Are you Irish, gay and in London?

Researchers at the University of Essex are looking for participants to take part in a research study which aims to investigate the experiences of Irish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people living in London for more than 5 years.

There is a long history of Irish migration to the UK, particularly London. In addition, many Irish LGBT people have emigrated in search of a more supportive social climate. London has an international reputation for established queer communities and tolerance of sexual diversity.

This study will explore Irish LGBT migrants' reasons for moving to London and experiences there. Participants will therefore be interviewed about their experiences as LGBT migrants.

Find out more here.

DJ Tallulah Dies

DJ Tallulah

1948 - 2008

One of London's best known scene figures has died. DJ Tallulah had been a club DJ for forty years.

More information here.

Thanks to PinkNews

22nd London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival

The 22nd London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival will open on the 27th and will offering a wide selection of LGBT films from around the world until 10th April.

Click here for details.

Lancashire Gay support group set to close

ONE of East Lancashire's only gay support charities is folding due to a lack of support and funding.

Blackburn-based Lancashire Friend will hold its final meeting on Wednesday, 15 years after it was first set up as the East Lancashire Lesbian and Gay Switchboard (ELLGAS), in Burnley.

Read the full article here.

IDAHO Launch Pictures

The launch of the fourth International Day Against HOmophobia (IDAHO) took place last Monday at the London College of Fashion which is part of the University of Arts. The theme for this year's Day (17 May) is Lesbian Rights and Sexism. The launch included intervention by Minister for Equality, Barbara Follett, four of the mayoral candidates for London, Louis-Georges Tin, the founder of IDAHO, Pastor Kiyimba Brown from the IDAHO Chapter in Uganda and Ali Hilli founder of Iraqi LGBT.

The event also comprised the handing out of prizes to the winners of the poster competition organised by the University for its students. The winning posters are available from the IDAHO UK co-ordinator to promote the day, thanks to a sponsorship from the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE).

Like the University of Arts, LGBT History Month have early supporters of the initiative, which like the Month invites grass root organisations and individuals to take matters into their own hands and organise events in their community.

You can read the press release about the event here and a personal account of it here.

Pictures of the event are now available here.

Brutal Beauty: Derek Jarman

The Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park, London is hosting a selection of work by the leading British film-maker of his generation. Curated by artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien, it will highlight Jarman’s work in film and painting, including his presentation of the moving image within the gallery context. Jarman was arguably the single most crucial figure of British independent cinema in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. He struggled for Gay Liberation and with the impact of AIDS and lived as a participant observer, recording all that passed before him, from punk to Thatcher, Hampstead Heath to film premieres.

Brutal Beauty: Derek Jarman Curated by Isaac Julien
23 February - 13 April 2008
Serpentine Gallery
Kensington Gardens
London W2 3XA
020 7402 6075
www.serpentinegallery.org

Download Gaydar Nation podcast: Isaac Julien talks to Joanne Oatts tour the Jarman exhibition

This Spring will also see Jarman's super-8 films displayed as part of the Tate’s Lightbox series from 5 April – 1 June at Tate Britain.

Films Screening
To coincide with the Derek Jarman exhibition at the Serpentine, Roxy Bar & Screen is screening two of Jarman's feature films (Sebastian and Caravaggio), preceded by a documentary called Derek Jarman: Life as Art by Andy Kimpton-Nye.

Sunday 23 March
Roxy Bar & Screen
128-132 Borough High Street
£3 cover for whole day
Info & map

Petition Against Deportation of LGBT People

There have been several cases recently of LGBT persons asking the UK for asylum and being refused when there are ample reasons to believe that those people would be in danger of their lives should they go back to their country of origin.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The UK Government is committed to providing protection for those individuals found to be genuinely in need, in accordance with our commitments under international law. If an application is refused, there is a right of appeal to an independent judge, and we only return those who have been found by the asylum decision-making process and the independent courts not to need international protection". However, the Home Office claims that a gay person can return, for example, to Iran and avoid persecution by being "discreet". All the advice is that to be discreet means that one would have to deny one's identity.

A petition has been placed on the Prime Minister's website with the following text: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stop deporting gays and lesbians to countries where they may be imprisoned, tortured or executed because of their sexuality.

Sign the petition here.

See also:
* No gay person should be sent back to Iran - The Independent. (Mehdi has now been granted a reprieve by the Home Secretary (story)).
* Now Iranian lesbian who fled to Britain faces deportation - The Independent.
* BBC News video on the Kazemi case (includes interviews of Arsham Parsi and Peter Tatchell) - YouTube
* Gays Without Borders

Catholic Bishop Attacks Gay "Persecution"

ONE of Scotland's most senior Catholics has launched an attack on the "gay lobby" in Scotland, claiming there is a "huge and well-orchestrated conspiracy" against Christian values.

The Rt Rev Joseph Devine, Bishop of Motherwell and president of the Catholic Education Commission, said gay rights organisations aligned themselves with minority groups, such as Holocaust survivors, to project an "image of a group of people under persecution".

He warned that the gay lobby – which he labelled "the opposition" – had mounted "a giant conspiracy" to shape public policy.

Read the full article in the Scotsman here.

The Scotsman editorial on this is available here.

See also: Fury at bishop’s gay ‘persecution’ claim - The Herald.

Bulletin No 44

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.

LGBT History Month Badges

This year's History Month is over but the celebration of our community's achievements is a matter of every instant. Our lovely badges are still available and will allow you to do just that In addition to showing your support to History Month and providing it with much needed financial support.

The badges are available for sale, together with History Month T-shirts, from this page. They cost £2.50 each including package and postage.

We also offer the option of buying them in bulk with a discount for any organisation wanting to do a little fundraising for themselves. The prices are as follows:
10 badges £15 (+ £1.50 package and postage)
50 badges £60 (+ £3 package and postage)
100 badges £100 (+ £5 package and postage)

Should you want to place an order please send a cheque made out to LGBT History Month to BM LGBT History Month London, WC1N 3XX. Please specify how many badges you require.

Help two Students: Women Studies

My name is Caroline Huxley and I am a PhD student in the Centre for Appearance Research, which is based at the University of the West of England.

My research focuses on women’s body satisfaction, physical appearance, and sexuality. This is an important area to research as body satisfaction and appearance concerns are linked with psychological well being and health behaviours. Most research, however, assumes that women are straight. Little is known about how lesbian and bisexual women feel about their appearance, and how this has affected their well being.

In order to explore this I am conducting one to one interviews with women who identify as lesbian or bisexual to talk about their feelings towards their body and appearance. Interviews last about an hour and can be done at a time and place that suit you.

If you are interested in taking part or would like more information about the project then please contact me on: caroline3.huxley@uwe.ac.uk

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www.surveymonkey.com/sexualitysurvey

This is a link to a study looking at the role that internet communities have in the lives of Lesbian and Bisexual women and how this may relate, if at all, to health and well being. Further it will consider if message boards may in some way function as a sense of community and/or social support.

At the end of the survey (mostly multiple choice questions) there is an opportunity to register your interest in taking part in the qualitative part of the study. I do encourage you to send in your email address to take part in this part of the research also - as it is with this that detailed discussion about the meaning of the internet, and the meaning of the internet community as a resource, as a 'space', can be explored from the perspective of the lesbian/bisexual community.
Note this study does have a female gender slant as its focus is on L and B women.

Could I also encourage you to cross post this message and survey link on to other mailing lists and/or internet sites and/or other sources with lesbian/bisexual users?

Jo

Princess to Attend LGBT Conference

In an announcement described by LGBT activists as "historically significant," a spokesman for the Dutch Royal Family has confirmed that the country's future Queen will attend a gay rights conference.

Read the full story here and here.

Ellen DeGeneres Discusses The Recent Tragic Death

Online Film Directory

A list of gay-themed films available to view online together with the links to view them can be found here.

The website also offers link to mainstream films, TV shows, music and sport videos, and documentaries.