Education Minister Makes History at LGBT History Month

Speaking at the LGBT History Month Pre-Launch, earlier this month, Parliamentary under Secretary for Education Baroness Morgan announced three new commitments for schools.

First, she said the Government was committed to monitoring and recording incidents of homophobic bullying: “Schools are required under the regulations to treat homophobic bullying with the same seriousness as other forms of bullying.”

Second, she committed the Department to training on LGBT issues: “We will support teachers through their training, so that they feel confident in using the guidance and in dealing with these issues.”

Third, she committed the Department to producing anti-transphobia guidance: “The Department has also recently announced that we will be developing guidance on bullying related to gender or gender identity over the coming months. I hope to be able to consult some of the stakeholders represented here on this guidance.”

Schools OUT’s Tony Fenwick said, “These are groundbreaking changes and we hope to see them put into effect in the next Parliament. I will be listening very carefully to the Queen’s Speech next week, together with a lot of LGBT activists in education.

“Schools OUT has urged the DCSF and the DfES before it to have homophobic and transphobic bullying and harassment recorded, reported and monitored in the same way as racist incidents for some ten years now. We have also consistently argued for more and better teacher training on LGBT issues.

“The DCSF guidance on homophobic bullying excludes our trans children and their parents. I am delighted to hear the Baroness announce that they are working to redress the balance and that they will work with experts in the field.”

You can read Baroness Morgan's speech here (Word document).

LGBT Related Radio and TV Programmes, 29th November - 5th December

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!

Some of the radio programmes listed below can be listened to again via the Listen Again facility of the BBC's website while some of the television programmes will remain available also for a week on the BBC's iplayer.

Please also note that Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour contains a lot of relevant content and is generally LGBT friendly, but a lot of its output is not available to us before we put this on the site. For the latest Woman’s Hour stuff, subscribe to the programme's newsletter here.



Radio
Saturday 29th
BBC Radio 2 - 1pm: Alan Carr’s Comedy Outings. Last one
BBC Radio 2 - 5pm: Paul Gambaccini. US hits
BBC Radio 4 - 10am: Excess Baggage. Sandi Toksvig
BBC Radio 4 - 4pm: Weekend Woman’s Hour. Highlights
6 Music - 12midnight: BBC Introducing. Tom Robinson

Sunday 30th
BBC Radio 2 - 1pm: Elaine Page. Featuring Bette Midler
BBC Radio 2 - 2pm: Dale Winton’s Pick of the Pops ’77 and ‘91
BBC Radio 3 - 7-8.30am: Bernstein
6 Music - 1am: BBC Introducing. Tom Robinson
BBC Radio 7 - 10pm: The News Quiz
Classic FM - 9pm: Paul Gambaccini’s Hall of Heroes

Monday 1st
BBC Radio 3 - 8.30-10am: Tchaikovsky. Romeo and Juliet fantasy overture
BBC Radio 4 - 2.15pm: Afternoon Play: Prayer Mask. Joseph Fiennes as bisexual undercover explorer Richard Burton
BBC Radio 4 - 10.45pm: Book at Bedtime: Black Orchids
BBC Radio 7 - 10.30pm: Intimate Contact with Julian Clary. From1992

Tuesday 2nd
BBC Radio 2 - 10.30: How AIDS Changes America
BBC Radio 4 - 2.15pm: The Afternoon Play: The Babington Plot
BBC Radio 4 - 10.45pm:Book at Bedtime: Black Orchids
BBC Radio 7 - 7.pm: The Navy Lark

Wednesday 3rd
BBC Radio 4 - 11.30am: The Art of Conversation. Recently uncovered work by Dylan Thomas
BBC Radio 4 - 10.45pm: Book at Bedtime: Black Orchids
6 Music - 12midnight: 6 Music Plays it again. Neil Tennant’s Top Ten

Thursday 4th
BBC Radio 3 - 7pm: Performance of the Week. Tchaikovsky
BBC Radio 4 - 10.45pm: Book at Bedtime: Black Orchids
6 Music - 12midnight: 6 Music Plays it again. Neil Tennant’s Top Ten

Friday 5th
BBC Radio 1 - 6-1: Floor Fillers; Pete Tong; Annie Mac; Judge Jules
BBC Radio 2 - 7.30pm: John Barrowman Performs Live
BBC Radio 4 - 11am: Dream of Eleanor. A look at Eleanor Roosevelt’s role in producing The UN Declaration of Human Rights. Presented by Mary Robinson
BBC Radio 4 - 3pm: Ramblings. With Clare Balding
6 Music - 7pm: Tom Robinson. New acts
BBC Radio 7 - 7pm: Round the Horne

Local
Mondays - BBC Radio Manchester - 8pm: The Gay Hour, Ashley Byrne and Andrew Edwards

BBC London 94.9 and online
Sunday 9am-12noon: Lesley Joseph and Christopher Biggins
Monday – Friday 3-5pm: Danny Baker. With Amy Lamé or Baylen Leonard

Gaydar Radio - 24/7: Brighton, London DAB and online

BBC Three Counties (and online), Cambs, Essex, Norfolk, Northants., Suffolk
10pm-1am: Ern and Vern. Kenny Everett meets Round the Horn in a bucketful of innuendo

New: Manchester’s gaydio

Television

Entertainment and documentaries
Saturday 29th
BBC1 - 1pm: Bowls. Presented by Clare Balding
BBC1 - 5.35: Hole in the Wall. Dale Winton presents
BBC1 - 6.05: Strictly Come Dancing
BBC2 - 4.30pm: Bowls
BBC2 - 7.05: Stephen Fry in America. Last one. The Pacific
BBC HD - 7.35: Torchwood (rpt)
ITV1 - 7.35pm: The X factor
ITV1 - 9.15: I’m a celebrity…
ITV1 - 10.15: X Factor Result. Britney Spears
ITV2 - 2.20pm: Britannia High
ITV2 - 11.30: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 12.30am: X Factor
E4 - 9pm: Greatest Ads. Hosted by Graham Norton
Living - 6pm: Will and Grace
Living2 - 2am: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Watch - 7.45: Dr Who Confidential
Watch - 8: Dr Who
Watch - 9: Torchwood
Watch - 12.45am: Torchwood

Sunday 30th
BBC1 - 8.15pm: Strictly Come Dancing
BBC2 - 11pm: Graham Norton Uncut. Thursday’s edition extended, with Paul O’Grady
ITV1 - 7pm: Britannia High
ITV1 - 8: Here Come the Boys. Male only musical in aid of UK testicular cancer charities. Includes Will Young
ITV1 - 9: I’m a Celebrity …
ITV2 - 4.50pm: X Factor
ITV2 - 10.30: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 12.05am: Brothers and Sisters
More4 - 6.15pm: Come Dine with Me. Omnibus
Gold - 12midnight: The Thin Blue Line
Living - 9am and 4.40am: The Golden Girls
Sky Arts - 11.30am: What the Dickens? Sandi Toksvig presents
Sky Arts2 - 1.30pm: Tim Marlow on Francis Bacon

Monday 1st
BBC1 - 11am: Buy it? Sell it? Kristian Digby when there was a property market
BBC3 - 7pm: Dr Who
BBC3 - 10.30pm:Filthy Rich and Famous. includes Elton John
ITV1 - 10.30am: This Morning. Jason Donovan on the West End version of Priscilla…Queen of the Desert
ITV1 - 8.30pm: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 6.55pm: Britannia High
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 5pm: The Paul O’Grady Show
E4 - 1am: Shameless
Dave - 11.40pm: QI
Living - 3pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7: Will and Grace
Gold - 11.30pm: Gimme Gimme Gimme
Sky Arts2 - 1.30pm: Francis Bacon

Tuesday 2nd
BBC1 - 11am: Buy it? Sell it? Kristian Digby when there was a property market
BBC1 - 9pm: Survivors. I think there are two lesbian survivors. There were last time I looked
BBC4 - 11.20pm: Rather You than Me. David Walliams as Frankie Howerd
ITV1 - 8.30pm: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 10.35am: Teen Trouble. Teenage stereotypes
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady. Will Young guests
More4 - 9pm and 11.55: Come Dine with Me
Dave - 9.40pm: QI
Gold - 10.45pm: Gimme Gimme Gimme
Gold - 12.30am: Absolutely Fabulous
Living - 3pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7pm and 1am: Will and Grace
Living2 - 10pm: The L Word
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Watch - 9: Torchwood
Sky Arts - 9pm: Queen Special
Biography - 6am and 11am: Rock Hudson
History - 8pm: David Starkey on Elizabeth I

Wednesday 3rd
BBC1 - 10.30pm: State Opening of Parliament. Single Equalities Act and new schools legislation (we hope)
BBC3 - 7pm: Dr Who
ITV1 - 7.30pm: Coronation Street. It all kicks off at the wedding from Hell
ITV1 - 8.30: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity
C4 - 10.35am: My Big Gay Prom
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
More4 - 10pm: Hutch: High Society’s Favourite Gigolo. Profile of Leslie Hutchinson, the UK’s first black superstar, who had an affair with Cole Porter and Edwina Mountbatten but died broke and forgotten
Dave - 11.20pm: League of Gentleman
Gold - 11.30pm: Gimme Gimme Gimme
Living - 3pm and 8: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7pm & 1am: Will and Grace
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Sky Arts1 - 7.30pm: What the Dickens? Arts quiz with Sandi Toksvig
Biography - 6 and 11am: Joan Collins

Thursday 4th
BBC1 - 11am: Buy it? Sell it? Kristian Digby when there was a property market
BBC2 - 7pm: A Woman in Love and War. Jo Brand assesses the life of Vera Brittain
BBC2 - 9.30pm: The Graham Norton Show. Barry Manilow guests
ITV1 - 9pm: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 10.35: My Big gay Prom
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady. With Boyzone
C4 - 10pm: Star Stories. Kevin Bishop creates a comedy version of Elton John’s life
C4 - 10.35: Hollyoaks Later. Malachy’s HIV status becomes public knowledge
C4 - 12.15am: The Law of the Playground. Celebs talk about their teachers (rpt)
Dave - 10pm: Batteries not Included. Gadget show features Sue Perkins
Gold - 11.30pm: Gimme Gimme Gimme
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Living - 7pm & 1am: Will and Grace
Living - 3 and 10pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Discovery Real Time - 11pm: My Husband is Gay. The title tells you what you’re going to get

Friday 5th
BBC1 - 11am: Buy it? Sell it? Kristian Digby when there was a property market
BBC1 - 11.25pm: Not Going Out. Sitcom with gay storyline
BBC2 - 10pm: QI. Repeat of last year’s Christmas compilation, so it’s a repeat of a repeat really
BBC3 - 7pm: Dr Who
BBCHD - 10pm: Beautiful People. The one with the Posh Spice Doll
ITV1 - 8.30pm: I’m a Celebrity… Final. How time flies!
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 11.30: Ghost Hunting with I’m a Celebrity. Christopher Biggins
C4 - 9.35am: We Are Together. Documentary about an AIDS orphanage in South Africa
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
C4 - 8: Come Dine with Me
Gold - 11.40pm: Gimme Gimme Gimme
Living - 3pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7pm and 1am: Will and Grace
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Sky Arts1 - 12.05am: What the Dickens?
Sky Arts2 - 12.35am: Francis Bacon

Film and drama
Sunday 30th
C4 - 6.30pm: The Parent Trap. Lindsay Lohen

Monday 1st
Family - 8pm: The Devil Wears Prada
Modern Greats - 6.15pm: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Really; that’s no way to behave on your first day out!
TCM - 9pm: Catholic Boys
TCM2 - 10.30pm: That’s Entertainment!
Indie - 4.25pm: Fire. Indian lesbian drama

Tuesday 2nd
Five - 3pm: Jack. 2004 USA TVM in which a high school student has to face his parents’ divorce and the fact that his father is gay
Screen2 - 12.50am: Boys Don’t Cry. Trans drama

Wednesday 3rd
BBC2 - 11.30am: Doctor in the House. Dirk Bogarde in 1954. Supposed to be riotous in its time
Classics - 9pm: Lover Come Back. Day/Hudson romcom
Modern Greats - 3.50pm: Wilde
Film4 - 11.20: Asylum. Melodrama with Ian McKellen

Thursday 4th
C4 - 12.45am: Breakfast on Pluto. Neil Jordan black comedy about gender variance from 2005. Cillian Murphy stars
Comedy - 6.40am: Let’s make Love. With Marilyn Monroe

Friday 5th
TCM - 7.05am: Grand Hotel. Greta Garbo stars

Ten Years After: We Remember Justin

This year saw the tenth anniversary of the tragic suicide of Britain’s only out gay footballer Justin Fashanu. The Justin Campaign is using this occasion to push forward the campaign against homophobia in football. It is easy to forget that Justin was the first £1m player and that he was thrown off the team by Brian Clough when he came out.

The Justin Campaign wants to make May 2nd Justin Fashanu Day so that we can all commemorate his life and remember the impact homophobia can have.

For full details go to The Lesbian and Gay Foundation's website here.

Curiouser and Curiouser: LGBT History Conference

LGBT history and heritage ideas are going from strength to strength. But what are the challenges around collecting, conserving and communicating the history of LBGT people and who and what is that history for? The London Metropolitan Archives are organising their sixth annual LGBT History and Archives Conference, which will include talks, Q&A sessions and workshops.

The programme includes speakers currently working on a variety of LGBT heritage projects including:

Proud Heritage: How proud are Britain's Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archives
Jack Gilbert

Over the last three years Proud Heritage has been on an unprecedented journey, working with leading figures at UCL and Leicester University to analyse the challenges facing LGBT memory and cultural ancestry in the heritage sector – and developing some innovative ways forward.

Nottinghamshire's Rainbow Heritage
David Edgley

Celebrating Nottinghamshire’s LGBT lives, hidden history and culture, the website gives many opportunities for interaction.

Imperial War Museum North: Military Pride
Catherine Roberts and James McSharry

Military Pride maps personal experiences across forty years of changing laws and evolving social attitudes toward homosexuality. It presents a unique snapshot of military life for gay men and women.

Shropshire Archives: Some People Are Gay, Get Over It!
Maureen Turner and Kerry Dickins

A resource for Key Stage 3 and 4 teachers and students funded by the MLA West Midlands’ ‘Learning Links’ initiative.

Brighton Ourstory: Sodomy and Suffrage
Linda Pointing and Tom Sargant

Brighton Ourstory are working on a major new exhibition for Brighton Pride 2009. Linda and Tom will relate some of the joys and perils of researching local LGBT history.

A Most Extraordinary Affair
Rose McMahon

Interpreting the Legendary Ladies of Llangollen at the Plas Newydd House and Museum

The day will also feature a selection of afternoon workshops to choose from
- RUKUS! presenting an informal discussion on the development of the rukus! Black LGBT Archive and its new project Sharing Tongues,
- LGBT HISTORY MONTH - Building on the past and looking to the future - getting involved in LGBT History with Sue Sanders, - BUILDING A SPACE with Jane Standing of Kairos in Soho,
- CABINETS OF CURIOSITY – Developing and exploring museums and their LGBT collections with Jack Gilbert, Rose McMahon, Catherine Roberts and James McSharry
- OPENING DOORS: INCLUSIVITY AND ARCHIVES l- Developing LGBT collections in archives, opening up access and encouraging new users with Sue Donnelly, Parveen Betab and Anna Kisby

Curiouser and Curiouser: The Sixth Annual LGBT History and Archives Conference
Saturday 6 December 2008
9.30am - 4.30pm
£10 / £7.50 (pre-booking essential)
London Metropolitan Archives
40, Northampton Road
London EC1R 0HB

To book, call 020 7332 3851 or write to the above address.
Cheques should be made payable to the City of London.
Please write the event name on the back of the cheque.

Theatre: The Pride and Wig Out

The Pride, a play by Alexi Kaye Campbell, examines changing attitudes to sexuality over a period of 50 years, looking at intimacy, identity and the courage it takes to be who you really are.

The Philip of 1958 is in love with Oliver, but married to Sylvia.
The Oliver of 2008 is addicted to sex with strangers.
Sylvia loves them both.

The Pride
21 November - 20 December
Royal Court Theatre
Sloane Square
Age guidance 16+
Contains scenes of a sexual nature

Wig Out, by Tarell Alvin McCraney, lets you enter the legendary House of Light, a hyper-glamorous, uber-competitive drag queen refuge where a daughter who was once a son, can find a family.

Drag queen Nina is wooing, as Wilson, the delectable Eric, a de-camped, make-up free 'straight' gay man. How can Nina/Wilson strut the thorny divide between opposite genders and differing worlds?

Wig Out
21 November - 10 January
Royal Court Theatre
Sloane Square
Suitable for ages 16+
Contain explicit sexual content

The Royal Court is also planning a Wig Out-themed New Year Eve Party. Tickets include entrance to the play, post-show buffet and party with DJ, cabaret and special guests. Show starts at 8.30pm, party till 3.30am.

You can read a review of the play on Reviews Gate, here.

Royal Court Theatre
Box Office: 020 7565 5000

LGBT Related Radio and TV Programmes, 22nd - 28th November

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!

Some of the radio programmes listed below can be listened to again via the Listen Again facility of the BBC's website while some of the television programmes will remain available also for a week on the BBC's iplayer.

Please also note that Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour contains a lot of relevant content and is generally LGBT friendly, but a lot of its output is not available to us before we put this on the site. For the latest Woman’s Hour stuff, subscribe to the programme's newsletter here.



Radio
Saturday 22nd
BBC Radio 2 - 1pm: Alan Carr’s Comedy Outings
BBC Radio 2 - 5pm: Paul Gambaccini. US hits
BBC Radio 4 - 12.30pm: The News Quiz. Sandi Toksvig presents
BBC Radio 4 - 4pm: Weekend Woman’s Hour. Highlights
BBC Radio 4 - 5.30: The Bottom Line. With Evan Davis. To be honest; he’s gay but the programme isn’t
6 Music - 12midnight: BBC Introducing. Tom Robinson

Sunday 23rd
BBC Radio 2 - 2pm: Dale Winton’s Pick of the Pops ’70 and ‘82
BBC Radio 3 - 8pm: The Pattern of Painful Adventures. Anthony Sher plays Shakespeare in bio pic cum drama cum soap
6 Music - 1am: BBC Introducing. Tom Robinson
Classic FM - 9pm: Paul Gambaccini’s Hall of Heroes

Monday 24th
BBC Radio 4 - 10.45am: Aubrey’s Brief Lives
BBC Radio 4 - 10.45pm: Book at Bedtime: Black Orchids
BBC Radio 7 - 10.30pm: Intimate Contact with Julian Clary. From 1992

Tuesday 25th
BBC Radio 3 - 10am: Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini
BBC Radio 7 - 7.30pm: Counterpoint. With the late Ned Sherrin

Thursday 27th
BBC Radio 2 - 8pm: Live in London. Featuring The Feeling
BBC Radio 3 - 2.55pm: Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony
BBC Radio 3 - 11.30: A Fine Defence of Enid Blyton. Anne Fine does a reassessment of the much maligned author with readings by Miriam Margolyes

Friday 28th
BBC Radio 1 - 6-1: Floor Fillers; Pete Tong; Annie Mac; Judge Jules
BBC Radio 2 - 7pm: The Judy Garland trail
BBC Radio 4 - 10am: Woman's Hour with Tilda Swinton
BBC Radio 4 - 3pm: Ramblings. With Clare Balding
BBC Radio 4 - 9pm: The Last Time I Saw Richard. Dramatisation of the life of Richard de Zoysa; a Sri Lankan journalist, writer, actor and newsreader who also happened to be gay. Includes the details of his brutal death and the role of the British High Commission.
6 Music - 7pm: Tom Robinson. New acts
BBC Radio 7 - 7pm: Round the Horne

Local
BBC London 94.9 and online
Sunday 9am-12noon: Lesley Joseph and Christopher Biggins
Monday – Friday 3-5pm: Danny Baker. With Amy Lamé or Baylen Leonard

Gaydar Radio - 24/7: Brighton, London DAB and online:

BBC Three Counties (and online), Cambs, Essex, Norfolk, Northants., Suffolk
10pm-1am: Ern and Vern. Kenny Everett meets Round the Horn in a bucketful of innuendo

New: Manchester’s gaydio

Television

Entertainment and documentary
Saturday 22nd
BBC1 - 5.50pm: Hole in the Wall. Dale Winton presents
BBC1 - 6.20: Strictly Come Dancing
BBC2 - 8.10pm: Stephen Fry in America 5/6 True West
BBC2 - 9.10pm: Einstein and Eddington
BBC2 - 11.50: Kings of Glam. From that strange 70’s pop period when sexual ambiguity ruled
BBC HD - 7.25pm: Torchwood (rpt)
ITV1 - 12.05: Corrie Omnibus
ITV1 - 7.25pm and 9.55pm: X Factor
ITV1 - 8.55: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 2.15pm: Britannia High
ITV2 - 11.25: I’m a Celebrity…
E4 - 9pm: Greatest Comedy Catchphrase. Shut that door!
Dave - 9pm: QI. 5 edition marathon
Living - 6pm: Will and Grace
Watch - 7.45: Dr Who Confidential
Watch - 8: Dr Who
Watch - 9: Torchwood
Watch - 12.25am: Torchwood
Living2 - 2am: GMT Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Sky Arts1 - 11.45: What the Dickens?

Sunday 23rd
BBC1 - 8.15: Strictly Come Dancing. John Barrowman guests
BBC1 - 9pm: Stephen Fry in America. 6/6 Pacific
BBC2 - 11.50: Graham Norton Uncut. Thursday’s edition extended, with Alan Carr and Tom Jones
ITV1 - 1.55pm: X Factor
ITV1 - 7: Britannia High
ITV1 - 8: Divas II
ITV1 - 9pm: I’m a Celebrity Get me out of Here. Camp as how’s your father?
ITV2 - 10.30: I’m a Celebrity…
More4 - 4.40: Come Dine with Me. Omnibus
Living - 9am and 4.40am: The Golden Girls
Sky Arts - 11.30am: What the Dickens? Sandi Toksvig presents
Biography - 9pm: Psychic Katherine Hepburn

Monday 24th
ITV1 - 6am: GMTV Edwina Currie early. Mamma Mia stuff later
ITV1 - 9pm: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 -12noon: Coronation Street
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 12.50pm: Will and Grace
C4 - 5pm: The Paul O’Grady Show
Living - 3pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7: Will and Grace
Gold - 11.10pm: Gimme Gimme Gimme
Sky Arts1 - 9pm: Freddie Mercury
Sky Arts2 - 5.10pm: Shakespeare’s Globe

Tuesday 25th
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 10am: How to Dump Your Mates. A gay teenager is looking for like-minded friends
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady. Maureen Lipman and Julie Walters guest
More4 - 9pm: Come Dine with Me
Dave - 9.40pm: QI
Gold - 10.45pm: Gimme Gimme Gimme
Gold - 12.30am: Absolutely Fabulous
Living - 3pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7pm and 1am: Will and Grace
Living2 - 10pm: The L Word
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Watch - 9: Torchwood
Sky Arts - 10.35am: Freddie Mercury
Biography - 6am and 11am: Tyrone Power
History - 8pm: David Starkey on Elizabeth I

Wednesday 26th
BBC3 - 7pm: Dr Who
ITV1 - 10.30am: This Morning. Rhydian guests
ITV1 - 9pm: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity
C4 - 12.45pm: Will and Grace
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
Dave - 10.40pm: League of Gentleman
Living - 3pm and 8: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7pm and 1am: Will and Grace
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Sky Arts1 - 7.30pm: What the Dickens? Arts quiz with Sandi Toksvig
Biography - 12noo: Patrick Stewart

Thursday 27th
BBC2 - 9.30pm: The Graham Norton Show. Paul O’Grady guests
ITV1 - 9pm: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady. John Barrowman guests
Dave - 10pm: Batteries not Included. Gadget show features Sue Perkins
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Living - 7pm & 1am: Will and Grace
Living - 3 and 10pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Sky Arts1 - 12.30pm: Tim Marlow on Francis Bacon
Sky Arts1 - 1.30: What the Dickens?
Sky Arts1 - 4: Freddie Mercury

Friday 28th
BBC2 - 10pm: QI.
BBC3 - 7pm: Dr Who
ITV1 - 9pm: I’m a Celebrity… Will Navratilova or Zulu or Paddick still be there?
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
C4 - 8: Come Dine with Me. E Yorkshire
Living - 3pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7pm and 1am: Will and Grace
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Sky Arts1 - 11.55: What the Dickens?

Film and drama
Saturday 22nd
ITV1 - 2pm: Pillow Talk. Day/Hudson classic rom/com
Fiver - 6.30pm: A League of Their Own. Tom Hanks as a WWII ex-alcoholic basketball team coach. Rosie O’Donnell and Madge are among the players
Sky Indie - 11.20am: Volver

Sunday 23rd
Film4 - 12.50am: East is East
Modern Greats - 8.10am: Wilde. Jude Law and Stephen Fry

Monday 24th
Family - 8pm: Hairspray

Tuesday 25th
Screen1 - 1.50am: The Krays

Thursday 27th
Five US - 11pm: Birdy. Kes meets Catch 22 in an extraordinary film about pain, friendship and escape. Matthew Modine and Nicholas Cage. Alan Parker directed (1984)
Modern Greats - 8.15am: Wilde
TCM - 2.10: Marie Antoinette. Norma Shearer and Tyrone Power (1938)

Friday 28th
Screen1 - 2.05 and 8pm: Hairspray

A Conversation with Stephen Fry

A conversation with the celebrated author, wit and comic genius Stephen Fry will take place at the V&A museum in London about his long-held fascination with America and its people, cultures, and landscapes.

Questions cover some of the high points of the recent epic journey in which he travelled across 50 states in a black cab and explore a country that is at times magnificent, eccentric, beautiful and strange. The event coincides with the publication of his new book, Stephen Fry in America (HarperCollins 2008) and the television series of the same name.

Stephen Fry — In America
Wednesday 26 November - 19.00–20.00
V&A museum - Lecture Theatre
Cromwell Road
London
£8, £6 concessions
Website (scroll down)

LGBT History Month Pre Launch

Copyright © 2008 Mark Weeks

350 people witnessed the Pre Launch of the 5th LGBT history Month last night at the Hackney Free and Parochial Church of England School in Hackney, London. The Month will be taking place in February 2009.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (sponsors of the event), Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, who was the key-note speaker at the event, expressed her wish to see a light shining in the dark corners of classrooms and for the reality of LGBT lives to be fully realised in the curriculum. She also announced that new guidance is being developed for schools on gender and gender identity with the consultation starting soon.

There were also many calls for respect and the celebration of diversity. And as Councillor Faizullah Kahn, another speaker, reminded the audience in his own speech: if, for some reason, you can't be a friend, there is no reason why you should be an enemy.

Young people from Stoke Newington School, the Youth Projects Green Door in Hackney and Out on Thursday in Hammersmith, performed with aplomb, passion and humour and the audience of educationalists, teachers, youth workers and local LGBT activists sat spell-bound and sometimes emotional. They cheered as they recognised that inclusive education can make such a powerful difference.

Education professionals shared their ideas, tips and experience on bringing LGBT lives and history into the classroom. One of the many highlights of the night was a short video presenting the work of the No Outsiders Project, which celebrates LGBT families lives in primary schools around the country.


Copyright © 2008 Mark Weeks

For those who could not attend and still wish to make a difference in their own school, advice and tips are available in the new School Toolkit, which was launched last night and will enable people to find examples of what can be done and how it can be done. The Toolkit also highlights the elements of legislation supporting the introduction of the LGBT elements in the curriculum. The Toolkit is available here, together with other resources for schools.

Sue Sanders, co-chair of Schools LGBT History Month said: "What a momentous night it was. We can only hope that February 2009 will come to life in schools and youth settings up and down the country. The resources are there, the legislation is there to say you need to do it and the skills and enthusiasm is abundant."

"Last night we saw young people from London and heard about projects in Wales, Buckinghamshire and the South West. We know that every school can do the work. They simply need the confidence and skills to do it and last night proved that there is plenty of support available."

The Month will be taking place in February 2009. The LGBT History Month website provides a wide ranch of resources for schools, organisations and individuals to get involved, including a calendar to advertise the events and a forum to share ideas.

More pictures of the event (taken by Mark Weeks) and of the previous pre-launch events can be viewed on our Flickr account here.

International Transgender Day of Remembrance

To mark the 10th International Transgender Day of Remembrance (20th November), the following events will be held this week-end in Manchester, London and Brighton. The day commemorates those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.

Manchester
Will be hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday, November 23rd Assemble for the vigil in Sackville Park (off Canal Street, Manchester) at 3.45pm. The One Minute’s Silence and reading of the names of the deceased will take place at 4pm by the Beacon of Hope. This will take place by candlelight so please bring a candle and holder if you are able to. The vigil will last for approximately one hour, and will be followed by an informal gathering at Taurus bar (1 Canal Street) if people wish. Both Sackville Park and Taurus are fully accessible, although at Taurus we may use a private function room down one flight of stairs. All are welcome; please feel free to bring a reading, flowers or another appropriate tribute.
For more information, contact Dave at tgdor@morf.org.uk

Brighton
The Gender Trust and The Clare Project are holding Brighton’s first Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday 23 November 2008, 16.00hrs at the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, Brighton BN2 1RL, United Kingdom . This is a non denominational meeting and not a religious service. There will be a candlelit vigil and readings. All are welcome.

London
Will hold a Transgender Day of Remembrance service on Sunday, November 23rd at 2:00 PM at the Dragon Hall, Stukeley Street, Covent Garden. Contact:tgremembrance@googlemail.com with any queries, suggestions or offers of help. This event is supported by Camden LGBT Forum

International Transgender Day of Rememberance

LGBT Related Radio and TV Programmes, 15th - 21st November

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!

Some of the radio programmes listed below can be listened to again via the Listen Again facility of the BBC's website while some of the television programmes will remain available also for a week on the BBC's iplayer.



Radio
Saturday 15th
BBC Radio 2 - 1pm: Alan Carr’s Comedy Outings
BBC Radio 2 - 5pm: Paul Gambaccini. US hits
BBC Radio 4 - 12.30pm: The News Quiz. Sandi Toksvig presents

Sunday 16th
BBC Radio 2 - 2pm: Dale Winton’s Pick of the Pops ’65 and ‘74
BBC Radio 4 - 7.15pm: Go For It. Free thinking Festival in Liverpool
BBC Radio 4 - 8.30pm: Last Word
BBC Radio 7 - 10.30pm: News Quiz
6 Music - 1am: BBC Introducing. Tom Robinson
BBC Radio 7 - 10pm: The News Quiz
Classic FM - 9pm: Paul Gambaccini’s Hall of Heroes

Monday 17th
BBC Radio 3 - 11am: Bernstein. Symphony No. 2
BBC Radio 3 - 7pm: Performance on 3. Includes Gershwin
BBC Radio 7 - 10.30pm: Intimate Contact with Julian Clary. From1992

Tuesday 18th
BBC Radio 2 - 10.30pm: Come in From the Cold; Joni Mitchell interview from 2007
BBC Radio 3 - 11.02am: Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony
BBC Radio 3 - 1.08am: Britten: St Cecilia
BBC Radio 4 - 1.30pm: Celebrating Cecilia! Don’t know where I’m going with this one. St Cecilia is the Patron Saint of Music
BBC Radio 7 - 7.30pm: Counterpoint. With the late Ned Sherrin

Wednesday 19th
BBC Radio 3 - 10.22: Britten: Winter Words
BBC Radio 3 - 9.15: Night Waves
BBC Radio 4 - 11am: The Lament of the SS Mendi; remembered by Jackie Kay

Friday 21st
BBC Radio 1 - 6-1: Floor Fillers; Pete Tong; Annie Mac; Judge Jules
BBC Radio 2 - 7pm: The Judy Garland trail
BBC Radio 4 - 3pm: Ramblings. With Clare Balding
BBC Radio 4 - Last Word
BBC Radio 4 - 6.30pm: News Quiz. Sandi Toksvig presents.
6 Music - 7pm: Tom Robinson. New acts
BBC Radio 7 - 7pm: Hinge and Bracket

Local
BBC London - 94.9 and online
Sunday 9am-12noon: Lesley Joseph and Christopher Biggins
Monday – Friday 3-5pm: Danny Baker. With Amy Lamé or Baylen Leonard

Gaydar Radio 24/7 - Brighton, London DAB and online

BBC Three Counties (and online), Cambs, Essex, Norfolk, Northants., Suffolk
10pm-1am: Ern and Vern. Kenny Everett meets Round the Horn in a bucketful of innuendo

Television

Entertainment and documentaries
Saturday 15th
BBC1 - 5.35pm: Hole in the Wall. Dale Winton presents
BBC1 - 6.05: Strictly Come Dancing
BBC2 - 8.05pm: Stephen Fry in America 4/6 Mountains and Plains. South Dakota and Kansas
BBC HD - 6pm: Strictly Come Dancing
BBC HD - 7.20pm: Torchwood (rpt)
ITV1 - 7.20pm and 9.35pm: X Factor
ITV1 - 8.35 and 10.20: We Are Most Amused. Comedy variety to celebrate His Maj to be’s 60th. Includes Joan Rivers and maybe others
ITV2 - 3.40pm: Britannia High
Gold - 10pm: Absolutely Fabulous
Gold - 10.40: Gimme Gimme Gimme
Gold - 11.20: French and Saunders
Gold - 12midnight: Absolutely Fabulous
Living - 9am and 4.40am: The Golden Girls
Living - 6pm: Will and Grace
Living2 - 2am: GMT Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Sky Arts 2 - 7.30pm: Tim Marlow on Francis Bacon

Sunday 16th
BBC1 - 7.15pm: Antiques Roadshow. From The Sage Gateshead. Includes a tablecloth illustrated by Francis Bacon
BBC1 - 8.15: Strictly Come Dancing
BBC1 - 9pm: Stephen Fry in America. 6/6 Pacific
BBC2 - 11.50: Graham Norton Uncut. Thursday’s edition extended
ITV1 - 2.15pm: X Factor
ITV1 - 9pm: I’m a Celebrity Get me out of Here. I can’t believe this is here
Gold - 12.40am: Gimme Gimme Gimme
More4 - 4.40pm: Come Dine with Me. Omnibus
Living - 9am and 4.40am: The Golden Girls
Sky Arts - 11.40am: What the Dickens? Sandi Toksvig presents
Sky Arts 2 - 1.30am: Francis Bacon
Biography - 5pm: Psychic Therapy with Pete Burns

Monday 17th
BBC1 - 11am: To Buy or Not To Buy. With Kristian Digby
BBC2 - 10pm: QI. Repeat of Friday’s special Children in Need edition
BBC3 - 7pm: Dr Who
ITV1 - 7.30 and 8.30: Coronation Street. Hayley’s back – or is she?
ITV1 - 9: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 12noon: Coronation Street
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 12.50pm: Will and Grace
C4 - 5pm: The Paul O’Grady Show
E4 - 11.10pm: Derren Brown: Something Wicked this way Comes
Gold - 11pm and 1.45am: A Bit of Fry and Laurie
Sky Arts1 - 1.30pm: Tim Marlow on Francis Bacon. For the billionth time

Tuesday 18th
BBC1 - 11am: To Buy or Not To Buy
BBC2- 10pm: The Culture Show
ITV1 - 9pm: I’m a Celebrity…
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
E4 - 11pm: Skins
More4 - 9pm: Come Dine with Me
Dave - 12.20am: QI
Gold - 11pm: Fry and Laurie
Living - 3pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7pm and 1am: Will and Grace
Living2 - 10pm: The L Word
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who

Wednesday 19th
BBC1 - 11am: To Buy or Not To Buy. With Kristian Digby
BBC3 - 7pm: Dr Who. Two hour marathon
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity. ITV1 show’s shelved because of football
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
Dave - 10.40pm: League of Gentleman
Living - 7pm & 1am: Will and Grace
Living - 3pm and 8: Grey’s Anatomy
Sky Arts1 - 7.30pm: What the Dickens? Arts quiz with Sandi Toksvig
Sky Arts2 - 11.45am: Tim Marlow on Francis Bacon
Sky Arts2 - 1.05am: Tim Marlow on Francis Bacon
Biography - 9pm and 12midnight: Elton John

Thursday 20th
BBC1 - 11am: To Buy or Not To Buy
BBC1 - 9pm: Apparitions. Martin Shaw does the Exorcist
BBC2 - 9.30pm: The Graham Norton Show. Alan Carr guests
ITV1 - 8pm: I’m a Celebrity…2 hour edition
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
Dave - 10pm: Batteries not Included. Gadget show features Sue Perkins
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Living - 7pm & 1am: Will and Grace
Living - 3 and 10pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Sky Arts1 - 1.30pm: What the Dickens?

Friday 21st
BBC1 - 11am: To Buy or not to Buy
BBC2 - 10pm: QI.
BBC2 - 11.35: The Culture Show
BBC3 - 7pm: Dr Who
ITV1 - 7.30pm: Coronation Street. Jonathan Harvey scripts
ITV1 - 8.30: Coronation Street. Ditto. Lots of Roy/Hayley stuff
ITV1 - 9pm: I’m a Celebrity… Will Zulu or Paddick still be there?
ITV1 - 10: Now That’s What I Call 1983. Show that attempts to reactivate the news, songs and singers
ITV2 - 10pm: I’m a Celebrity…
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
C4 - 8: Come Dine with Me. Aberdeen
C4 - 10.35: Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill. Stand-up recording from San Francisco
Living - 3pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7pm and 1am: Will and Grace
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Sky Arts1 - 1.30pm: Francis Bacon
Sky Arts1 - 11.45: What the Dickens?

Film and drama
Sunday 16th
C4 - 10.45: Fight Club. Nihilistic satire with Brad Pitt
five - 12.30: The Woman in Question. Old British nasty starring Dirk Bogarde
TCM - 8.45am: Ziegfield Follies. Gene Kelly and Judy Garland
Family - 8pm: Hairspray 2007 version
Classics - 9pm: The Blob

Tuesday 18th
Modern Greats - 6.10pm: My Best Friend’s Wedding

Wednesday 19th
Classics - 9pm: Psycho. Original version

Thursday 20th
Indie - 11.10am: Fire. Indian lesbian drama

Friday 21st
Modern Greats - 8pm Rocky Horror Picture Show. Don’t get hot and flustered; use a bit of mustard

Protest against Proposition 8

I hope you're familiar with Proposition 8 in California and the news that it passed, which is very bad news for the LGBT Community. Three other states passed legislation that denies our community equal rights.

A grass roots effort was started last Friday that has grown into an international protest this Saturday, 15th November. This is no longer a 4-state issue in the US--they are taking it national and international. Protest events are organised in 49 US states and in countries around the world.

There is an event organised for London outside the US Embassy at 1:30 p.m. this Saturday, 15th November to coincide with the hundreds of other events happening.

Come if you can. If you can't please at least pass this information along to your LGBT friends and allies.

More information online:

Protest Website (with history of the movement): jointheimpact.com

London's page: jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/UK

Facebook page for London protest: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=44135912525

First Ever Gay Couple in a Boyband Video

More than a decade after the height of the boy band's vogue, Boyzone, who have just recently reformed and released their first new single in nine years, have just released what is thought to be the first ever music video by a boy band featuring a gay couple.

In the video for the song Better, the members of the band are paired up with actors. Stephen Gately, who came out in 1999 and lives in with his civil partner, decided that he wanted to be seen with a male actor.

He told the BBC's Newsbeat: "For me, it's just me being me and I don't think there should be a real big issue about the whole thing anyway. I just think it's just a beautiful video and I think it works superbly for the song. I'm hoping this video will have a good, positive, all-round reaction."

Find out more and view the video on the BBC News website here.

Talk: Romantic Forerunners of Gay Liberation

John Lauritsen, US campaigner, author, scholar, long-time member of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association draws on his work on the Shelley/Byron circle, Jeremy Bentham, and early German and English spokesmen for homosexual emancipation.

All Welcome.

Friday 14th November, 7.30pm.
Library - Conway Hall
25 Red Lion Square
London WC1
GALHA

US City Elects Country First Trans Mayor

The recent American elections have been qualified of historic by many commentators.

Despite the dark moments for LGBT rights brought in California, Arizona, Florida and Arkansas by voters expressing themselves against gay marriage, the city of Silverton, Oregon is bringing a little light and another reason to call the elections historic.

On the 4th November, it elected the country's first openly transgender mayor.

Stu Rasmussen, 60, served as mayor twice before, elected in 1988 and again in 1990, but that was before he underwent breast enhancement surgery and started to be more open about his trans status. He unseated incumbent mayor Ken Hector by 1,988 votes to 1,512.

Dozens of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates won election to public offices across the US on Tuesday, according to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. The group, which endorsed a record-breaking 111 candidates in 2008, said more than 70 percent of its endorsed candidates had won their races.

With thanks to PinkNews,

Write Queer London Competition

What does your queer London look like? And how does it compare with queer London of yesteryear?

The website www.untoldlondon.org.uk are launching a new annual queer history writing prize in association with Chroma Queer Arts Journal. The competition is entitled Write Queer London and accept submissions of stories, non-fiction and poems about queer London, past, present and future.

Where do lovers meet? What are some of the delights and dangers of queer London? Tell them those untoldtold stories of clubbing and dating, cruising and marching, loving and breaking up. Bring an alternate queer history of London alive.

What if Hadrian and Antinous had had a civil partnership in ancient Cheapside? Was there a thriving scene of African sailors and Indian lascars down at the docks in the 18th century? Take inspiration from museum collections as Marguerite Yourcenar did when she wrote her modern classic, Memoirs of Hadrian, after visiting the British Museum. Or don’t. Just make it up!

Stories and Non-fiction: no longer than 2500 words
Poems: no longer than 30 lines

Deadline: 8th January 2009
Entry Fee: £5
Prizes: £100 for winning story for each category (and £25 in book tokens from Gay is the Word bookshop)

More information here on the Untold London website. You can also download a flyer here (pdf file - 880Kb).

LGBTQ histories at the V&A

As part of a new programme the V&A is seeking to unearth previously hidden LGBTQ histories in its collections, researching the objects and their histories that surround them. Equally, these investigations look at the ways in which visitors themselves understand and make sense of these objects on the basis of their own identities and lived experience.

Oliver Winchester, Research Assistant - Postmodernism: Design 1970-90, said: "This is an exciting and complex task that is fraught with political, moral and personal challenges. Perhaps the most complex question stems from the inherent contradiction that lies at the centre of the gay liberation movement and its legacy – the desire to eradicate discrimination whilst enshrining difference. Any investigation into this area is charged and throws up many questions and provides only partial answers. We look forward to progressing through future projects and events."

For more details please see www.vam.ac.uk or email Oliver at o.winchester@vam.ac.uk

Forthcoming events

Write Queer London
17 November 2008
11.00-13.00
What does your queer London look like? And how does it compare with the queer London of yesteryear? Write Queer London is looking for stories, non-fiction, and poems about queer London, past, present and future. Competition entrants are invited to get their creative juices flowing with a warm up workshop focusing on LGBTQ objects in the V&A collections.
For more information and to enter the competition see www.untoldlondon.org.uk

World AIDS Day
1 December 2008
Seminar Room 3
13.00-14.00
The 20th World AIDS Day takes place this year. To mark the occasion the V&A will host a lunchtime talk investigating the cultural impact of the virus. Join curators as they discuss the significance and meanings behind the AIDS quilt as a collective expression of grief and discuss examples of graphic design prompted by political and educational fallout of AIDS.
Free event, no ticket required

2009 events to be announced shortly

Image: Clementina and Isabella Grace, 5 Princes Gardens
by Viscountess Clementina Hawarden
ca.1863-64. Albumen print.
PH.356-1947
© V&A

LGBT Related Radio and TV Programmes, 8th - 14th November

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!

Some of the radio programmes listed below can be listened to again via the Listen Again facility of the BBC's website while some of the television programmes will remain available also for a week on the BBC's iplayer.



Radio
Saturday 8th
BBC Radio 2 - 1pm: Alan Carr’s Comedy Outings
BBC Radio 2 - 5pm: Paul Gambaccini. US hits
BBC Radio 4 - 12.30pm: The News Quiz. Sandi Toksvig presents
BBC Radio 4 - 2.30pm: Saturday Play: Von Ribentrop’s Watch. A Jewish businessman is put to the test by a family heirloom. Stars Miriam Margolyes
BBC Radio 4 - 4pm: Weekend Woman’s Hour. Jane Garvey presents. May include Ruth Hunt on lesbians coming out at work, which featured on Tuesday
BBC Radio 4 - 5.30pm: The Bottom Line. Evan Davis
BBC Radio 4 - 8pm: Adventures in the BBC Archives. Stella Rimington on Burgess, Hunt and Maclean
6 Music - 12midnight: BBC Introducing. Tom Robinson

Sunday 9th
BBC Radio 2 - 1pm: Paul O’Grady
BBC Radio 2 - 2pm: Dale Winton’s Pick of the Pops ’79 and ‘90
BBC Radio 3 - 10.15pm: Words and Music. War Poems including Wilfred Owen
BBC Radio 4 - 4.30pm: Nobody Told Me To Oil My Boots. Following the remembrance theme, Anthony Sher on WW1 poet Isaac Rosenburg
6 Music - 1am: BBC Introducing. Tom Robinson
BBC Radio 7 - 10pm: The News Quiz
Classic FM - 9pm: Paul Gambaccini’s Hall of Heroes

Monday 10th
BBC Radio 4 - 9.45am: Book of the Week (same time every day this week) Florence Nightingale: The wham and her legend. Mark Bostridge biography
BBC Radio 4 - 10am: Woman's Hour - with Tracy Chapman
BBC Radio 7 - 10.30pm: Intimate Contact with Julian Clary. From1992
BBC Radio 4 - 10.45pm: Book at Bedtime: The Ruling Passion.

Tuesday 11th
BBC Radio 7 - 7.30pm: Counterpoint. With the late Ned Sherrin
BBC Radio 4 - 10.45pm: Book at Bedtime: The Ruling Passion.

Thursday 13th
BBC Radio 7 - 6.30pm: The House on the Strand. By Du Maurier
BBC Radio 4 - 10.45pm: Book at Bedtime: The Ruling Passion.

Friday 14th
BBC Radio 2 - 7pm: The Judy Garland trail
BBC Radio 4 - 3pm: Ramblings. With Clare Balding
BBC Radio 4 - 6.30pm: News Quiz. Sandi Toksvig presents.
BBC Radio 4 - 10.45pm: Book at Bedtime: The Ruling Passion. Final episode
6 Music - 7pm: Tom Robinson. New acts

Local
BBC London 94.9 and online
Sunday 9am-12noon: Lesley Joseph and Christopher Biggins
Monday – Friday 3-5pm: Danny Baker. With Amy Lamé or Baylen Leonard

Brighton, London DAB and online: Gaydar Radio 24/7

BBC Three Counties (and online), Cambs, Essex, Norfolk, Northants., Suffolk
10pm-1am: Ern and Vern. Kenny Everett meets Round the Horn in a bucketful of innuendo

Television

Entertainment and documentaries
Saturday 8th
BBC1 - 10am: Ready Steady Cook. Guest John Barrowman
BBC1 - 10.45am: Lord Mayor’s Show. Presented by Clare Balding
BBC1 - 5.30pm: Hole in the Wall. Dale Winton presents
BBC1 - 6pm: Strictly Come Dancing
BBC2 - 12.30am: Beautiful People (rpt)
BBC2 - 1pm Stella Street. Cult Comedy with input from John Sessions
BBC HD - 6pm: Strictly Come Dancing
BBC HD - 7.20pm: Torchwood (rpt)
ITV1 - 7.20pm and 9.35pm: X Factor
ITV2 - 2.50pm: Britannia High
More4 - 10pm: Prince Eddy: The King We Never Had. Profile of Prince Albert Victor, an alleged homosexual who died before he reached the throne
Living - 9am and 4.40am: The Golden Girls
Living - 6pm: Will and Grace
Living2 - 2am: GMT Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Sky Arts 2 - 2pm: The Art of Francis Bacon

Sunday 9th
BBC1 - 8.15pm: Strictly Come Dancing
BBC1 - 9pm: Stephen Fry in America. 5/6 South West including Arizona
BBC2 - 8pm: Top Gear. Not an obvious candidate for the LGBT listings. Will Young does the celebrity road test
BBC2 - 11.10pm: Graham Norton Uncut. Thursday’s edition extended
ITV1 - 4.15pm: X Factor
ITV1 - 7pm: Britannia High. Brit version of Fame. Two and a half decades later
More4 - 4.40pm: Come Dine with Me. Omnibus
Living - 9am and 4.40am: The Golden Girls
Sky Arts - 9am: The Art of Francis Bacon

Monday 10th
BBC1 - 11am: To Buy or Not To Buy. With Kristian Digby
ITV2 - 7pm: Britannia High (rpt)
C4 - 5pm: The Paul O’Grady Show
Dave - 9pm: QI
Living - 7pm: Will and Grace
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who

Tuesday 11th
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
E4 - 11pm: Skins
More4 - 9pm: Come Dine with Me
Gold - 11pm: Fry and Laurie
Living - 3pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7pm and 1am: Will and Grace
Living 2 - 10pm: The L Word
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Sky Arts - 12.02pm and 6.05pm: Rufus Wainwright
Sky Arts - 1pm: Francis Bacon

Wednesday 12th
BBC1 - 11am: To Buy or Not To Buy. With Kristian Digby
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
Living - 7pm & 1am: Will and Grace
Living - 8pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Sky Arts1 - 12noon: Francis Bacon
Sky Arts1 - 7.30pm: What the Dickens? Arts quiz with Sandi Toksvig
Biography - 6 and 11am: Montgomery Clift

Thursday 13th
BBC1 - 11am: To Buy or Not To Buy
BBC1 - 9pm: Apparitions. Martin Shaw does the Exorcist
BBC2 - 9.30pm: The Graham Norton Show
C4 - 12.30pm: Will and Grace
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
C4 - 8pm: Celebrity Come Dine with Me
Dave - 10pm: Batteries not Included. Gadget show features Sue Perkins
Watch - 6pm: Dr Who
Living - 7pm & 1am: Will and Grace
Living - 3 and 10pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Sky Arts 1 - 10.15am: Tim Marlow on Francis Bacon

Friday 14th
BBC1 - 11am: To Buy or not to Buy
BBC1 - 7pm: Children in Need
BBC2 - 10pm: QI. New series
BBC3 - 7pm: Dr Who Christmas edition
ITV1 - 12.30pm: Loose Women. Guest Pam Ann
ITV2 - 9pm: Get Me out of Here! Biggins Goes Back. What it says on the box
ITV2 - 10pm: Ghosthunting with Christopher Biggins
C4 - 12.30pm: Will and Grace
C4 - 5pm: Paul O’Grady
C4 - 11.15pm: The Big Fat 25th Anniversary. Guests Alan Carr. Yes; Channel 4 is 25.
Living - 3pm: Grey’s Anatomy
Living - 7pm and 1am: Will and Grace

Film and drama
Saturday 8th
ITV - 1.05pm: Sweet Charity. Camp as it gets
Classics - 12.50pm and 9pm: West Side Story
Film4 - 1.45am: Talk to Her. Almadóvar

Sunday 9th
Sky Arts 1 - 9pm Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Premiere - 10.20pm The Brave One. It’s Jodie Foster but it’s a nasty revenge-based film
Sci-Fi - 9pm: X-Men

Monday 10th
Indie - 9am and 4.30pm: Fire. Powerful Indian drama about a lesbian relationship
Film4 - 11.05pm: Talk to Her. Almadóvar again. Two men look after two women in a coma. Chain of concidences…

Wednesday 11th
ITV2 - 10.30pm: Silence of the Lambs. Jodie Foster

Friday 14th
C4 - 9pm: Four Weddings and a Funeral. Simon Callow and Stop All The Clocks

Pet Shop Boys' Outstanding Contribution to Music

By a happy coincidence, it is during LGBT History Month, next February, that Neil Tennant and Chrls Lowe, the members of Pet Shop Boys, will be honoured with the Outstanding Contribution To Music Award as part of the Brit Awards 2009.

Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have sold 50 million records since they signed to Parlophone in 1985 with four No 1 singles, 22 top 10 hits and a staggering 39 top 30 singles making them one of the most successful pop duos ever.

In 1986 their first hit single, “West End Girls”, topped the charts all over the world and the following year their single “What Have I Done To Deserve This?” relaunched the career of Dusty Springfield.

Pet Shop Boys have also worked as producers or remixers with artists including Robbie Williams, Liza Minnelli, David Bowie, Madonna, Kylie, Yoko Ono, The Killers and, as part of the group Electronic with Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner.

The Boys were awarded their first BRIT in 1987 winning Best British Single for ‘West End Girls’. The duo went on to pick up the coveted Best British Group Award in 1988 and performed their hit single Go West with the accompaniment of a 200 piece Welsh male choir in 1994 while being lowered onto the stage by two huge cranes.

Ged Doherty, Chairman of The BRITs Committee said, “Since their first BRIT Award over 20 years ago, Neil and Chris have produced a fantastic body of work with songs that truly were the soundtrack to a whole generation’s lives. The Pet Shop Boys have since become one of the most influential groups of the modern era and are deserving recipients of the award.”

Previous recipients of the Outstanding Contribution To Music Award include Paul McCartney, Oasis, U2, Paul Weller, Tom Jones, Sting. David Bowie, Eurythmics, The Beatles and The Who.

The ceremony which will also feature a performance with the band will take place on Wednesday 18 February.

Gfest 08

see email from wisetniran
http://www.gaywisefestival.org.uk/
10 - 28 nov

Edward Carpenter: A Man Before His Time

Edward Carpenter was a radical socialist activist throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In his writings, he tore into the decadent middle classes and capitalism with fervour. He supported feminism, vegetarianism and the environment, among other things. But he was an active, open, campaigning homosexual, with a live-in partner, George Merrill, and this is why the Establishment has tried to forget him, and his life and works have hitherto been discussed only among those “who know”.

So it is wonderful that, in advance of the 80th anniversary of his death in 2009, he should be celebrated in the first full biography of his life, Edward Carpenter: A Life of Liberty and Love, by Sheila Rowbotham.

The book is reviewed in The Guardian here.

Tennesse Williams Season at the BFI

It has been 25 years since the death of Tennessee Williams, and interest in this great American playwright’s work remains intense. However the recent publication of some of his lesser known early and late one-act plays, in which gay characters fully emerge, has given us a chance to appreciate and understand Tennessee’s own story more fully. To tie in with the celebration of this great playwright at the Glasgay Festival, throughout November film audiences at the British Film Institute (BFI) Southbank can enjoy a flashback to the glory days of his greatest screen adaptations.


The season features some of Williams’ most celebrated work for the big screen, kicking off with The Glass Menagerie (1950) on 1 November followed by such classics as, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Suddenly Last Summer (1959) and The Night of the Iguana (1964). As a centrepiece we’re presenting an extended run of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), probably Williams’ most famous work in which Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh give outstanding performances in this electrifying film about broken family relations. The season also includes his lesser-known adaptations for the cinema, such as the rarely screened Boom (1968) which is regularly championed by the film-maker John Waters; and Noir et blanc (1986 - picture), based on Williams’ short story Desire and the Back Masseur.

This series of films pays tribute to some of the great actors of the 20th century, with roles for stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Natalie Wood and Montgomery Clift. Williams’ characters encompass the full range of humanity: they can be starry-eyed, needy, credulous, self-destructive, warm, wry, flirtatious and just a little bitchy. Above all, Williams’ natural sympathy is with utterly open and unapologetic outsiders and misfits. What is fascinating from a contemporary re-viewing of his drama is how autobiographical his stories are: these are works full of his love and lovers, battles for acceptance, struggles with drugs and alcohol and are populated with dysfunctional families.

For details of the screenings from the BFI's website, please click here.

London Transgender Film Festival

Independent, experimental, cutting edge and diverse are just some words to describe the first London Transgender Film Festival which will take place at the Ritzy in Brixton on the 7th, 8th and 9th of November.

Its focus is to exhibit content of transgender, intersex, androgyny, gender variant, trans feminists, gender queer, and gender fluid persons of all natures, all races and cultures, ages and abilities.

Its aim is to increase trans visibility and acknowledgement, question the gender binary, to dispel ignorance and demystify stereotypes, unite and support a diverse LGBTQI community and celebrate trans spaces and their friends.

The festival is also about communication and growth and will screen films of dynamic and important themes. It hopes to encourage and liberate self expression in independent trans filmmaking in London and globally for years to come.

Some highlights of this year’s festival will be new unreleased film screenings, important films that have not had much exposure in mainstream festivals, documentaries from around the world, an exhibition, workshops, and a panel with special guests.

to find out more visit www.transgenderfilmfestival.co.uk and www.ritzypicturehouse.co.uk

'Space Girl Pukes' Author Dies

The LGBT movement and the wider feminist movement have lost a committed activist.

Katy Watson, founder of the collective Shocking Pink and the lesbian mothers’ organisation Out for our Children, has died at only 42. She is probably best known today for her children’s book Space Girl Pukes, a favourite with primary school children thanks to the No Outsiders project. A second children’s book, Deborah Puts Her Foot Down, is to be published soon, although she wrote her first book, a novel about heroin addiction entitled High Life, six years ago.

The Guardian obituary can be found here.

Out for our Children

Harvey Milk and Gay Marriage

Hollywood pays tribute to a gay hero. But 30 years on his legacy is in peril

As a film about Harvey Milk is released, his battle for gay rights in the 1970s is being fought again over a proposition to ban same-sex marriages.

On the day of the US presidential elections, Californians will also be voting to decided whether their state should keep on allowing same-sex marriage which became legal in the State earlier this year.

Personalities (including Maria Shriver (Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife), Brad Pitt, Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw) and international corporations (Apple, MTV and Google) are taking a stand against the restriction of liberties that Proposition 8 would represents.

Read the full article in the Guardian here.

No On Prop8
Proposition 8 on Wikipedia

Alan Bennett Gives Papers to Bodleian Library

Alan Bennett is to give a wealth of written work from nearly 50 years as an author and playwright to the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

Notes, drafts and scripts for all of his stage and TV plays were among the collection, the library said. There are also manuscripts for his autobiographies and short stories, plus letters and a number of unpublished diaries dating back to 1974.

Read the full article on BBC News (including an audio interview of Bennett about the donation) here.