Vote for All Male dance Group on Sky 1

Guyz in Sync, the UK’s only all-male gay Latin and Ballroom formation dance team, have made it into the live-semi-finals of TV talent contest Got to Dance on Sky1. Getting to this stage means they have beaten thousands of other dance acts to be in the final 28.Two acts from each semi-final will qualify for the grand final later in February.

The TV audience will be in control of choosing the finalists by telephone voting. And just imagine how fantastic it would be if a gay dance team made it through to the finals. That would shake things up a bit! Guyz in Sync are up for challenging what most people think couple dancing is about and we’d love you to help us in our quest to conquer Got to Dance.

How can you help?
1. Forward this email to your members and friends.
2. Become a fan of Guyz in Sync on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter and encourage your friends to do so.
3. Watch the live semi-final on 6th February 2011, 6pm on Sky1 and vote for Guyz in Sync
4. Download the Got to Dance voting app for iphone here.

If you don’t have Sky1, don’t panic! You are not alone! Guyz in Sync are currently setting up a number of screening venues across the country so that as many people as possible can watch them strut their stuff. If you know of any LGBT venues that may be willing to become a screening venue, please let us know. The more venues, the better! We will be advertising all screening venues to our fans on Facebook.

Contacts:
Website: www.guyzinsync.co.uk
Facebook
Twitter: @guyzinsync
YouTube

Bulletin No 82

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 also right click on the links and "save target as")

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

LGBT Group Seeks Coming Out Stories

Sandwell LGBT Community Group in conjunction with Sandwell LGBT Working Group and other voluntary and statutory organisations are organising several events for LGBT History Month 2011.

The theme will be 'coming out' and as such, we are asking for people's personal stories and experiences.

Responses can be as long as long or short as you like, the following are for guidance only;

When did you realise you were lgbt?
What did you do?
If out/open about your sexuality/gender identity, how did you tell people (ie; family, friends, work, colleagues etc)
What would have helped you going through this process?
What advice would you give to someone coming out now?

Please use only your first name or a false name... all work will be kept anonymous.

Stories are needed before February 1st please.

Please send your responses to SandwellLGBT@hotmail.co.uk

Bulletin No 81

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 also right click on the links and "save target as")

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

Launch of LGBT History Month 2011: Queer Question Time hosted by Evan Davis

The BBC's Evan Davis, presenter of the Today Programme on Radio 4, helps to launch LGBT History Month 2011 in Southwark with Queer Question Time at Southwark Council's Tooley Street headquarters on Tuesday 1 February 2011.

MC Stewart Who? will open the evening at 7pm with a performance from the Pink Singers.

This will be followed by Queer Question Time at 7.30pm. Evan will chair an hour-long public debate with a panel of 5 local, national, and international LGBT icons and commentators, including Matthew Parris (writer, broadcaster and Times columnist), Sue Sanders (LGBT activist and co-chair of Schools Out), John Amaechi (psychologist, New York Times best-selling author and former NBA basketball player), and Angela Eagle MP (Westminster's first out lesbian). A fifth panelist will be announced closer to the time.

This is the seventh year that LGBT History Month has been marked across the UK. It is an annual celebration of the lives and achievements of the LGBT community, with a special theme this year of "tackling homophobia and transphobia in the world of sport". Queer Question Time will cover this topic as well as broader issues facing the LGBT community.

Queer Question Time
1 February 2011 - 6pm
Southwark Council, Atrium
160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2TZ
Refreshments will be served. Admission is free but advance booking is strongly advised as places are limited.
To book your place contact Helen Laker on 020 7525 0848 or Helen.Laker@southwark.gov.uk

After 17 years, DADT is set to become history

US campaigners have been celebrating as the Senate voted to get rid of its military's discriminatory 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' (DADT) policy.

After 17 years of this discriminatory legislation, which came into being as a compromise under the Bill Clinton administration, the policy which ended the military careers of an estimated 13,000 women and men is finally on its way out. The policy specified that lesbians and gays could serve in the forces as long as they kept quiet about it and no-one had the right to ask anyone about her/his sexuality. Opponents said it wrote discrimination into military law.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates supported the repeal but warned serving members of the US forces not to come out until the new legislation was in place, which may take up to a year. President Obama welcomed the decision.

Bulletin No 80

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 also right click on the links and "save target as")

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

Vote for A Day in Hand to win

A Day In Hand is excited to announce that thanks to you, we have made it to the final round in the Pink Paper Awards 2011.

We're in fine company up against great organisations such as THT, The Gay and Lesbian Foundation, Stonewall and GMFA. We came 3rd place last year. We need some improvement on that, so we're aiming for 1st.

Please consider Voting for us to show how a grassroots, totally volunteer run, internet-active LGBT organisation can make it to number 1, and more importantly how sometimes the underdog can come out on top.

Note: This is not the nomination round, which you helped us with a few weeks ago. This is the final.
You can vote for as many or as few categories as you like.

But please vote for A Day In Hand in Category 6: Best LGBT Organisation or Charity.

Vote now here (Voting will close 10am on 7 February)

Thank you. You are the revolution!