the new millennium.

An exemplary itinerary of images through the evolution of perception and the consequent representation of existential diversity, from Carol Rama to David Hockney and Andy Warhol, by way of the roaming identities of Ugo Rondine, Yasumasa Moritura and Eva & Adele, highlighting the work of the latest generation of artists who use homoerotic love as an expedient for questioning superstructures of race, desire, gender and sexual identity and braking down the conventional distinctions between art, eroticism and pornography.

See Also:
Art and Homosexuality - cplonline (includes pictures)

Art and Homosexuality.
From Von Gloeden to Pierre et Gilles
Palazzina Reale of Santa Maria Novella
Piazza Adua 50
Florence, Italy
27 October 2007 – 6 January 2008

Queer discipline:

a series of research seminars on queer studies and interdisciplinarity

29 October * 5.15pm * Room 238 (English Dept Common Room)

Matt Cook (History, Birkbeck)
‘Homes fit for homos: Joe Orton and the Domesticated Queer’

all seminars are held on the Strand Campus of King’s College London

queer discipline 2007–08 is convened by Mark Turner (English, KCL) on behalf of the Queer@King’s research centre

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST…

**Next Critical Sexology Seminar***

7 November 2007: International Approaches to Bisexuality
2-6 pm
London South Bank University, Keyworth Centre, K405/6
(www.lsbu.ac.uk/about/maps.shtml)

Organised by Meg Barker (meg@megbarker.com)

To be chaired by Alessandra Iantaffi (researcher on bisexuality and therapist)

Speakers:
Ron Fox (Professor in Psychology, Saybrook Graduate School , San Francisco )
"International Perspectives on Bisexuality: Documenting and Preserving
History in the Making"

Matthew Waites (Lecturer in Sociology, Dept. of Sociology,
Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences, University of Glasgow )
"Bisexuality, 'Sexual Orientation' and Human Rights: The Global
Politics of Sexual Identities"

Clare Hemmings (Senior Lecturer in Gender Theory and Gender Studies,
London School of Economics)
"Bisexuality and Queer Transnationalism "

The seminar will be preceded by a morning of related events, namely a
series of presentations and workshops by and for PhD students and
others researching bisexuality. This will take place in room K605.

Critical Sexology is co-organised by Meg Barker ( meg@megbarker.com)
and Lisa Downing ( L.M.Downing@exeter.ac.uk)

Morning of Related Events (9.30am-1pm) Keyworth Centre Room K605

9.30-11.00 – five 15 minute presentations

Toni Brennan – Charlotte Wolf and the history of bisexual research

Robin Cackett - The Freud-Fliess-Controversy or: Investments in
Bisexuality in Early Psychoanalysis

Helen Bowes-Catton – 'Swordfighting, Drag Kings, and Cuddles-
Embodying Identity in 'spectacular' bisexual space

Christian Klesse – Personal identities and sexuality research: on
reflexivity and positionality

Alex Toft – Bisexual Christians: The Lived Experiences of a
Marginalised Community

11.30-1.00
Workshop on the links and tensions between bi academic research and
queer theory, bi activism and queer activism. Facilitated by Camel
Gupta and Meg Barker

Critical Sexology holds three seminars yearly. It is co-organised by Lisa Downing and Meg Barker. Visit our website for news of future events: http://www.criticalsexology.org.uk

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Centre for South East Asian Studies Seminar series .

Seminar
Date: Thursday, 29 November 2007
Time: 5-7pm
Title: Le Hoang’s (fallen) angels: women, gender and power in Bargirls (2003), Street Cinderella (2004) and Thieves of heart (2005)
Speaker: Dr Tess Do ( University of Melbourne )
Venue: G51, Main Building , SOAS
Contact: Ben Murtagh (bm10@soas.ac.uk) or Jane Savory (js64@soas.ac.uk)

Seminar
Centre of South East Asian Studies and the Centre of Gender Studies, SOAS
Date: Thursday, 6 December 2007
Time: 5-7pm
Title: Lesbians in the metropolis: fatal attraction in two Indonesian movies from the early 1990s
Speaker: Dr Ben Murtagh (SOAS)
Venue: G51, Main Building , SOAS
Contact: Ben Murtagh (bm10@soas.ac.uk) or Jane Savory (js64@soas.ac.uk)

Batty Man

Comedian and actor Stephen K Amos uses his own experiences as a black gay man to explore why homophobia still exists in his own community.

This observational documentary by Channel 4 learning – the title of which is a derogatory term for homosexuals – follows Amos on a journey from his childhood homes in Brixton and Tooting, South London, all the way to Jamaica, where he tries to discover why prejudice, intimidation and violence against gay men remain so prevalent.

Amos canvasses the opinions of young people in London, and of audiences on the comedy circuit. In Kingston, he talks to several young people who are living in fear of their lives, and to some of the dancehall musicians whose lyrics preach hate and violence against gays.

Will he learn something on this journey about how attitudes might be changed for the benefit of the next generation of young, black gay men?

Outline, background, clips, activities and learning programme notes for the programme can be found here.

The programme is available to view and (for teachers) to download on Teachers TV here.

Launch of the Gender Trust Helpline

The LGBT Advisory Group to the Met Police project based at GALOP is launching the Gender Trust Helpline. Although the launch is in Brighton, the service will be a national one.

The National Helpline is the first ever for anyone in the UK affected by gender identity issues who are in need of support, information and a listening ear.

Wednesday 7th November, 2007, 18:30
The Brighthelm Centre
North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YD

Guest Speaker: Trans pioneer - Adele Anderson: Founder member of world renowned singing group Fascinating Aida

Attendace requires RSVP email to info@gendertrust.org.uk
Call 01273 234024 for more information.

GALOP and the LGBT AG aim to facilitate communication between LGBT forums across the London boroughs. Forums can provide a space to canvass and articulate the views of LGBT people and to bring the gap between policy makers, practitioners and service users.

Celebrating a Lesbian Life

This exhibition, created by Val Dunn, is an extrodinary example of the inspirational work that can be done for an event during February's LGBT History Month.

"For this exhibition I have selected people and events that have shaped my life as a lesbian. The Bin represents things gladly rejected or left behind, Celebrations are moments of freedom and events and organisations that have made or make my life enjoyable. In the middle panel I have chosen some of my icons, people or places that have influenced, sustained, or pleased me. I have selected only those brave women who have ‘come out’, that is they have voluntarily said that they are lesbian and live with the consequences – not any easy thing to do.

This exhibition was originally produced as part of Pride in the House at Lauderdale House, Highgate in July 2003. It was called ‘Over the Rainbow – a showcase of work by seven older gay and lesbian artists’. I just want to reiterate here that without the assistance of Heike Lowenstein my chosen graphics would not have been realised so well.

When I responded to the invitation in the paper I did wonder whether it was good idea to expose myself in this way, especially in a setting local to me. However, having decided to do it, I enjoyed the process of thinking how I might present myself. I couldn’t imagine doing a video and, after talking about alternative possibilities with the other participants, I decided to concentrate on showing those things I was glad to reject and those I wanted to celebrate. The format presented itself from an idea I had to do with fridge magnets! Then when we were choosing the dinner party guests I discovered that the other participants didn’t know the people I was familiar with, so I decided to include my own icons in my presentation. My mood swung from elation to deep gloom as the weeks went on with many sleepless nights. Not knowing how it would look until the last minute made me particularly anxious. It was just as well I didn’t know how much work I had given myself to do at the last moment! I enjoyed the preview and showing my friends round the exhibition. My twin said she was touched that I had included her in my celebrations!

I was pleased to have the opportunity to take part in this exhibition. Something I had never done before. So I thank the funders, the staff at Lauderdale House and all the facilitators, but especially Heike of course. When we talked about the project I couldn’t imagine how the installation of the exhibition could be achieved and I am full of admiration for the way that everyone worked to make it the success it was."
-Val Dunn

With the Pre-Launch a few weeks away and Feburary just around the corner, it is perfect timing to starting planning and thinking about your upcoming events. Our newly launched forum www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/Forum is an exciting and interactive space to talk about future and past events.

Dumbledore's Outing a Mixed Blessing

While crowds cheered last week at the announcement by JK Rowling that her character Dumbledore was gay, Time Magazine's John Cloud feels a little more reserved about the news. After a quick overview of suggested gay characters in Sci-fi. Cloud wonders what the late outing means in his article Put Dumbledore Back in the Closet.

AIDS: The Dark Muse

Aids is the biggest phenomenon of the last 30 years.

It has affected every aspect of our lives - political, domestic, cultural and emotional.

This event will explore - through personal testimony, expert talks, screenings and performance - the impact of Aids on lesbian and gay culture, looking both at what we've gained and what we've lost.

AIDS: The Dark Muse
Drill Hall, London
28 October - 4pm
www.drillhall.co.uk/pl290.html

I, Too by Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.

Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—

I, too, am America.

York Lesbian Arts Festival

The York Lesbian Arts Festival, comprising three events, will be taking place on 27-28th October .

The Book Festival will run from 9:30am to 5:30pm at York Racecourse and will feature authors and artists from the UK and USA. Guests include: Val McDermid, Stella Duffy, Rhona Cameron, Manda Scott, Sarah Waters, Jackie Kay, Helen Sandler, Crin Claxton, Jane Fletcher, Charlotte Mendelson, Jennifer Fulton, Marianne K Martin, Ellen Dean, Tricia Walker, Fiona Cooper, VG Lee, Jenny Roberts, Inge Blackman, Julie McNamara and Shelley Silas. Julie McNamara will be compering the Open mic slot, where artists can step up and read/perform their work. There will also be a series of short performance events.

As dusk settles over the racecourse the party continues with Club DIVA. Its the UK's biggest lesbian dance party with two floors of great music. 8:30-2am. With DJs Sadie Lee (Lower the Tone), Claude Cunningham (Black Angel) and DJ Ad Astra (Vanilla).

On Sunday lunchtime York City Centre rocks to the sound of lesbian performers at the outdoor Street Concert, 12 noon-1:30pm. Claire Mooney, Deep C Diva’s, Secret’s Out and Helen Sandler already confirmed. This event is entirely FREE.

Book Festival £22, Club DIVA £14.
Prices on the door: Book Festival £25. Club Diva £15.
More details on www.ylaf.org.uk

Disabled access is good, women are being asked to fill in an access questionnaire to ensure YLAF can meet their needs. The Book Festival is open to all women and men as guests of women. Club DIVA is women-only. Trans and intersex people are welcome. The Street Concert is open to all, including children.

Click on the image just above to view the flyer for the Festival.

Memorial Toilet for Cruising Playwright?

Demand for new public toilets in the London Borough of Islington has been highlighted by a local trader who is suggesting they be dedicated in memory of famous resident Joe Orton.

The gay playwright, who was murdered by his lover at the height of his fame in 1967, famously used to cruise for sex in public toilets all over Islington.

The Angel area has a high concentration of bars and restaurants and a paucity of public facilities.

Local trader Mike Weedon's suggestion of a blue plaque in memory of Orton on a proposed new toilet has been rejected by a local council leader.

"I think having a toilet with a blue plaque dedicated to him would suit his personality," said Weedon, told the Islington Gazette.

"He did what he did because it was the only place he could do it in those days and I think it would show how attitudes have changed.

"We wouldn't be celebrating cottaging, we would be celebrating how much more liberal we are these days."

Islington Council deputy leader Terry Stacy rejected the idea of a blue plaque but admitted that more public toilets were needed.

Despite his professional career lasting a mere three years, Joe Orton is still remembered as one of the most talented and outrageous playwrights of the 20th century.

Entertaining Mr Sloane, Loot and What the Butler Saw took London by storm and established him as a major talent.

However, his jealous lover Kenneth Halliwell bludgeoned him to death in August 1967, then killed himself.

In 1987 Gary Oldman played Orton in a biopic, Prick Up Your Ears.

With thanks to PinkNews.co.uk

Dumbledore Outed

During a recent Q&A session at the Carnegie Hall in New York, JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, answered a question about one of her characters' love life by stating that he is gay.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is, for the majority of the series, the headmaster of the fictional school attended by Harry Potter, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and founder of the "Order of the Phoenix", a fictional organisation dedicated to fighting the main antagonist of the series, Lord Voldemort. JK Rowling also stated that Dumbledore is actually "smitten" by his rival, Gellert Grindelwald.

About the reaction of her audience to her announcement, Rowling said:"I would have told you earlier if I knew it would make you so happy."

Fans have apparently been speculating about the character's sexuality for quite a while. Although Harry Potter has a girlfriend in the books, people have also found parallels between's Potter's early life as a budding wizard with the live experience of young LGBT people.

What Is It About Harry? by Michael Bronski, Boston Phoenix, July 7, 2003

See also:
JK Rowling outs Dumbledore as gay - BBC News
Activist welcomes 'Dumbledore is gay' revelation - Ireland Online
Albus Dumbledore - Wikipedia

Picture shows actor Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

1967 & All That - Event

40 years ago, the law was changed in England and Wales and homosexual acts between consenting males over 21 were finally decriminalised. The Hall-Carpenter Archives of lesbian and gay activism, based at the London School of Economics, and the Lesbian & Gay Newsmedia Archive, host an afternoon of talks and film screenings to commemorate this landmark in gay history.

Speakers include:

* Dr Matt Cook of Birkbeck College, editor of A Gay History of Britain, on the context of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act and the road to reform
* Rex Batten, author of Rid England of This Plague, on life for gay men during the police campaigns against them in the 1950s
* Robert Thompson of the Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive on "Twilight Men and Cake Shop Ladies: Homosexuality in the Press in the 1950s and 1960s”
* Tamsin Bookey, project archivist at LSE, on working with the LGBT community to preserve and make accessible the historical records of the gay rights movement

The afternoon also features rare full-length screenings of two BBC Man Alive documentaries about male and female homosexuals, originally broadcast in 1967. There will also be an opportunity to view the touring exhibition produced for the 1967 & All That project which uses records from the Hall-Carpenter Archives and the Lesbian & Gay Newsmedia Archive to illustrate the story of the Sexual Offences Act.

The event takes place on Saturday October 27th at 1.30pm at LSE Library, 10 Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HD (nearest tube: Holborn). Tickets cost £5 and are strictly limited in number. Advance purchase is necessary to guarantee admission.

To buy tickets using your credit or debit card, please call LSE Archives on 0207 955 7223.

For more information about the project, email document@lse.ac.uk or visit our website: www.1967andallthat.org.uk

1967 & All That is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund under the Archives 4 All programme.

Seduced: Art and Sex from Antiquity to Now

Seduced explores the representation of sex in art through the ages. Featuring over 300 works spanning 2000 years, it brings together Roman sculptures, Indian manuscripts, Japanese prints, Chinese watercolours, Renaissance and Baroque paintings and 19th century photography with modern and contemporary art.

Seduced presents the work of around 70 artists including Nobuyoshi Araki, Francis Bacon, Jeff Koons, Robert Mapplethorpe, Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt van Rijn and Andy Warhol among others. Stimulating the mind and the senses, provocative and compelling, Seduced provides the historical and cultural framework to explore the boundaries of acceptability in art. Seduced is curated by Marina Wallace, Martin Kemp and Joanne Bernstein.

Details of the events, screenings and talks attached to the exhibition are available from the Barbican website (link below).

Seduced
12 October 2007 - 27 January 2008
Barbican Art Gallery
opening times for Seduced
Daily 11.00am – 8.00pm
Except Tue & Wed 11.00am–6.00pm
Late night Thu 10pm
Tickets: £8/£6
Over 18s only - This exhibition contains work of a sexually explicit nature.
website

Black Same Gender Loving Filmography

As part of our celebration of Black History Month, we are proud to make available the word of Rod Patrick Risbrook (aka Big Rod), an aspiring filmmaker and student at the film department of New York University. Gathering information on 118 films and illustrated by film posters and stills, the REEL BLACK SAME GENDER LOVING FILMOGRAPHY RESOURCE "was created to enlighten, educate and make exciting for the public the body of film and television work out there depicting the lives of Same Gender Loving (SGL) people of African descent.

SGL is a culturally affirming and coined term that emerged in the early 1990s to offer black women who love women and black men who love men (and other people of color) a way of identifying that resonated with the uniqueness of black life and culture. SGL was created to affirm, embrace, reference and lovingly umbrella homosexual, bisexual and transgender people of African descent. "

You can download a pdf version of the filmography by clicking here (7.3Mb)

See also:
Author's MySpace page
Same Gender Loving - Wikipedia
Our Black History Month page

Love, Sex and Metaphor: A Queer Gaze

What makes a picture queer? What happens to a painting when confronted with the private (queer) imagination? Sadie Lee, artist, and Shaun Levin, writer and editor of Chroma Journal, explore the portraits they fancy and the paintings that inspire them.

For the second time this year, artist Sadie Lee and writer Shaun Levin reveal the queer histories behind the Gallery's portraits on this guided tour.

Love, Sex and Metaphor: A Queer Gaze
Thursday 1 November 2007, 19:00
National Portrait Gallery, London

This very popular event is free, but tickets are required on the night on a first come, first served basis. To book ticketed events call 020 7306 0055.

www.npg.org.uk/live/november.asp

Kissing Policemen Banned by Russia

Kissing Policemen (An Epoch of Clemency) by Blue Noses

The above photography has been banned together with 16 other works from appearing in a Paris exhibition on contemporary Russian art. "If this exhibition appears [in Paris] it will bring shame on Russia. In this case, all of us will bear full responsibility," the minister said. Russia's culture minister, Alexander Sokolov called the pitcture political provocation, adding: "It is inadmissible...to take all this pornography, kissing policemen and erotic pictures to Paris."

The minister also banned another work by the same collective, Blue Noses, showing Vladimir Putin, George Bush and Osama bin Laden cavorting on a double bed in their underpants. The works were shown last May in Russia without problem.

Alexander Shaburov, one of the two artists in Blue Noses said that he had been "inspired by Banksy's iconic image of two constables kissing. We wanted to do the same but in Russia," Banksy is a London based stencil artist whose works appear on the walls of the captial. One of his most famous stencils shows a couple of British policemen in the same position as that of the Russian ones above.

The Russian artists claim that their work has nothing to do with homosexuality but rather that "The aim of our work is to take cliches and to make them as absurd as possible." However, one can not but be reminded of the everyday and rather strident homophobia shown regularly by religious and civil authorities in the country.

No Paris trip for Russia's kissing policemen, The Guardian
Gay Police Kiss Banned From Paris Show, Queerty

Feminist, Queer & Trans Neo-Burlesque

Performance makers, performance thinkers in discussion.

Is the resurgence of burlesque a continuation of the exploitation of women's bodies or is it potentially part of a new feminism? Is this performance genre, originally used as a performative platform for women to comment on social and political issues, being reclaimed in the contemporary moment? Can neo-burlesque be mobilised as a critical space of queer performativity, exploring male and trans burlesque?

Hosted by The Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre and The International Workshop Festival

- The event will begin with a panel discussion from 4pm
- A buffet supper and drinks from 6:30pm
- Performances will begin at 7:30pm

Performers : Empress Stah … Ryan Styles … Russella … Pia Arber … Darlinda Just Darlinda…Lexi Van Gosh…Miss Polly Teacup…Red Sarah … Miss Fancy Chance … Doris La Trine and more….

Speakers: Angela McRobbie, Goldsmiths … Lara Clifton, Producer of The Whoopee Club … Marissa Carnesky...Sheryl Dodds, University of Surrey … Darlinda Just Darlinda, New York … Liselle Terret, Central School of Speech and Drama … Diane Torr, Glasgow School of Art

Feminist, Queer & Trans Neo-Burlesque
Central School of Speech and Drama, London
Friday 26th October 2007, 4pm – 10:30pm
£30 full price / £15 concessions
Please contact cett@cssd.ac.uk by 5pm on 19th October to book your place.
For further info call 020 7 722 8183 & speak to Gabbi or Liselle

LGBT Related Radio and TV Programmes. 13th – 19th Oct..

We seek them out so you don't have to. This is our weekly non-exhaustive round up of upcoming LGBT programmes on the radio and television. Inclusion of a programme is not a recommendation.
Enjoy!

Radio
Some of the programmes listed below will remain available for listen again from the BBC's website.

Tuesday 16th
BBC Radio4 – 11.30am: Frankie’s House – a tour of Frankie Howard’s house with extracts from his work.

TV

Documentaries

Sunday 14th
Channel 4 – 8.00pm: Wife Swap – Bisexuals this week!

Monday 15th
Biography Channel – 6.00pm: Rock Hudson.

Thursday 18th
Sky Arts – 9.00pm: Derek Jarman Life As Art.

Friday 19th
Sky Arts – 1.00pm: The Shakespeare sessions – Poetry.
BBC2 – 11.35pm: A Tribute to Ned Sherrin – Comedy Connections.

Drama

Monday 15th
More 4 – 11.40pm: Queer As Folk

Tuesday 16th
More 4 – 11.40pm: Queer As Folk

Wednesday 17th
More 4 –10.35pm: Queer As Folk

Thursday 18th
More 4 – 11.00pm: Queer As Folk

Friday 19th
Living – Midnight: The L Word

Films

Saturday 13th
Virgin 1 – 9.00pm: The Birdcage.

Sunday 14th
Channel 4 – 2.05am: Beautiful Thing.

Monday 15th
Sky Movies Action – 9.00pm: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Film 4 – 11.00pm: Kinsey.

Wednesday 17th
Sky Movies Indie – 11.10pm: Performance.

Friday 19th
Film 4 – 6.40pm: Some Like It Hot.

That's all folks!

Noel Coward Play Rediscovered

85 years after it was written, The Better Half, a one act play e by Noel Coward, has been rediscovered in the archive of the British Library. The play, despite its suggestions that women had sexual feelings, had escaped the Lord Chamberlain's censure and had been performed in 1922, though it was never published.

The Better Half is being performed by The Sticking Place theatre company at the Union Theatre in Southwark (South London) between 16th October and 10th November as part of the company's Annual Horror Theatre Festival.

Highlighting the discovery of the play, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, recently took a look at the women in Coward's life. The programme remains available online here.

See Also:
'Lost' Noel Coward play uncovered - BBC News
Coward's long-lost satire was almost too 'daring' about women - The Guardian
Coward Play Rediscovered - Theatre in Wales
The Better Half - Wikipedia

The Better Half
The Union Theatre
Union Street
Southwark, London.
October 16th – November 10th 2007 (Tuesdays – Saturdays at 7.30pm)
Tickets (Tue-Thu) £10, £8 concessions (Fri-Sat) £12, £10 concessions
Halloween Specials October 29th, 30th and 31st at 7.30pm (all tickets £15)
Box Office: 020 7261 9876
Union Theatre
Season of Terror

LGBT Victims of Franco Demand Recognition

On Thursday 4 September, a group of Spanish LGBT associations, the Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gays, Transexuales y Bisexuales, (FELGTB: National LGBT Federation), requested compensations from the government for the members of the LGBT community who were arrested under the Franco dictatorship because of their sexual orientation. They also demanded that mention be made in the controversial and as yet unfinished law on historical memory of the "repression, torture, imprisonment and exil inflicted to LGBT people by the Franco government" and that the circumstances of the persecution be properly investigated.

Two laws served to justify the actions against the LGBT community: one against "vagrants and criminals", the other about "reabilitation and social danger".

An estimated 4000 LGBT people fell victim to the authorities, about 100 of which are still alive and have been campaigning for 30 years for the recognition of their plight and rights. In December 2006, the government, which introduced same-sex marriage in 2005 in the face of fierce Catholic opposition, had made positive noises in support of compensations but things seems to have gone by the wayside and survivors are still waiting.

Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gays, Transexuales y Bisexuales (spanish)
FELGTB press release (spanish)
Gay victims of Franco era to win compensation, The Independent, 28 December 2006

'Gay bomb' scoops Ig Nobel award

In September 2004, the world learned, thanks to US Government papers released to the Sunshine Project under the Freedom of Information Act, that in 1994, the US Air Force's Wright Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio requested $7.5M (£3.8m) for the funding a research programme to create non-leathal weapons.

The proposal suggested that "One distasteful but completely non-lethal example would be strong aphrodisiacs, especially if the chemical also caused homosexual behavior." The so-called "gay bomb" would make enemy soldiers gay and "have their units break down because all their soldiers became irresistably attractive to one another".

Last week, the research project was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for Peace with the following dedication: "The US Air Force Wright Laboratory for instigating research and development on a chemical weapon that would provoke widespread homosexual behaviour among enemy troops."

Organised by the scientific magazine Annals of Improbable Research (AIR), the Ig Nobels are a parody of the Nobel Prizes and
want to "honour achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honour the imaginative -- and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology." The trophy includes a plastic plucked chicken tryint to swallow a giant egg.

Nobody from the US military who carried out the research (a project called Harassing, Annoying and "Bad Guy" Identifying Chemicals) could be tracked down to receive the prize.

* US military pondered love not war - BBC News
* Pentagon Confirms It Sought To Build A 'Gay Bomb' - CBS 5
* US "Non Lethal" Chemical (and Biochemical) Weapons Research: - Sunshine Project
* 'Gay bomb' scoops Ig Nobel award - BBC News
* Gay bomb proposal wins satirical prize - PinkNews.co.uk
* Ig Nobel Prize

Anna Livia Dies

Anna Livia Julian Brawn
1955 - 2007

Award winning lesbian feminist author, teacher and linguistic theorist.

Read the Guardian's obituary here and the San Francisco Chronicle's here.
You can sign an online guest book in honour of Anna Livia here.

Online Survey of Inequalities and Discrimination experienced by Trans People in Europe

Dr Stephen Whittle, Professor of Equalities Law at Manchester Metropolitan University and Dr Lewis Turner, both of the FTM Network UK and Press for Change, are leading a small (and very short) research project for the European Council.

Stephen Whittle says:

If you are Trans identified in anyway, then this survey is for you. It is for all ages and it is fully inclusive of all types of trans identity from cross dresser through to Transsexual as well as agender and polygender. However, if you want your personal experiences as a trans person reported back to the European Council, your responses must be completed by October 31st 2007.

The survey is only for those people living (or recently living) in one of the European Union states. If you are not sure whether your state is in the EU then see the map at :

http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/index_en.htm

...where current EU countries are depicted in YELLOW.

The survey is available identically in nine initial languages; we hope to add three or four further languages shortly. You can take part in whichever language you prefer, regardless of the country you live in now - but you must only take part once.

To select the language you prefer go to http://www.pfc.org.uk/eurostudy.

The results of the project will inform the European Council and many other public authorities in Europe and help them develop new ways of promoting equality. The main objectives of this research project are:

** To document the extent and types of inequality and discrimination people experience because they are Trans

** To pinpoint the areas of life where trans people have experienced being treated unequally or have been discriminated against

** To establish the 'trigger points' which have led to a individuals experiencing inequalities or discrimination and

** To make recommendations for immediate changes to work practices and for future research in the area.

The survey will take you around 30-45 minutes and it will be completely confidential.

We have tried to be comprehensive for the purposes of the research, but please remember that this survey is going out in many languages, and that has made it difficult to get all the correct terms you might understand and also to limit the number of questions we dare ask you.

PLEASE ask ALL of your TRANS friends, including part-time cross dressers, transgender, transsexual, a-gendered and poly gendered people and anyone in-between to complete this questionnaire. In fact, why not have a party night, bring in all the computers and laptops you can borrow and amidst the tapping of keys enjoy your evening with good friends.

BUT each person must only complete it ONCE.

Any questions email : survey@pfc.org.uk

Rebound: 20 years of HIV in London

'Rebound', the UK's first exhibition examining the changing perception of HIV in London over the last 20 years, will be shown at Wellcome Collection - a new cultural venue on London's Euston Road - between 11 and 28 October, and will reveal the sketches and diary notes of artist Paul Ryan. The materials provide a compelling insight into the HIV epidemic in London from 1987, when the first clear information about the disease emerged, to 2007, by which time successful treatments have been established.

The title of the exhibition - 'Rebound' - refers to the experience of declining health and hopes of those affected by HIV, which hit a low point in the mid 1990s before 'rebounding' to restored health for many and optimism for the future. A recurrent theme of the exhibition is 'intimacy' and the barriers that HIV positive people face when disclosing their status.

The 20-year period will be represented by a wall-mounted, linear, chronological display of notebooks. Larger drawings will sit alongside a specially commissioned wall drawing.

"The sketchbooks have become a bit of a habit, but hopefully a useful one," explains Paul Ryan. "They map out 25 years of my adult life in a way my mind couldn't, and help to jog my inner memories too. Exhibiting them in Wellcome Collection frames these personal accounts in a medical context, rather than a conventional art gallery, picking out the themes of HIV in London. It is always important to remember the connection between how illness and medicine make us 'feel', as much as the 'look' of the science."

Clare Matterson, Wellcome Trust Director of Medicine, Society and History comments: "'Rebound' looks closely at the shift from pessimism to optimism for the treatment of HIV patients. The sketchbooks show a clear narrative on how people face up to the realities of their status, and the reactions for those around them."

AIDS and HIV have affected Londoners in changing ways over the last two decades. The numbers of people diagnosed continues to rise. Between 2001 and 2005, new HIV diagnosis increased by 14 per cent. In 2005, the number of people accessing NHS care for HIV who lived in London was 22 236, which was a 12 per cent increase from 2004.*

Nick Partridge, Chief Executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust said: “So much has happened since the start of the HIV epidemic 25 years ago. Remembering the people who have played their part in this story so far is vitally important. London has been the epicentre of the UK’s epidemic, and this exhibition will provide a fascinating personal perspective.”

To coincide with Paul Ryan's solo exhibition at Wellcome Collection, the artist will be talking with Dr Jane Anderson (Director for the Centre for the Study of Sexual Health and HIV at Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust), and Angelina Namiba – Policy and Involvement Manager at Positively Women - about how lives, treatments and feelings have changed over the last two decades. Together with the audience they will not only recall these changes but also mark out what HIV means in London today and what it might mean in the future. This event will take place on Saturday 27 October, 15.00-16.30.

To book this free event, please visit the Wellcome Collection website or call or call 020 7611 2222.

'Rebound'
Wellcome Collection
183 Euston Road, London
11 to 28 October.
free.
opening times:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10:00–18:00,
Thursday 10:00–22:00
Sunday 11:00–18:00.
Wellcome Collection

*Statistical information for Terrence Higgins Trust (July 2007).

Trans Marches in Paris and Barcelona

The European trans community is mobilising this week-end with demonstrations in Paris and Barcelona.

The French demonstrators on Saturday will rally under the slogan "Resis'Trans!". This will be the latest edition of ExisTrans', a day of action organised by a collection of activist organisations, which has been taking place in Paris every first week-end of October for the past 11 years.

The organisation Guerrilla Travolaka is behind the Spanish event which includes an arts festival on Saturday. The Spanish rallying cry on Sunday will be "No More Gender Disphoria".

Both marches however will focus on demanding that the World Health Organisation remove "Gender Identity Disorder" from the International Classification of Illnesses (Homosexuality was removed from this list in 1992) and the complete depathologisation of trans identities.

The demonstrators have great hopes that the upcoming summit of the World Health Organisation scheduled for June 2008 will make the requested changes.

Other demands include better financial support from health services for hormones and surgery, better administrative and legal processes for the change of identity, the continuation of parental rights over children born before the transition, and the recognision of the rights and needs of Trans asylum seekers. This changes need to take place at the national level.

The UK seems more advanced in this respect with some financial support from the NHS and the Gender Recognition Act 2004. As of September 2007, more than 2220 people have applied for legal recognition under the Act, 97.5% of which have been successfully approved.

See Also:
Unfortunately, no website in English about the events seems to be available.
ExisTrans 2007 (French)
Guerrilla Travolaka (Catalan)
Existrans organisers forum (French)
About Existrans (French)
World Health Organisation
Press for Change

Bulletin No 39

The latest edition of the LGBT History Month bulletin is now available, as usual packed-full of news, information, notices of upcoming events and quotations.

To access the latest bulletin please click on one of the links below:
word document
pdf file

You can view all previous bulletins here or register to our mailing list here.

George Takei, Heavenly Body

151,000 known asteroids are currently without a proper name. Asteroid 1994 GT9, located between Mars and Jupiter, joins about 14,000 lucky others to have so far been given a name by the Committee on Small Body Nomenclature, within the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

The asteroid has just been given the name 7307 Takei in honour of actor George Takei.

In October 2005, Takei, best known for his role as helmsman Hikaru Sulu in the original Star Trek series and movies, revealed in an issue of Frontiers magazine that he is gay, and has been in a committed relationship with his partner, Brad Altman, for the last eighteen years. He said, "It's not really coming out, which suggests opening a door and stepping through. It's more like a long, long walk through what began as a narrow corridor that starts to widen."

7307 Takei was discovered on April 13, 1994 by the two Japanese astronomers Yoshisada Shimizu and Takeshi Urata at the Nachi-Katsuura Observatory in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama, Japan. Under the IAU Committee's policies, someone who discovers an asteroid has 10 years to propose a name for it. Once this delay has past, other suggestions are considered, although anything "in questionable taste" and names of political or military figures dead for less than 100 years, are discouraged.

Thus 7307 Takei finds itself the third rock to be named after someone involved with Star Trek. 4659 Roddenberry (Gene Roddenberry is the creator of Star Trek) and 68410 Nichols (Nichelle Nichols played Lt. Uhura) being the other two.

"I am now a heavenly body," Takei said. "I found out about it yesterday. I was blown away. It came out of the clear, blue sky just like an asteroid."

We were "privileged to work on a show that had this kind of a vision for our future, but we're actors," Takei added. "Yes, we all lobbied . . . for a star on Hollywood Boulevard, but never a star up in the heavens."

International Astronomical Union
George Takei on Wikipedia

LGBT Related Radio and TV Programmes. 6th Oct. – 12th Oct.

We seek them out so you don't have to. This is our weekly non-exhaustive round up of upcoming LGBT programmes on the radio and television. Inclusion of a programme is not a recommendation.
Enjoy!

Radio
Some of the programmes listed below will remain available for listen again from the BBC's website.

Saturday 6th
BBC Radio4 - 9.00am: Saturday Live - Jeanette Winterson joins the team.
BBC Radio4 - 10.15pm: The Moral Maze, Michael Portillo is on the panel.

Sunday 7th
BBC Radio3 - 8.00pm: Drama on 3 - The Lamplighter - Dramatic version of Jackie Kay's epic poem.
BBC Radio3 - 10.15pm: Words and Music - The Truth about Love - spoken by Derek Jacobi & Juliet Stevenson including works by Auden & Britten.

Thursday 11th
BBC Radio4 - 4.00pm: On the Road - The 50th anniversary of the publication of Jack Kerouak's "On the Road".

Friday
BBC Radio4 - 3.45pm: The Making of Music - James Naughtie tells the story of Leonard Bernstein.
BBC Radio4 - 6.30pm: The News Quiz - Hosted by Sandi Toksvig with panel member Sue Perkins.

TV

Documentaries

Saturday 6th
UK TV History - 6.00pm: Who do you think you are? - Julian Clary.
UK TV History - 7.00pm: Who do you think you are? - Stephen Fry.

Sunday 7th
Channel 4 - 8.00pm: Wife Swap - A lesbian couple gets a go!
Biography Channel - 10.00pm: Whoopi Goldberg.
Biography Channel - 11.00pm: Sandra Bernard.

Monday 8th
Living - 10.00pm - Pete's PA - Pete Best is looking for help.

Tuesday 9th
BBC2 - 9.00pm: HIV & I - 2nd of 2 - Stephen Fry.

Thursday 11th
BBC1 - 9.00pm: Who do you think you are? - Graham Norton

Comedy

Thursday 11th
BBC2 - 10.00pm: The Graham Norton Show.

Films

Saturday 6th
Five - 1.30pm: The Dresser

Sunday 7th
Sky Movies Modern Greats - 1.20pm: The Color Purple
Sky Movies Classics - 10.50pm: Rebel Without A Cause

Monday 8th
Sky Movies Indie - 7.10pm: TransAmerica
Sky Movies Comedy - 8.00pm: She's The Man
TCM - 11.20pm: Fame

Tuesday 9th
Channel 4 - 12.55am: The Opposite of Sex

Thursday 11th
TCM - 9.00pm: Gods and Monsters

Friday 12th
Sky Movies Comedy - 6.10pm: In & Out
Sky Movies Drama - 10.30pm: Brokeback Mountain

The Black Civil Rights, Women's Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements

On 21 August 1970, Huey Newton, co-founder and leader of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense published an article in “The Black Panther” newsletter. It was titled A Letter from Huey Newton to the Revolutionary Brothers and Sisters about the Women’s Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements and was the first pro-gay pronouncement to come from the black civil rights movement.

Newton had founded the Black Panther Party for Self Defense with Bobby Seale in October 1966. From his law studies at college, Newton was well-versed in the California penal code and state law regarding weapons, and was thus able to persuade a number of African-Americans to exercise their legal right to openly bear arms (as concealed firearms were illegal). Black Panthers bearing rifles and shotguns began patrolling areas where the Oakland police were said to commit racially-motivated crimes against the community's black citizens. Newton and Seale were also responsible for writing the Black Panther Party Platform and Program, derived largely from Newton’s Maoist influences. Newton was instrumental in the creation of programs for the provision of a free breakfasts for children, sickle-cell disease tests, free food and free clothing.

In early 1970, at a rally in support of Panther leader Bobby Seale who had been jailed, Jim Fouratt, one of the founders of the GLF, called on radical Civil Rights activists to stop using their usual homophobic rhetoric and to confront their bias against gay people. The French writer Jean Genet was also present at this meeting and made the same objections as Fouratt's. Edmund White, Genet's biographer, claims that it was Genet's comments which prompted Newton's open letter in August 1970.

Prominent figures of the Civil Rights movement such as James Baldwin, Langston Hughes or Bayard Rustin had found themselves austracised because of their sexuality. The effects of Newton's letter, despite its historical importance and symbolic significance, were slow to come and not as momentous as could have been hoped.

A few days later, on 5 September 1970, Male and female members of the GLF attended the Panther-sponsored Revolutionary People's Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. They returned with mixed feelings about the event. The women particularly felt they had not been taken seriously. Significantly, Newton made no mention in his plenary address of either gay or women's liberation.

A Letter from Huey Newton to the Revolutionary Brothers and Sisters about the Women’s Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements

During the past few years strong movements have developed among women and among homosexuals seeking their liberation. There has been some uncertainty about how to relate to these movements.

Whatever your personal opinions and your insecurities about homosexuality and the various liberation movements among homosexuals and women (and I speak of the homosexuals and women as oppressed groups), we should try to unite with them in a revolutionary fashion. I say " whatever your insecurities are" because as we very well know, sometimes our first instinct is to want to hit a homosexual in the mouth, and want a woman to be quiet. We want to hit a homosexual in the mouth because we are afraid that we might be homosexual; and we want to hit the women or shut her up because we are afraid that she might castrate us, or take the nuts that we might not have to start with.

We must gain security in ourselves and therefore have respect and feelings for all oppressed people. We must not use the racist attitude that the White racists use against our people because they are Black and poor. Many times the poorest White person is the most racist because he is afraid that he might lose something, or discover something that he does not have. So you're some kind of a threat to him. This kind of psychology is in operation when we view oppressed people and we are angry with them because of their particular kind of behavior, or their particular kind of deviation from the established norm.

Remember, we have not established a revolutionary value system; we are only in the process of establishing it. I do not remember our ever constituting any value that said that a revolutionary must say offensive things towards homosexuals, or that a revolutionary should make sure that women do not speak out about their own particular kind of oppression. As a matter of fact, it is just the opposite: we say that we recognize the women's right to be free. We have not said much about the homosexual at all, but we must relate to the homosexual movement because it is a real thing. And I know through reading, and through my life experience and observations that homosexuals are not given freedom and liberty by anyone in the society. They might be the most oppresed people in the society.

And what made them homosexual? Perhaps it's a phenomenon that I don't understand entirely. Some people say that it is the decadence of capitalism. I don't know if that is the case; I rather doubt it. But whatever the case is, we know that homosexuality is a fact that exists, and we must understand it in its purest form: that is, a person should have the freedom to use his body in whatever way he wants.

That is not endorsing things in homosexuality that we wouldn't view as revolutionary. But there is nothing to say that a homosexual cannot also be a revolutionary. And maybe I'm now injecting some of my prejudice by saying that "even a homosexual can be a revolutionary." Quite the contrary, maybe a homosexual could be the most revolutionary.

When we have revolutionary conferences, rallies, and demonstrations, there should be full participation of the gay liberation movement and the women's liberation movement. Some groups might be more revolutionary than others. We should not use the actions of a few to say that they are all reactionary or counterrevolutionary, because they are not.

We should deal with the factions just as we deal with any other group or party that claims to be revolutionary. We should try to judge, somehow, whether they are operating in a sincere revolutionary fashion and from a really oppressed situation. (And we will grant that if they are women they are probably oppressed.) If they do things that are unrevolutionary or counterrevolutionary, then criticize that action. If we feel that the group in spirit means to be revolutionary in practice, but they make mistakes in interpretation of the revolutionary philosophy, or they do not understand the dialectics of the social forces in operation, we should criticize that and not criticize them because they are women trying to be free. And the same is true for homosexuals. We should never say a whole movement is dishonest when in fact they are trying to be honest. They are just making honest mistakes. Friends are allowed to make mistakes. The enemy is not allowed to make mistakes because his whole existence is a mistake, and we suffer from it. But the women's liberation front and gay liberation front are our friends, they are our potential allies, and we need as many allies as possible.

We should be willing to discuss the insecurities that many people have about homosexuality. When I say "insecurities," I mean the fear that they are some kind of threat to our manhood. I can understand this fear. Because of the long conditioning process which builds insecurity in the American male, homosexuality might produce certain hang-ups in us. I have hang-ups myself about male homosexuality. But on the other hand, I have no hang-up about female homosexuality. And that is a phenomenon in itself. I think it is probably because male homosexuality is a threat to me and female homosexuality is not.

We should be careful about using those terms that might turn our friends off. The terms "faggot" and "punk" should be deleted from our vocabulary, and especially we should not attach names normally designed for homosexuals to men who are enemies of the people, such as Nixon or Mitchell. Homosexuals are not enemies of the people.

We should try to form a working coalition with the gay liberation and women's liberation groups. We must always handle social forces in the most appropriate manner.

See Also:
* The "Letter From Huey" by Rawley Grau - PlanetOut
* Black Gay and Lesbian Movements
in the United States
* Huey Newton on Wikipedia
* Black Panther Party on Wikipedia

* No Easy Answers: Bayard Rustin And The Civil Rights Movement, Calvin Craig Miller, Morgan Reynolds Publishing, 2005

Marlene Dietrich - An Affectionate Tribute

Marlene - movie star, cabaret artiste, war hero, atheist – and lesbian!
Come and explore the many aspects of the greatest gay icon of them all.

Terry Sanderson will use generous clips from Dietrich's campest films, examine rare archive material of her medal-winning war work and then show a complete performance on the big screen of her famous one-woman show, with which she toured the world. Recorded in Sweden in 1963, this is Dietrich at her peak, accompanied by Burt Bacharach and his orchestra. A very rare opportunity to see this sizzling performance.

Organised by the Gay & Lesbian Humanist Association.

Marlene Dietrich - An Affectionate Tribute
Saturday 6 October, 2007
Marlborough Theatre, Princes Street, Brighton. 3pm
Tickets £10.
For more details and booking information visit www.gayhumanist.com/marlene
www.myspace.com/themarlboroughpub
By post: send cheque made out to GALHA to
Marlene, PO Box 130, London W5 1DQ
phone 020 8998 1519

Stonewall FC Lose World Champion Title

Britain's dreams of retaining their Gay World Cup trophy were in tatters yesterday as the Argentinean team Los Dogos beat the reigning champions 1-0 Buenos Aires' Defensores de Belgrano stadium.

London's Stonewall squad fought valiantly against the team, who were participating for the first time in the event.

"The people supported us and I hope it's always like this," said Dogos coach Nestor Gammella.

"We beat the world champions and we are happy."

The new champions now enjoy automatic qualification for the 2008 tournament in London.

Latino teams entered the tournament for the first time this year, with squads from Uruguay, Chile, Mexico and, of course, Argentina competing.

The International Gay and Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA) president said the organisation chose Buenos Aires because of its "respect and social acceptance of the gay community."

In the spirit of a Latin revival, the Mexican team's slogan has come to sum up the spirit of the tournament for many observers.

It says: "The ball is round for everyone."

Thanks to PinkNews.co.uk.

See Also:
* Stonewall FC on Wikipedia
* London World Cup 2008
* Gay Football Supporters' Network

*Gay football World Cup kicks off - BBC News, 25 September 2007
* Argentine team beats British side to win gay world cup - AFP, 1 October 2007

Ned Sherrin Dies

Ned Sherrin
1931 - 2007

The broadcaster, humorist, anecdotalist, raconteur, impresario, producer, presenter, playwright, actor, author and stage director Ned Sherrin CBE died today of complications of throat cancer. The creator of the seminal TV programme That Was The Week That Was was 76.

BBC obituary
Ned Sherrin, wit, impresario, bon viveur and Radio 4 stalwart, dies at 76 - The Guardian
Ned Sherrin: That Was The Life That Was - Times Online
Tributes paid to late broadcaster Ned Sherrin - AFP
Tributes paid to "trailblazer" Ned Sherrin - Reuters

More obituaries and tributes are listed on Sherrin's Wikipedia's entry.

BBC Radio 4 will be broadcasting a special programme celebrating the life, career and humour of Ned Sherrin at 6.30pm on Tuesday 2nd.

US Senate Passes Matthew Shepard Act

On 27 September, the US Senate voted 60 to 39 in favour of expanding Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act to include protection for LGBT People against hate crimes. The Matthew Shepard Act, named for a victim of homophobia, comes as an amendment to the 2008 Department of Defense authorization bill.

George Bush might still oppose his veto to the new law as he deams hate crime legislation for the LGBT community unnecessary, despite FBI estimates that sexual orientation bias motivated 14% of hate crimes in 2005.

* Senate Extends Protections to Gays, Lesbians in Hate Crimes Act - ABC News
* US Senate passes gay hate crimes law - PinkNews.co.uk
* Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 - Wikipedia
* Matthew Shepard - Wikipedia