Gay Times 2015-07

Thesic
Musue
Is
gaytimes magazine number 447 July 2015
rixton!
GET WITH
gaytimes.co.uk / @gaytimesmag
Nile Rodgers
Mns Zelmerlw
Ciara
The Overtones
Hozier
Atomic Kitten
MoNique
Rufus Wainwright
001 GT COVER MAIN.indd 1
ALL THINGS GAY

Men of Big Brother
Jurassic World
Gay comic books
Tituss Burgess
Pride guide
Franois Sagat
Your new gay MPs
27/05/2015 14:55
GT447-COVERS.indd 2
27/05/2015 17:25
GT447-COVERS.indd 3
27/05/2015 17:25
let the music play
[07/15]
Editor DARREN SCOTT

Deputy Editor RYAN BUTCHER
Online Editor JOSH WITHEY
Editorial Assistant WILLIAM CONNOLLY
Design & Art Direction MARK KING
Editor-at-large JOHN MARRS
Style Editor STEPHEN CONWAY
Columnists 2 LOVELY GAYS, LUKE ALEXANDER,
MICHAEL ALIG, PJ BRENNAN, BENJAMIN COHEN,
GASTRO GAYS, THE GUYLINER, CHRIS JONES, EDD
KIMBER, MICHELLE VISAGE, MIKEY WALSH
Contributors JAMES BURTON, BENJAMIN
BUTTERWORTH, SIMON BUTTON, MATT CROCKETT,
RHYS EVANS, JAMES GOSS, BOB HENDERSON,
MIKE HIRD, JOE MCCORMICK, CHRIS McPARLAN,
TIM MITCHELL, JUSTIN MYERS, JOE OROURKE,
TOM RICHARDSON, MATT RISLEY, LUKE SMITH,
SIMON WELLS, JEREMY WILLIAMS-CHALMERS,
DANIEL WOOLFORD
Pug-at-large TOBY
Cover image LEE FAIRCLOTH
[34]
Thanks to VAUGHN ALVAREZ (135st Agency), LAUREN

APPEL (Wolf Kasteler PR), RUSSELL T DAVIES (Dame
of Writing), JAMES FLETCHER (Mens Package), EMILY
JAFFY (Wolf Kasteler PR), WILLIAM LUFF (Wilful Publicity),
ANNA MEACHAM (Purple PR), KABIR NAIDOO (London
Eurovision), SHANE ONEILL (Island Records), MICHAEL
SHELLING (DC Entertainment), TIMOTHY STRUTHERS
(Universal), RONI NEWMAN (Deacon Communications),
LUCY UNWIN (Mark Millar)
Design & Production Manager
ALEXANDER SMITH
Media Copy Sales & Marketing Manager
RORY GARRIOCK
Management Accountant ARNAUD SEGUIN
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[68]
Gay Times magazine was founded in 1984

by CHRIS GRAHAM-BELL and ALEX MCKENNA
2015 GAY TIMES All rights reserved ISSN: 0950-6101

The mention or appearance or likeness of any person or organisation in articles
or advertising in GAY TIMES is not to be taken as any indication of the sexual,
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you never play, say, Yes. No responsibility can be assumed for any unsolicited
materials, and submission is construed as permission to publish without further
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transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers.
004-005 CONTENTS.indd 4
[12]
gaytimes.co.uk
29/05/2015 12:24
[contents]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
[88]
[52]
first
entertainment
06 GT Fitty
12 Mns Zelmerlw
14 Rufus Wainwright
16 Michelle Visage
22 Sweetie, Darling?
80 Hozier
85 The Overtones
86 Ciara
88 Nile Rodgers
94 MoNique
102 Gay comics
108 Tech
----------
news
24 Gay MPs
26 Katie Hopkins: Friend or foe?
28 Heroes: The Leather Boys
32 Benjamin Cohen
----------
real life
63 Nautical but nice

68 Franois Sagat
76 Grooming
111 Readers Lives

112 Porn Again
117 Mikey Walsh
119 Michael Alig
120 The Guyliner
123 Positive Luke
125 PJ Brennan
126 Fit with Chris Jones
129 2 Lovely Gays
130 Home Style
132 Edd Kimber
133 Gastro Gays
134 Modern Family
----------
----------
----------
features
34 Rixton
46 Big Brother
52 Tituss Burgess
58 BD Wong
----------
style
[102]
travel
136 Amsterdam
138 Pride guide
Yes.
Thank goodness for
yes. Such a small word,
causing so many big
emotions on Saturday 23
May when people in the
Republic of Ireland voted
in favour of same-sex marriage.
I admit I was more than a little bit scared of
the outcome. I almost couldnt believe it when
initial reports suggested the results would be
positive, but didnt dare get too excited in case
it might jinx things somehow.
Personally, I dont believe an issue of equal
rights should have been handed over to a
referendum. I was terrified it could set an awful
precedent and it may still do so in countries
where gay people have such a long way to go
on the road to equality that every human being
deserves. This is a victory, and a historic one
at that, but public opinion isnt so tolerant
elsewhere. You dont even have to go that far
there are no plans to bring a similar law to
allow us to marry in Northern Ireland.
Do I want every other country in the world
to follow in the footsteps of the Republic
of Ireland? Hell yes! Ive said before that I
dont feel marriage is for me, personally, but
its my right to be able to do so. I recently
attended the wedding of my best friend Barry,
to his partner Robin, and I can honestly say
it was one of the best days of my life. The fact
that theyre so happy gives me a joy I never
thought Id experience in my lifetime. And no
one should be denied that.
Positive outcomes aside, rights arent
supposed to be voted on, theyre supposed to be
ours anyway. Darren Scott @darren_scott
----------
E
SSU
I
T
LE
NEX
SA
ON8 JULY
gaytimes.co.uk
004-005 CONTENTS.indd 5
SUBSCRIBE
AND SAVE
30%
ON THE
COVER PRICE
FOR DETAILS
SEE
PAGE 21
15
27/05/2015 15:35
gt fitty
[07/15]
006-008 FIRST Fitty.indd 6
WORDS JOE OROURKE IMAGES MATT CROCKETT
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 13:43
[first]
Jordi Whitworth
made it to the
live shows of
The X Factor
last year, but
now hes facing
his toughest
challenge yet
stripping off for
GT. Talking man
crushes and
flirting, heres this
months GT Fitty...
----------
Jordi! We all know you from

The X Factor. But whats
happened since? Well, I decided
to leave Overload Generation.
There were just a few things I
wasnt happy with, so I didnt
really want to continue. Now Im
looking to pursue a career in TV
or modelling. I hope to have a
solid career one day one that
keeps me busy and allows me to
do my thing, and make people
happy.
Whats your favourite thing
about yourself? Probably my
smile. A lot of people generally
take a liking to my smile.
Howre you dealing with your
post-X Factor fame? Its really
strange! Somehow my phone
number has been leaked, so Im
gaytimes.co.uk
17
27/05/2015 13:43
[
[first
]
gt fitty
[07/15]
currently getting bombarded

with unknown callers! They tell
me how much they love me and
that Im their idol. Its lovely to
have that support I couldnt
ask for more. But my phone is,
like, private. So it sometimes
gets a bit much.
Whos your idol? Definitely Justin
Timberlake! Ive always wanted
to be like him. Hes cracked
everything. Hes done acting,
singing, modelling the whole
lot! So if I could be like anyone, I
guess itd have to be him.
Whos your man crush? Ive
started watching Gossip Girl
recently and the guy that plays
Chuck Bass Ed Westwick is a
dude! Id have to say hes my man
crush.
Whatre you best flirting tips?
Dont be over the top. Dont be
someone youre not. Just be
yourself. To be honest, Im terrible
as it is at flirting.
Tell us something about yourself
your fans might not know. Im
actually a very superstitious
person. Most people dont really
know that. In other words, I think
Im a little weird...
jordiwhitworth.bigcartel.com,
@jordiwhitworth
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 13:43
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Preferred Tickets for

Cardmembers
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26/05/2015 11:34
clever girl
[07/15]
YAAAS!
dino-phwoar!
From 12 June well be able to see Chris Pratt in a

tight t-shirt. Chris Pratt in a leather vest. And Chris
Pratt in khaki. Khaki! Oh yes, and some dinosaurs.
Its been 22 years since our very first visit to Jurassic
Park, but Jurassic World is getting us excited on a
whole new level. Youve seen the trailers, you know
what its about, so just enjoy this picture of Chris
Pratt with a velociraptor and count down the days. n
Turn to page 58 for our exclusive interview with Jurassic World actor and gay man BD Wong...
10
10-11 FIRST Speed Mix.indd 10
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 17:19
[first]
EFS
BRI
Jump through
hoops with
seven-piece
Australian
and New York
boylesque
cabaret group
Briefs. Host
Shivannah leads
you through an
evening of drag,
dancing, trapeze,
hula hooping
and even a touch
of sequins and
feathers, too.
The boys will be
bringing their
show to Pride
in Trafalgar
Square this year,
along with an
appearance at
Glastonbury on
27 June. Theyll
also be appearing
at Londons
Wonderground
throughout
August and
September, too,
meanings theres
multiple chances
to see these
skimpy boys
pack a treat for
yourself.
All those
dangerous circus
tricks. Now, that
takes... Well,
balls.
----------
SPEED
DATE
gaytimes.co.uk
10-11 FIRST Speed Mix.indd 11
Until 27 Sept
Leader of all things
alternative, London
Wonderground
returns to the
Southbank Centre
featuring unique
cabaret, burlesque
and comedy. Arts in
the sun? How could
anyone complain?
Cocktail, please.
londonwonderground.co.uk
12-15 June
London Collections:
Men once again
hits the capital,
where fabulous
fashionistas and
dapper gents ock
to see collections
from the likes of
Christopher Shannon, Burberry and
Topman Design.
londoncollections.
co.uk
17-21 June
Celebrate summer
with Taste of
London, the UKs
biggest open-air
drink and food
festival at Regents
Park. Star chefs
take their kitchens
outside and cook
their favourite
dishes. london.
tastefestivals.
com
Begins 23 June
Get ready to shake
it off as Taylor
Swift brings her
acclaimed international tour to the
UK. Finally. After
a year full of hit
singles and winning
almost every trophy
in music, you can
party with Taylor
and totally feel 22.
taylorswift.com
24-28 June
With Florence &
The Machine, Pharrell Williams and
Clean Bandit as just
some of the artists
performing at this
years Glastonbury
Festival, there really
is no place youd
rather be. No tickets? Catch up on
BBC. glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
111
27/05/2015 17:19
we can be heroes
Hes the sexy Swede who took his childhood bullying

over to Vienna and turned it into this years winning
Eurovision entry. So of course, we just had to meet him.
We talk music, life and yes, those homophobia claims,
with this years king of Eurovision Mns Zelmerlw
On his winning song Heroes...

The performance is actually about
me when I was a kid. I had some
issues getting friends when I was
about 11 or 12. There was a bully
in our class and he bullied me and
turned my old friends against me.
There was this other guy that came
in and he saw me, recognised
something in me and made me
stronger. So I played him [in the
performance] and the small stick
figure projected behind me was
me when I was that age.
When he called homosexuality
abnormal on a Swedish TV
show... It was partly out of context
and partly because I made some
really stupid remarks. I used some
stupid words. I was going for a
word like not as common, but I
chose a word that has a negative
ring to it. The story has been going
on now for a year since that show
aired. Ive always been a huge
friend of the LGBT community
and Ive always been doing pride
events in Sweden, hosting the Gay
Gala and stuff, so it really made me
sad. I think that homosexuality is
just as natural as heterosexuality
and Ive been trying to prove that.
On winning this years
Eurovision... Im very competitive
and wanted to get a high scoring,
but it was always going to be a
tough race. I was just happy to be
one of the favourites. I didnt think
I was going to win, I thought either
Australia or Italy was going to win.
I was just happy to be a part of it...
And on winning Swedish music
competition Melodifestivalen... If
I hadnt won this time, Id probably
have gone back a couple of years
from now to do it again. But Im
glad it happened with Heroes.
On his favourite Eurovision
moment... I was a big fan of Inga
and Anush doing Jan Jan in 2009.
They would actually be my all-time
Eurovision favourites, which is
kind of out there, but I think that
WORDS TOM RICHARDSON
[first]
[07/15]
they were great. n

Mns Zelmerlws winning single Heroes is
out now, @manszelmerlow
12
012 FIRST Man.indd 12
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 13:45
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ATTRACT ALL
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GT447-003-034.indd 13
26/05/2015 11:34
Long before Sam Smith decided it was safe to come

out as gay, Rufus Wainwright was trailblazing his
way through the music scene as out as an out man
can be. Twenty years later and hes just as loud and
just as proud. Before he plays a one-off gig in London
this month, the married dad-of-one tells us how hes
been a pioneer for other gay acts and why he and
Florence Welch are obsessed with mermaids
Ive been hanging out in the pool
at the Chateau Marmont hotel
in LA with Florence Welch from
Florence + The Machine, begins
Rufus Wainwright, casually, as if
its something weve all done at
some time or another, and weve
been singing mermaid songs as Im
usually with my daughter. Id love to
work with Florence and we have a
couple of ideas that may mature.
Being a doting dad to Viva, now
four, is a perfect example of how
Rufus life has done a complete
360 over the last decade. The
promiscuity and crystal meth are
things of the past and now its all
about fatherhood he co-parents
Viva with her mother, Lorca Cohen,
daughter of legendary crooner
Leonard and being a husband to
artistic director Jrn Weisbrodt. It
probably goes some way to explain
why Rufus hasnt released an album
in three years.
Im withholding, he laughs,
getting married and having my
daughter has taken up a lot of my
time and writing operas has been
pretty essential to my life. We
recorded the first, Prima Donna,
a few months ago with the BBC
Symphony Orchestra, which is
being released in the fall, and Im
working on another one about the
emperor Hadrian.
And I have to be honest, because
I have a bit of a strategy too. During
all this, Ive been writing song after
song, so I feel that if I give it a bit
of time, when the next pop album
comes out, Ill have a pretty stellar
collection of material. The songs
14
014-15 FIRST Rufus.indd 14
will have been somewhat tested

over a couple of years in front of live
audiences.
My lyrics have never been solely
concentrated on going out or being
in love for the first time I tend
to write about such a wide variety
of subjects because I very much
embrace all that life has to offer.
I need these bigger experiences
whether it being having a child,
getting married or surviving til Im
40 in the pop world.
And unlike many artists, Rufus
does admit to listening to his own
music when the mood suits.
I feel more confident now
admitting that, because I heard
that Prince ONLY listens to his own
music, he chuckles. So I dont feel
as guilty. I dont have a vault with
unreleased music as big as Princes,
but I have some crevices with a new
pile of secret gold amassing.
Rufus was somewhat of a
revelation when he burst onto
the music scene back in 1998
with his self-titled debut album.
Openly gay, sharp-tongued
and melodically and lyrically
unpredictable, he was happy
to write about gay love and
gay life and all that being gay
entailed, but in such a way that it
transcended any specific sexuality
and appealed just as much the
masses as it did to the niche.
Partly in thanks to Rufus, being a
mainstream gay singer no longer
risks damaging sales, as seen with
Sam Smiths meteoric rise to fame.
Im of two minds about Sam,
admits Rufus. On one hand I get
a little bitter sometimes, I have to

admit. Im so proud of his success
and I think its fantastic. But
sometimes the media is like, Oh
finally, we have a gay artist. Im
thinking, Wait a minute, Ive been
doing that for almost 20 years!
So sometimes I get a little touchy
about it, but that being said, I
also have to remember that I was
a pioneer in that world of being
completely out from the get-go and
being in the mainstream, and now
there are people like Sam and Im
definitely part of that equation.
As for whether well see a multiplatinum selling gay rapper, Rufus
is unsure.
I dont know, he continues.
But it seems like in the world in
general, everything has to happen
at some point, whether its Kim
Kardashian bringing attention
to Armenian genocide or Bruce
Jenner becoming, what I like to
call, transJenner. Were probably
more likely to see a gay rapping
Kardashian first.
Before his next opera Hadrian and
a new studio album comes a special
one-off gig. Rufus is one of several
acts playing openair concert series
Live At Chelsea on 12 June in the
central courtyard of the historic
home of the Chelsea Pensioners.
British audiences have always
been super-responsive to my work
over the years, Rufus begins.
Theyre extremely loyal and very
excitable and I think thats due
to the wild differences that exist
between each county in the UK. It
can be kind of a world tour in itself
gaytimes.co.uk
22/05/2015 14:32
[first]
when you do just Great Britain.

As anyone whos been to one of
Rufus gigs can attest, pigeonholing
his fan base is impossible. Straight,
gay, old, young, trans you name it,
theyre watching.
Thats been a double-edged
sword for me over the years, he
admits. I of course appreciate
it above everything else, but in
terms of marketing and finding an
audience on television and on radio,
its a tough puzzle that takes a while
to figure out. But Im still around.
Rufus hits 42 in July, and its
no secret hed lead quite a life,
s
u
f
ur
WORDS JOHN MARRS
something he hopes to recall when

he eventually writes his memoirs.
An authorised biography has
already been written about him.
Ive read it and parts of it are very
good, he admits, especially when
they cover a lot of stuff about my
parents and my early career. But I
wasnt expecting to see a biography
of me while I was in my 30s.
Id like to write an autobiography,
my sister [musician and actress
Martha] and dad [folk legend
Loudon] are writing books, so I
might have no choice but to do one.
But Im going to wait until theirs are
written so I can read them and make
mine tally.
But before he puts pen to paper,
Rufus has more pressing matters to
expand his brood.
Viva is my daughter genetically
and my husband has been
expressing a desire to have a child
of his own, Rufus adds. Were
going to have eight kids eventually
and Ill still get to keep my figure.
Ive enjoyed being married
and its still a real hot button
issue, especially with American
elections coming up. Unfortunately
theres a still a chunk of the US
thats backwards, but thats also
gaytimes.co.uk
014-15 FIRST Rufus.indd 15
kind of why we love it, I guess,
because of that black and white

firestorm of attitudes. n
Tickets for Live At Chelsea are available

from liveatchelsea.com, seetickets.com and
ticketmaster.com, @rufuswainwright
115
22/05/2015 14:32
column
[michelle visage]
[first]
The top three T

with Michelle V
01
Yankee Balsam
and Cedar
Candle I love the
smell of Christmas
all year round.
----------
Hello my babies!
MAMA IS AN
AUTHOR! Yes!
Its true. My first ever book
is available to pre-order on
Glamazon sorry, Amazon
Barnes and Noble AND
IndieBound! Im so excited to
share this with you all. This has
been a labour of love for the
past two years and Ive put all
of my black heart and soul into
producing something that Im
super proud of. Shes my third
child and I cant wait to share
her with you!
The Diva Rules is the title and
I like to describe the book as
part memoir, part self-help and
all things FABULOUS. Its mostly
my story of how I got to where I
am today, by overcoming all of
the insanity thats consistently
thrown my way, and how you
can do the same. In life, we start
out with big stars in our eyes,
but before you know it were
just living day-to-day chasing
the rent money and forgetting
about our inner divas and
thats NOT acceptable! Its
about overcoming adversity
16
016 FIRST Visage.indd 16
by staring it straight in the

eyes and emerging a victor. Its
important to me that you nurture
your inner diva, whos literally
craving your attention.
I was blessed to be able to
have the cover of the book
shot by the one and only Mathu
Andersen. Im sure most of you
know who Mathu is, but for those
who dont, hes the creative
wizard who works alongside
Ru to bring you some of the
most iconic looks. Ru says that
Mathu is the real RuPaul. It was
an absolute honour to be shot
by him and for him to work his
magic on me. The cover has yet
to be revealed but stand by,
its coming to socials soon. Oh,
and the photos on the inside are
also SO GOOD. Theyre funny,
embarrassing and ridiculous
everything I look for in a book.
The release date is November
2015 and yall better look out for
a book signing near you!
So until next time, hit me up
on Twitter at @michellevisage,
or come see me at
michellevisage.com.
XXX MV.
02
Organic Amisa
Gluten Free
Buckwheat
Crispbread The
best way to eat red
pepper hummus.
----------
03
Love, Lipstick
and Lies My read
of the moment is
by my fellow CBB
housemate
Katie Price!
----------
Dear Michelle What

do you believe is the
biggest issue for the
gay community at this
point in time? From
@jonwells123
----------
Thats a great question

Jon and one that Im
passionate about. To
me, the biggest issue
within the community
is the lack of support
for one another. I see

more and more gays
doing the opposite
of support. Its so
important to get
back to the days of
recommending gayowned companies,
promoting each other,
etc. The more shade
that we throw at one
another, the harder it is
to survive.
P
SNA
T!
O
SH
Kav, Calum and myself on stage in London at the RuPauls Drag

Race Battle of the Seasons Tour.
gaytimes.co.uk
20/05/2015 13:15
GT447-003-034.indd 17
26/05/2015 11:35
let us eat cake!
[07/15]
Is your local bakery

harbouring a
homophobe who
refuses to bake you a
cake? With this gay
press exclusive you
can now bake your
very own gay cake!
If you really want to
sock-it to the church,
sorry, I mean
bakery, you could
even make the exact
cake that Gareth
Lee requested from
Ashers Bakery in the
recent Irish court
case, the Bert and
Ernie. However, if
you go for the latter,
you will need the
ultimate gadget in
the fight against
homophobia the
edible printer!
Gay Cake
----------
Rainbow Layers
325g plain flour
25g cornflour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
225g unsalted butter,
room temperature
400g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
5 medium egg whites,
lightly beaten
300ml whole milk
Gel Food Colours (red, yellow,
blue, purple, green)
----------
Vanilla Buttercream
160g egg whites
(5-6 medium egg whites)
320g caster sugar
480g unsalted butter,
room temperature
18
018-19 FIRST Mix.indd 18
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 12:18
[first]
[first
[first]
first]
To make the cake layers, preheat
the oven to 180C (160C fan) and
lightly grease three, eight-inch round
cake pans, lining the bases with
parchment paper.
Mix the flour, cornflour and baking
powder together in a bowl and set
aside. Place the butter and sugar into a
large bowl and beat together until light
and fluffy about ten minutes. Add the
vanilla and mix to combine. Add the
egg whites a little at a time, beating
until fully combined before adding
more. Once all of the whites have
been added, gently mix in the flour
mixture in three additions, alternating
with the milk. Divide the batter evenly
by weight between six small bowls.
Add about one heaped teaspoon of
colouring to each bowl to give a vibrant
hue to each portion to make the
orange layer, add a little yellow and
red. Scrape the first three batches of
cake batter into the prepared pans and
gently level out. Bake in the preheated
oven for about 20 minutes. Remove
and allow to cool before removing the
layers. Repeat the baking process with
the second batch of batter. Once all of
the cake layers have been baked, set
aside while you make the buttercream.
To make the buttercream, place the
egg whites and sugar into a heatproof
bowl and set over a pan of simmering
water, whisking together until the
sugar has dissolved and the mixture
is warm to the touch. Remove from
the heat and using an electric whisk
beat for about ten minutes until a thick
cool meringue has formed. Add the
butter a little at a time, beating until
fully combined before adding more.
Once all of the butter has been added
and the mixture has formed into
buttercream, add the vanilla paste.
To assemble, spread a thin layer of
the buttercream between each layer,
stacking in the order of a Pride Flag.
Spread the remaining buttercream
over the top and sides of the cake. To
finish, cut out the words gay cake and
place on top as a template. Carefully
sprinkle 100s and 1,000s over the top
and sides, and carefully remove the
letters, revealing the words beneath.
gaytimes.co.uk
018-19 FIRST Mix.indd 19
Re-start your engines!

Time to Ru-visit classic episodes of
RuPauls Drag Race as the series
finally hits UK television every Monday
and Tuesday on truTV. Kicking off
with the truly brilliant series four,
each episode is followed by RuPauls
Drag Race: Untucked, which feature
never-seen-before behind the scenes
content. *sips straw*
Every Monday and Tuesday, 10pm, truTV, Freeview channel 68,
Sky channel 198 and FreeSat channel 154.
119
28/05/2015 12:19
[first]
boys boys boys
[07/15]
Hard times!
The trigger-happy
photographer with
an eye for a beautiful
man is back, and this
time hes giving us
a hard eight. Thats
Hard Copy being the
theme of Pantelis
eighth issue of
Coitus, the magazine
rammed full of
fashion and fitties,
and fitties falling out
of various fashions.
Features five fabulous
front covers. Phwoar.
Coitus is available at Prowler stores and
coitusmagazine.com, @coitusmagazine
20
020 FIRST Mix.indd 20
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26/05/2015 10:39
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28/05/2015 12:40
Theyve tackled high

tides and eternal
flames. But now
that Atomic Kitten
are whole again,
theres one thing left
for them to take on
our sweetie jar of
random questions
,
?
e
g
i
t
n
e
i
l
e
r
w
a
S D
WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH / JOSEPH OROURKE

IMAGE JAMES BURTON
22
022-23 FIRST Sweetie.indd 22
gaytimes.co.uk
20/05/2015 13:17
[first]
gaytimes.co.uk
022-23 FIRST Sweetie.indd 23
Kylie, Madonna or Gaga?
say where from! I was young and its
on the way up, because youll see
Natasha: Kylie! I saw her Showgirl
before I could afford a microphone.
them on the way back down in this
tour a few years ago and I cried, it
K: I stole some Bacardi...
industry!
was beautiful. Like, shes just the
Whats your favourite cocktail?
N: I dont know, I never listened.
epitome of a showgirl and she has
L and N: Cosmo.
K: And dont be afraid to make
this amazing figure. Shes getting
K: You you... Woo Woo... [Kerry
mistakes, because that makes
on, but she still looks amazing.
begins listing names of cocktails]
you who you are. It makes you
Liz: Madonna. Shes an 80s icon
N: The problem is that not a lot of
human. I mean, Ive made A LOT
and she keeps reinventing herself,
places do a Cosmo well. Theres
of mistakes and look at where I am
shes powerful.
a place in Soho that does the most
now. Im alright!
Kerry: Im going to be controversial
amazing Cosmos, though. Is it the
L: Basically do what you want as
here and say that I dont like
Crazy Bear?
long as it doesnt hurt anyone else.
Madonna...
K: Is that the one with the pole in it?
Whats the first thing you do when
L and N: WHAT!?
Whats the best selfie youve ever
you wake up?
K: I loved her when I was younger,
taken?
K: Open my eyes.
but now Im like, Put it away, I dont
K: Me and Bonnie Tyler.
N: Check my phone.
wanna see your tits!
L: Id have to say with the Mona Lisa.
L: Go back to bed.
Whats your favourite song to sing
I did it before Beyonc!
What do you like most about
in the shower?
N: I think the best selfies are the
yourself?
K: Whole Again! [Laughs]
private ones... Not in a rude way.

L: You whore.
N: Now thats an interesting one. I
N: I like to sing Deniece

Williams. [Sings] But I want to be
If you could eat any food for the
freeeeeeeeeee...
rest of your life, What would it be?
K, L and N: [All singing together]
L: Oysters.
Free-eee-eeeeee.
K: Sea bass
N: Its like a 70s classic, but its one
N: Why not have a liquid lunch?
of those that you need, like, a good
K: Oh, champagne then!
steaming to get to the top note.
Wheres your favourite place
Whos your celebrity crush?
in the world?
N: Mines been the same once since
K: Home. With all my kids and
I was 14 Ronan Keating!
chaos and noisy hectic mess
K: Ronan was at my first wedding.
even the laundry and the
Hes very attractive, but not my cup
ironing! I may complain about
of tea...
it, but its my home and my
L: I know its wrong, and Im not
purpose in life.
going to go there, but I think Zayn is
N: Id have to say somewhere like
very attractive.
the Maldives. Its literally heaven
K: Hes a bit miserable, but hes
on Earth.
attractive. [Laughs] Well, he is!
L: Mine would be anywhere on the
If you could have any super
water and in the sun, so on a boat
power, what would it be and why?
somewhere. With someone nice.
K: Invisibility! Id like to spy on what
Whats the most overrated thing
everyones doing.
in the world?
N: Mine would be teleportation. In
N: Broadband. Totally broadband,
this job you spend a lot of hours in
because it never works! Especially
the back of a car, Id love just to go
when you live in the countryside.
click and be there.
K: Talent. Thats overrated. Like,
L: Id like to time travel. Id like to
either youve got it or you dont.
be like a 60s girl, or go to the 80s
L: Im going to be very
because I just love 80s music.
controversial here and say
Have you ever stolen anything?
something that my family are gonna
K: We actually call Natasha sticky
kill me for, but, religion.
fingers. Dont we, Tash?
Whats the best piece of advice
N: Thats a lie, but actually I DID steal
youd give someone?
a microphone, but Im not going to
K: Always remember everyone
dont know what I like, because you

tend to always concentrate on what
you hate about yourself.
K: I think what Im good at is
putting everybody first like, their
priorities.
L: Ive got a good sense of humour.
Life can get serious and you can get
caught up in a lot of drama, so its
nice to lighten the mood.
N: I think Ive got a lot of empathy.
K: What I love about you Tash is that
you have time for everyone.
Whats the best freebie youve
ever been given?
All: A car!
K: Holidays, my wedding dress, the
bridesmaid dresses... My teeth! No,
the best freebie would have to be
my wedding dress.
N: We got two cars, back in the day.
K: I got a free mop. Not just any mop
a Vax mop!
Jaffa cake biscuit or cake?
N: Its a cake and its horrible.
K: Its a sponge cake.
L: Hang on, hasnt it only got one
gram of fat in it?
Last thing you read about yourself
on the internet?
All: That were on tour! n
Atomic Kitten are touring the UK with their 15
Years: The Greatest Hits tour until 12 June,
atomickitten.com, @atomickofficial,
@natashaofficial @lizmcclarnon @kerrykatona7
123
20/05/2015 13:17
analysis
[07/15]
BRITAIN NOW HAS THE MOST OUT

GAY MPS OF ANY PARLIAMENT
IN THE WORLD. WE TALK TO
SOME OF THE RECORD 32 LGBT
POLITICIANS TAKING THEIR SEATS
AND FIND OUT WHATS NEXT IN
THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY
WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH
IT WAS BARELY A GENERATION AGO

that it was unimaginable an out gay
person would run for office. When Chris
Smith now Lord Smith of Finsbury
acknowledged his homosexuality at a rally
against Section 28 in 1984, he was met with
an aghast British establishment.
He, of course, was not the only gay in
the chamber. Parliament has housed gay
MPs for as long as its housed MPs at all
as Chris Smith would contest himself.
But for generations, being open about
ones sexual preferences was not the way
of the ruling elite. When Stephen Twigg
overturned the seat of Michael Portillo
in 1997, it was a political earthquake.
But it was also a cultural one. He was the
first openly gay candidate to be elected;
replacing an MP whose sexuality had been
much sniggered at behind closed doors.
There are now 32 gays and lesbians in
Parliament 13 Labour, 12 Conservative
and seven from the SNP. The most of any
parliament in the world. And its likely that
there are more still many choose to keep
their sexual preferences private.
Ben Howlett has just been elected as the
Conservative MP for Bath, aged just 29.
Hes been out and proud for years and
now, so is his party.
Over the past decade Ive seen a
dramatic shift within the Conservatives,
he tells us. When I first joined in 2004
and attended party conference, LGBT
members were whispered about. In 2015,
24
24-25 NEWS Analysis.indd 24
the party is more open on equality issues.

It was, after all, a Tory Prime Minister
who pioneered same-sex marriage
something frankly unimaginable under
previous administrations.
Ben led the Conservatives youth wing
prior to becoming an MP. The generational
divide in attitudes is something hes seen
first hand. Its now more frowned upon to
hide the truth than champion equal rights,
Ben says. I think the debate over equal
marriage was generational.
Many of those 32 out MPs are taking their
seats for the first time. Its a young group
of gay men and women from a generation
when gay rights arent really questioned.
But whats it like finding yourself perched
on the green benches next to people who
once used their power to stop equal rights?
Im very good friends with some
colleagues who voted against the [samesex marriage] bill and I respect their
decision, he says, diplomatically. Some
have told me that they would have voted
differently with hindsight.
Support for gay rights is now a rite
of passage for political leaders. Like
holding babies, eating pasties or inviting
camera crews into their kitchen(s), paying
platitudes to the Pink Vote is a part of
modern politics.
Justine Miliband, wife to former Labour
leader Ed, commented on the campaign
trail that shed met more political
husbands than wives! This was partly
from the increase in women running for

parliament, of course, but also the radical
shift in openly gay candidates there were
more than 100 in total.
When Wes Streeting a new, gay Labour
MP professed love for his other half, a
man, in his election acceptance speech,
it drew little response. It may seem
ridiculous to mention, but such casual
openness wouldve been much harder for
public figures just a generation earlier.
Wes, 32, spent his time before
parliament as NUS President and heading
up education for Stonewall, so hes no
stranger to gay rights issues.
I joined The Labour Party because Im
from a working class family and know what
life at the sharp end of inequality feels
like, Wes begins.
When I signed up, aged 15, I was in
deep denial about my own sexuality. Tony
Blairs leadership on LGBT equality and
trailblazers like Michael Cashman, Chris
Smith, Angela Eagle and Stephen Twigg
made me feel accepted and comfortable in
my own skin.
It speaks volumes that he was elected
in Ilford North, a constituency with
considerable Christian, Jewish and Muslim
communities.
Im proud to be an openly gay MP
for one of the most religiously diverse
constituencies in Britain. But we cant
be complacent. Theres so much more
to do to ensure equal treatment and
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 13:46
[news]
ABOVE LABOUR MP
WES STREELING
BELOW CONSERVATIVE
MP BEN HOWLETT
gaytimes.co.uk
24-25 NEWS Analysis.indd 25
representation, he says.
The big battles of legal inequality have
now been won. Having out figures in
public life, like Parliament, is itself a part
of the next challenge. To stop it even being
a talking point; because being gay has
never been abnormal, but being out has.
But, somehow, opposing equality still
isnt a block to attaining power.
The new Secretary of State for Culture,
Media and Sport, John Whittingdale, has
voted against gay equality throughout
his time in Parliament. It should come as
some relief to him, then, that there are
no gays in the arts(!). As too has the new
Minister for Equalities, Caroline Dinenage
something of a tradition for equalities
ministers of late, it seems.
Meanwhile, the last election saw almost
four million votes for UKIP making them
the third party in popular vote. Its no
secret they represent a backwards vision
on gay rights and that mindset shouldnt
be forgotten in light of such a large scale
electoral endorsement.
We might not see those quiet bigots
walking through our town centres
with placards, but their votes clearly
outnumber those of our own community.
Not to mention the more immediate
question marks: the abolition of the Human
Rights Act and a referendum on the EU.
The HRA is set to be replaced by a
similar British Bill of Rights. But that could
seriously set back the protection of gay
asylum seekers fleeing to Britain. As could
leaving the EU.
Its about so much more than an
economic union, Wes argues. I hope that
LGBT people will recognise the importance
of the EU, not only for our own rights and
protections, but for furthering equal rights
for LGBT people right across Europe.
MPs like Ben and Wes talented, young
and ambitious for their causes now carry
the baton for protecting LGBT rights.
Both say theyre excited, if not incredibly
nervous, to begin their new political
lives. And both understand what its like
to face prejudice. As out gay politicians,
they represent not only their local
communities, but, too, the gay community.
And who knows, maybe one could
become our first openly gay Prime
Minister? n
125
27/05/2015 13:46
[debate]
[news]
KATIE HOPKINS
FRIEND OR FOE?
Has anyone divided
opinion in recent
years more than Katie
Hopkins? She claims to
be a gay icon but with
her controversial views
online and beyond, is
the former Apprentice
contestant doing us
more harm than good?
Hardly an ally Jeremy Williams-Chalmers
Jeremy is a journalist and photographer from Newcastle.
He tweets at @jeremydwilliams.
Katie Hopkins. A celebrity whos made her name

from ridiculous statements has spent her time post-Big
Brother attempting to redefine herself as something of
a LGBT icon and ally.
Id be curious to discover the woman behind the
opinions. But until a time when that happens, Im
unable to remove her malicious public persona from
the equation. And I most certainly dont view her as
LGBT friendly.
Although attention seeking, fame hungry Katie may
have made some rather high profile LGBT-orientated
appearances who can forget when she gatecrashed
the LGBT awards? its clear from her past form that
shes simply putting herself in the best position to
ensure career longevity. While she now happily makes
appearances at gay clubs to garner press coverage,
she also very publicly overlooked the term faggot
when used by Alexander ONeal against her reality
TV foe Perez Hilton. While the latter certainly doesnt
make Hopkins homophobic, the ease with which shes
able to avoid condoning such language certainly
doesnt endear her to her carefully-selected new
target audience.
Hopkins certainly cant claim that shes always
been an outspoken champion of equal rights, or a
fighter for breaking down stereotypes. When it came
to Tom Daleys rather touching coming out video,
she responded rather insensitively that we all knew
he was gay already, rather than noting the positive
impact that it could have on those that are struggling
with their identity. Aligning his non-macho personality
with an assumed sexuality took the battle for equality
back to stereotypes of the 70s.
Katie Hopkins may wish to present herself as the new
best friend of the LGBT community, but her career to
date has shown that shes always happy to be closely
aligned to anyone that pays her. As with most her
appearances and outlandish public remarks, shes an
actress playing the role that best caters to her needs. n
26
026 NEWS Debate.indd 26
Having Hopkins helps Daniel Woolford
Daniel is a journalist and blogger from South Wales.

He tweets at @thepinkwoolf.
Katie Hopkins is considered to have very honest

views concerning immigration, politics and
celeb goss by some, but by others her outspoken
comments have seen her labelled as offensive
and disgusting. But is she really all that bad? And
despite being controversial, can she be a friend of
the LGBT community?
Recently addressing gay rights, Katie Hopkins
supported the side of LGBT. In a tweet, she criticised
Coleen Nolan for her unnecessary opinion over
the gay cake row, when she related gay rights to
baking a cake for ISIS.
In response, Hopkins retaliated: Gay rights are
not the same as ISIS love. Being one of the first high
profile critics to condemn the ludicrous comparison
surely makes it clear that Hopkins is fighting in our
corner, right?
Hopkins also states previously that everyone with
a gay son is much more savvy, the son tells them
what they think.
Look past her stereotype humour of the sassy
homosexual for a second she does have a point.
Everyone knows that the LGBT community has had
it tough, and were stronger by our experiences.
Its refreshing to have an unbiased public figure
embracing the community publicly and saying shed
100% support her son if he turned out to be gay its
something that many of us have lived without.
So what are the facts? We cant criticise Hopkins for
having our backs. She hasnt highlighted support for
the LBT+ part of the community as such, but I think
shed support all of whats fair. The bottom line is,
the LGBT community needs strong, outspoken role
models and having Ms Hopkins certainly wouldnt
be a hindrance on that front. We also know that shes
misunderstood and is getting insults everyday.
Sound familiar? We have a lot more in common
with her than we think. I really do think the LGBT
community can find a friend in Katie Hopkins. n
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 10:24
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26/05/2015 11:35
THE
LEATHER
BOYS
WORDS SIMON WELLS
HEROES
28
028-31 NEWS Leather Boys.indd 28
gaytimes.co.uk
20/05/2015 16:46
[news]
Mention The Leather Boys and its

likely only a few would associate
the phrase with a milestone in
gay cinema. But while challenging
and thought-provoking, it was
undoubtedly the first British
picture to reflect gay dynamics
in a realistic and imaginative
manner. Unleashed during the
60s kitchen sink era, we explore
and celebrate this landmark film
which showed a gay relationship
on the big screen like never before
Dudley Sutton, left, with Colin

Campbell in The Leather Boys
gaytimes.co.uk
THE LANDSCAPE THAT

shadowed The Leather Boys was
an austere and frequently brutal
period. Dominated by a cabal of
reactionary politicians, corrupt
police and aged judiciary, gay
rights was a reality that appeared
light-years away. Predictably,
British visual media made pitiful
attempts to reflect gay lifestyles
beyond hysterical stereotypes.
While Dirk Bogardes Victim
detailed the seamier side of
sexuality blackmail in 1961, few
dared to explore wider realms.
Ironically, it would be 29-yearold director, Canadian Sidney J
Furie, whod explore the lifestyle
with a greater clarity. Relocating
to London as British movie-making
was undergoing something of a
renaissance, Furie had directed
Cliff Richards musical, The Young
Ones, but it was his 1961 movie The
Boys that revealed his instinctive
understanding of youth culture.
In 1962, Furie had been handed
a script adapted from Gillian
Freemans novel The Leather Boys.
Detailing gay life within Londons
biker community, the book had
been commissioned by publisher
Anthony Blond with a directive to
present a Romeo and Romeo in the
South London suburbs.

Proving ripe for exploration, the
script went into production. Aware
of censors quivering antennas,
the novel was radically reworked,
although much of the attendant
atmosphere was maintained. The
resulting storyline detailed a
landscape that for many was a harsh
reality. In it, teenage lovebirds from
across the tracks, Reg and Dot
played by Colin Campbell and Rita
Tushingham rush into a marriage
based purely on instinct; Reg for
unlimited sex and Dot to escape the
inevitability of work. Reality soon
crashing in, the union disintegrates,
leaving Reg to indulge his passion
of motorcycling and Dot to look
elsewhere.
Striking a friendship with Brandoesque biker Pete played by Dudley
Sutton the pair get on famously,
although where Petes intentions
lie is not immediately apparent.
Suspicious of their close alliance,
Dot makes a renewed charge for her
man first claiming shes pregnant,
and then casting suspicious doubt
on Regs friendship with Pete. While
Dot succeeds in pulling Reg back,
the reunion is short lived. Finding
Dot with another man, Reg takes up
Petes offer for a life at sea. However,
129
20/05/2015 16:46
when Petes sexuality is inadvertently

revealed by some old seafaring
cohorts, Reg exits to ponder his own
future and loyalties. Roll the credits...
Having worked his way up cinemas
cosmopolitan ladder, the director
was eminently placed to process
the films subject matter sensitively.
I was the perfect guy to direct the
film, Sidney Furie tells us. I had no
prejudice, only against the people
who were prejudiced. It was pretty
daring for its day, but there had to be
a consideration to the censor. Had
it been drawn specifically from the
book, it would have been banned
from British cinemas.
Some people absolutely believed
that there was no such thing as samesex relationships, says leading lady
Rita Tushingham on the environment
The Leather Boys arrived in. People
were failing to acknowledge it, but to
me it all seemed quite normal. But the
world outside believed that nothing
like this went on. In a sense, you were
in a glass room looking out at people
who felt it didnt touch their lives.
Dudley Sutton, who as Pete carried
much of the films emotional weight,
recalls his first exposure to the
storyline. My first reaction when
Sidney offered me the part was to say,
Ill play it, but I wont play it camp.
Because up until then, any showings
of gay men in the film and theatre
industry had been as a camp joke,
and I thought it was offensive. Id seen
far too many of my gay friends suffer.
The movies visual core was the
Ace Caf, a no-frills eatery situated
on Londons North Circular Road
and a traditional gathering point
for motorcyclists. Given the films
modest budget, rehearsals were
often restricted prior to a take. This
would call on the actors to dig deep
into their own psyches to best define
their characters often complex
behaviours and reactions.
On the first day of shooting,
recalls Dudley, I was ad-libbing a
scene, and the producer Raymond
Stross came onto the set and said,
Youre not queer enough, and I
30
gaytimes.co.uk
20/05/2015 16:46
[news]
replied, Oh, you mean you want

it more camp?! And I grabbed
him and pushed him out the door.
Sidney said to me, Youve just
destroyed your career, that was the
producer! And I said, I dont give
a fuck, and apparently Stross went
upstairs and said, For 90 a week,
Ive got a genius.
While upbeat on the acting and
direction, critics shied away from
The Leather Boys more profound
themes. The abundance of
challenging 60s films ensured the
film remained something of a curio
until more enlightened times would
contextualise its influence.
This renaissance would start
to blossom in the 80s. Enigmatic
singer and unashamed fan
Morrissey would insert sequences
of the movie into a video for The
Smiths track Girlfriend in a Coma,
and place a still of leading man
Colin Campbell on the single of
William, It Was Really Nothing.
Others too were championing the
films vibrant legacy.
That a British film of the early
60s about working class youth
could show a gay man who isnt
obviously camp or sinister is quite
remarkable, says legendary club
DJ Jay Strongman. Its a fascinating
film that beautifully captures a long
lost era of British working-class life
and youth culture, and manages to
portray homosexuality with maturity
and a matter-of-factness that was
very unusual in its day.
One of Britains most influential
gay films, the movie regularly
comes under the scrutiny of critics
and scholars. In British films in the
early 60s, the vogue for kitchen
sink dramas included several that
featured gay characters who were
portrayed sympathetically and more
realistically than before, reveals
Stephen Bourne, author of the 1996
book Brief Encounters, the groundbreaking study of gays and lesbians
in early British cinema. Until
then, most gay characters were
effeminate, wrist-flapping comic
gaytimes.co.uk
That a
British film
of the early
60s about
working
class youth
could show
a gay man
who isnt
obviously
camp or
sinister
is quite
remarkable
caricatures. The Leather Boys was

one of the first films to suggest a gay
relationship was a serious possibility
and this was several years before
homosexuality was decriminalised.
Although the relationship of Reggie
and Pete is more homosocial than
homosexual, for gay cinema-goers
in 1964, it was the closest they had
come to seeing a gay relationship on
the big screen.
Now, more than 50 years on,
The Leather Boys has found a
comfortable niche in cyberspace.
The film is so special, says David
Barnett, administrator of the films
Facebook site. It was so far ahead
of its time and has helped me to
change a part of my life as a biker
all that leather and gay subtext
going on was so subtle. It resonates
with me through my love of biking,
the cool image of the gear. The gay
aspect of the film is important to me
as its not a judgemental portrayal,
its sympathetic. I love the empathy I
have with the film. n
131
20/05/2015 16:46
[benjamin cohen]
Reshuffling the role

of Minister for
Equalities tends to be
one of the more controversial and
problematic positions for a Prime
Minister to handle.
Its the one where perhaps the
greatest scrutiny is made of past
statements and voting records in
part because the correct position
is rather black and white and it
certainly lacks the subtlety of the
differences in, say, health policy
or even fisheries policies. This has
certainly been evident with the
appointment of Caroline Dinenage,
the second Conservative Minister
for Equalities who voted against
same-sex marriage.
Whats surprising is that both
Tony Blair and David Cameron
appointed women to the role,
despite them having a negative
or at least contrary voting record
on LGBT rights, before becoming
the minister to champion us in
Whitehall and Parliament.
Back in 2006, to much criticism,
Tony Blair appointed Ruth Kelly as
the Cabinet Minister for Women
and Equalities. It was noted then
by PinkNews that Ruth, a devout
32
032 COLUMN Ben Cohen.indd 32
member of the Catholic sect Opus

Dei, had abstained on every single
LGBT rights vote since she entered
Parliament despite big pieces
of legislation such as the end of
Section 28 and civil partnerships
happening while she served.
Voting records arent always
what they seem, though. When
David Cameron came to office,
he appointed Theresa May as
Home Secretary and Minister
for Equalities, supported by
her deputy, the Lib Dem Lynne
Featherstone.
Many critics pointed out that
Mrs May had voted against a
range of gay rights laws, from
the equalisation of the age of
consent to allowing gay couples to
jointly adopt children. They also
noted that she abstained on the
abolition of Section 28, but voted
in favour of civil partnerships.
What people might have missed
is that on all of the votes against
gay rights, Mrs May was voting
for Conservative policy. For
the most part, these were not
free votes for Tories although
some big name MPs including
John Bercow, now Commons
PUBLISHER
OF PINKNEWS
Caroline
Dinenage
opposed
equality
yet shes
now in
charge of
equalities.
One has
to ask
what on
Earth
makes her
suitable
for the
role?
@benjamincohen
column
[news]
Speaker, George Osborne, now

Chancellor and Boris Johnson,
now Mayor of London, voted
for gay rights in defiance of the
partys then-leader Iain Duncan
Smith. When it came to free votes,
such as civil partnerships, Mrs
May voted for LGBT rights. Of
course, in conjunction with Lynne
Featherstone, she also proposed
making same-sex marriage legal.
When you consider Theresas
journey, it does make you question
the appointment last year of Nicky
Morgan as Education Secretary
and Minister for Equalities, and this
year for the appointment Caroline
Dinenage as her deputy. Both
women voted against same-sex
marriage in free votes, despite the
measure being championed by
David Cameron. They also voted
against equality in a new age of
tolerance, where the big battles had
already been won and where public
support was very much in favour of
marriage for same-sex couples.
Given the grief Mrs Morgans
appointment caused, despite her
saying that shed vote differently
today, it does surprise me that
David Cameron would appoint Ms
Dinenage as Minister for Justice
and Equalities. Given she has no
legal background yet shes now
in charge of family law and that
she opposed equality yet shes
now in charge of equalities. One
has to ask what on Earth makes her
suitable for the role?
It sometimes makes me wonder
if ministers should be approved
by a committee, similar to the
European Commission or the US
Cabinet. This wouldve meant
that Ms Dinenage wouldve had
to explain why she feels she can
represent gay rights when her
only free votes in Parliament have
been to oppose them.
Or, Mr Cameron couldve picked
from the scores of his own MPs
who, like him, actually
turned out to vote for
our rights. n
gaytimes.co.uk
20/05/2015 13:52
Some people need

renovation or retouching, some
are pretty perfect apparently,
some are in need of a polish
and some are just as found.
We believe wonderful and

extraordinary things are much
the same
7173 Lots Road, Chelsea, London SW10 0RN
T: +44 (0)20 7376 6800 E: [email protected]
www.lotsroad.com
GT447-003-034.indd 33
26/05/2015 11:35
Theyve gone from gigging in the back

rooms of pubs to performing in New
Yorks iconic Madison Square Garden
with Ariana Grande. So its fair to
say the Rixton boys have taken the
world by storm. But as with any band,
mischief is never too far away. Whether
its late nights in Vegas or late nights in
gay bars, we got a little more than we
expected from this rising foursome
Words WILLIAM CONNOLLY
Photography LEE FAIRCLOTH
Stylist Stephen Conway
all tops by topman design
apart from pineapples by Scotch & Soda
34
034-44 FEAT Rixton.indd 34
gaytimes.co.uk
29/05/2015 12:22
[cover]
BOYS WILL
BE BOYS
gaytimes.co.uk
135
27/05/2015 15:45
TOP
SHIRT BY BARBOUR
----------
RIGHT
SHIRT BY RIVER ISLAND
----------
BOTTOM
SHIRT BY SCOTCH & SODA
----------
LEFT
SHIRT BY RIVER ISLAND
----------
OPPOSITE
SHIRT BY TOPMAN
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36
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 15:45
[cover]
I kinda just
thought, fuck
it, if Britney can
get through
2007, then I can
shave under my
arms and not
give a shit!
Am I allowed to say fuck?
Charley asks us. Lewi, get off
Tinder! Were supposed to be
chatting to GT, scolds Jake, much
to our enjoyment. Attention this way
please, Rixton boys. After flying
insults at one another, Rixton join
us on a bedroom floor, naturally,
and casually drop the c-bomb,
also naturally. We may have more
on our hands with this one than we
first thought.
Made up of foursome Lewi, Danny,
Charley and Jake yes, yes, son
of Shane Richie and Coleen Nolan,
lets get that out of the way early
they began their career gigging
across Manchester and performing
to friends in pubs. Now, having
clocked up a checklist of live
performances alongside the likes of
Ariana Grande, and soon with fellow
Brit megastar Ed Sheeran, their fan
following has spread into every
corner of the globe.
And while travelling the
world, they also managed to
beat off competition from Nicole
Scherzinger to bag themselves a UK
number one single, and this month
release their acclaimed album Let
the Road. Oh, and theyve recently
completed their own residence in
Vegas, too. No biggie.
On the first night, we did two
shots before the show began, Lewi
starts to tell us, but by the last
night, we were doing a shot after
every song! It was bloody mental.
His face is a picture of both pride
and shame at this point.
I got on a flight afterwards, Jake
chips in, somewhat reluctantly, but
gaytimes.co.uk
jake
137
27/05/2015 15:45
We find it
more of a
compliment
when gay guys
say were hot
or well-dressed
than when
girls do.
38
danny
I dont actually remember getting

on it. We all flew to Florida and
I just vomited on the air hostess
pretty much the entire way until
we landed. Hanging his head and
hiding his face behind his hands, he
humbly adds: I said Id sign the sick
bag, though. Classy lad, aint I?
With hotel break-ins and
screaming fans in airports at 3am,
its fair to say the boys have a
committed fan base and one that
follows their every move. But some
may have taken their fascination a
little far Danny recalls the sound
of wedding bells on one occasion.
Oh, this was fucked up, he starts.
I received a wedding booklet
through the post with her face
and my face together over every
picture. It totally creeped me out.
I guess she put loads of effort in,
though, which is always nice. If not a
little strange.
Influenced by the lengthy careers
of OneRepublic and Maroon 5,
the boys have seen fans of all
ages, genders, sexualities and
backgrounds at their high-energy
shows. But some fans, it seems, are
harder to please than others.
British fans are quick to judge
and wait to tell you what they
didnt like, says Charley. I
think it just comes from the British
mentality we all have.
Danny elaborates further:
Sometimes your closest supporters
are the most critical. The one thing
I find, though, is that people think
they have a preconceived idea of
who you are before theyve even
met you, because of what theyve
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 15:45
[cover]
THIS PAGE
ALL CLOTHING AS BEFORE
----------
OPPOSITE
TOP BY TOPMAN
----------
gaytimes.co.uk
139
27/05/2015 15:45
LEFT TO RIGHT
VEST BY LIGHTNING BOLT
SHORTS BY MAISON KITSUN
----------
SHORTS BY TOPMAN
----------
VEST BY LIGHTNING BOLT

SHORTS BY TOPMAN
----------
SHORTS BY LIGHTNING BOLT
----------
OPPOSITE
TOP BY ORIGINAL PENGUIN
----------
40
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 15:45
[cover]
The gay
community
is such an
incredible and
passionate
community and
its an honour
to have been
accepted in.
seen on social media. Its immediate
judgement even before anyone has
had a chance to speak to you!
Speaking of social media, the boys
are never more than a hands reach
away from their phones, regularly
checking the pulse of Twitter et al
quicker than their own heartbeats.
Its because, in their words, they
owe a large part of the success
theyve had to date with the way
they connect with their fans online.
I reckon around 90% of getting
where you want to be and achieving
your dream is by getting in peoples
faces, explains Lewi. And social
media really gives you a chance to
get in peoples faces! You can make
yourself known.
Yet fame is still somewhat of
a tough cookie to swallow for
Rixton. We live in a culture
where people are famous now for
being famous, Jake explains. As
crazy as that sounds. We never set
out to be famous or have people
scream our names, but it comes
with the nature of wanting people
to buy our music. Deep down,
were just four normal mates from
four family backgrounds, and we
hope people see that.
Its taken almost seven years
for them to write, record and
release their debut album Let the
Road. Made up of ten tracks, its
an album thats interwoven with
their own brand of high-powered
and soulful harmonies, propped
up with energetic instrumentbased pop. Basically, its a living,
breathing testament to their
gaytimes.co.uk
charley
141
28/05/2015 16:44
I reckon
around 90% of
getting where
you want to be
and achieving
your dream is
by getting in
peoples faces.
42
lewi
dedication and love for music.

Yet, with programmes like
The X Factor and The Voice now
responsible for the exposure of
many successful music acts these
days, can you really make it big in
music without appearing on these
kinds of shows?
Despite fighting tooth and nail
for success, Rixton are surprising
supporters of music in the hands of
reality TV.
I dont think its a bad way to find
success as it pushes you into the
spotlight, explains Danny. Its
really tough to get into the industry
and if youre struggling or unable
to find a lucky break, its a great
chance to get your music heard and
let people see what you can do.
And as the cuter older brothers to
One Direction, Rixton are quick to
tackle the looming elephant in the
room. We knew it wouldnt be long
before the Z-word came up.
[One Direction] went on The X
Factor and had no idea what was
going to happen, continues Danny.
But when we started, we had a
target and an idea as to where we
wanted to be. They just went to sing
on a talent show as solo artists, got
put together and have obviously had
an incredible career since. If Zayns
ready to leave and end all that and
get his private life back, then fair
play to him. Hes gotta do what
makes him happiest.
At this point, were forced to take
a break from our chat when a wasp
flying into the room turns Rixton
into a sorority of teenage girls. The
boys tease Jake for his swift exit at
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 15:46
[cover]
THIS PAGE
ALL CLOTHING AS BEFORE
----------
RIGHT AND OPPOSITE

TOP BY MAISON KITSUN
----------
gaytimes.co.uk
143
27/05/2015 15:46
[cover]
the insects unexpected arrival. But

when we manage to calm everyone
down, Jake sheds a little insight
into his slightly effeminate habits.
I kinda just thought, fuck it, if
Britney can get through 2007, then
I can shave under my arms and not
give a shit!
Ten gay points for the Britney
reference, though. And speaking
of which, the boys tell us they
arent afraid of a little love from us
gays. In fact, they welcome it.
We get more gay guys hit on us
than girls, explains Danny, and
you know what? We prefer it! For
us, we find it more of a compliment
when gay guys say were hot or
well-dressed than when girls do.
Its a bit of an honour, Jake
agrees. The other day, a gay
couple looked at us all and
checked us out, and it was such a
compliment. I kinda got a bit giddy,
really. God, Im such a twat.
Plus, we do dress kinda camp,
says Danny, I mean, look at us.
The gay community is such
an incredible and passionate
community, though, starts
LEFT TO RIGHT
TOP BY TOPMAN DESIGN
SHORTS BY ENERGIE
----------

SHORTS BY RIVER ISLAND
----------

SHORTS BY ELEMENT
----------
TOP BY SCOTCH & SODA

SHORTS BY GAP
----------
Charley, and its an honour to

have been accepted in.
Continuing further, Lewi adds:
With the young teenage girls,
that market moves onto the next
thing before you know it, but the
gay community is passionate about
music and stick by you regardless.
Charley, seizing the chance to
tease his bandmate once again,
adds: Lewi, shall we talk about
your butt plug? Receiving a
middle finger in return.
It also seems theyre not afraid to
stumble down the cobbles of Old
Compton Street, either. Yeah, Ive
danced on the pole in Freedom,
says Jake. I was shit, but I loved
it. Gay clubs are so relaxed and
you never get hassled or bothered.
Well, I dont. But then Im ugly, so
Ignoring the obvious fish for a
compliment from Jake, we move
on to fitness. Obviously. With a
clear mission statement to turn
each and every one of their live
shows into a party which anyone
whos seen them live can attest to
they must do something to keep
the stamina up?
I heard sex was really good at

keeping fit, but it doesnt kick in
till after 15 minutes, so Im fucked,
jokes Jake again. Five minutes
and Im done. No cardio for me,
boys! I get exhausted just taking my
trousers off.
But in a world of selfies and
Instagram filters, is looking
good the key to international
success? Lewi, who admits his
fitness regime is cardio, weights
and, urm, burgers, thinks that it
certainly plays a big part. Its a
tough question, he muses, I read
an article the other day and it said
the dad body is now in. People
like Leonardo DiCaprio and other
previous pin-up guys have now got
fit, older bodies.
Im in then, laughs Danny, I
keep fit by going for a run for 45
minutes, and then I come back
and drink an entire bottle of red
wine. Im not proud of it But its
the truth.
We could talk Rixton and their
bodies all day. In the time we spend
with them, they never let up their
true love for one another even if
its hidden behind constant teasing
and playful jibes. And their passion
for music oozes from each of them as
regularly as the word fuck.
The band are hopeful that the
year ahead will allow them to build
on their already-global success.
And with concert dates coming
alongside some of the biggest
names in music, it looks like these
Manchester-born boys have a very
busy 12 months ahead indeed.
But nothing, it seems, can stop
this foursome from sticking to their
roots and leaving their chat with us
in true Rixton style
Wait lads, we missed a bit,
interrupts Charley, bluntly. Did we
discuss the part when I wanked off
Lewi, or is that bit not going in?
Like they say, boys will be boys. n
Rixtons new album Let the Road is out now,
rixtonband.co.uk, @rixtonofficial,
@jake_rixton, @charley_rixton,
@danny_rixton, @lewi_rixton
44
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 15:46
W
O
N
E
L
A
S
KETS ON
TIC
The BIG Weekend

Friday 28 - Monday 31 August 2015
Tickets & further info at manchesterpride.com

manchesterpride
GT447-035-066.indd 45
Raising money for LGBT and HIV charities

and organisations in Greater Manchester
Registered charity 1117848
27/05/2015 15:01
LIFE BEHIND
THE LENS
Since Big Brother first hit our screens in 2000, there have
been 268 civilian housemates, of which just 25 were gay men.
But whats it like being cooped up in a house full of straights
for three months while cameras watch your every move?
GT asks Gerry Stergiopoulos, Scott Mason and Christopher
Hall to lift the lid on their very different experiences before,
during and after Big Brother
WORDS JOHN MARRS
46
046-50 FEAT Big Brother.indd 46
gaytimes.co.uk
22/05/2015 14:19
[reality]
Gerry Stergiopoulos 2007

Greek-born archaeology and
history of art graduate Gerry
entered the Big Brother house
in 2007 for series eight. He
made history for having the
first ever gay kiss in the house
and survived 11 weeks before
being evicted
----------
I applied for Big

Brother for all the
wrong reasons! I was
grateful for having a relatively wellpaid job but I was trapped in
Londons rat race and I needed
some excitement.
My psychoanalyst tells me I
was also seeking acceptance. My
parents have never really accepted
my sexuality, especially as Im
an only-child. In Greece, its like,
get married to a nice girl first,
reproduce, and THEN you can play
with the boys. So I was definitely
seeking that missing approval from
the British public.
Big Brother is about the highest
of highs and the lowest of lows to
create the maximum psychological
impact on housemates. So my 11
weeks in the house were dreadfully
hard. But between the excitement of
the tasks there was nothing to do all
day. Many viewers considered me
a snob because I wanted to discuss
art, ancient history, and so on, but
the truth is, I was just bored.
Ive lived with the black dog of
depression since I was a child and
by the beginning of August 2007 I
became acutely depressed. Every
gaytimes.co.uk
night, Id sneak to the diary room

to take my antidepressants. I dont
blame the producers. In fact, Im
grateful they gave a person with
mental health issues the chance
to to enter the show. But Ive been
told by a psychologist that in my
last week I resembled somebody
having a nervous breakdown.
Basically, I was falling apart.
I had the first-ever gay kiss in the
Big Brother house with Seany. We
got on so well and we were both
so horny that if hed stayed thered
have been the first-ever gay sex in
the BB house! Unfortunately, Seany
got evicted later that week and I was
left the only gay in the village.
During the show I spoke
with brutal honesty about my
conservative Greek family. I
explained that my mum was
praying for a vaccine to cure my
homosexuality and how my doctor
father disinherited me. Since then
Ive received countless emails
and tweets from LGBT people with
similar family backgrounds. Some
even thanked me for sharing my
story because it helped them to
come out to their own families. That
feeling that youve affected fellow
human beings in such a way has
been very humbling.
I entered the show with no
intention of winning, just to be
part of what I viewed as a living
breathing art installation. It sounds
naive, but Id watched Tilda Swinton
living inside a giant glass box in
the Serpentine Gallery and I was
gagging to experience it.
It was never broadcasted, but
we sort of arranged my walk-out
three days in advance [Gerry asked
his housemates to put him up for
eviction] because I was exhausted,
depressed and missing my friends.
I cant describe the relief I felt going
up those stairs shouting, Dont
boo me wolves, and instead I got
cheers followed by the excitement
of Davina McCalls interview. The
gay man who wins this type of show
behaves in a non-threatening vanilla
manner, almost asexual, and I was in

there talking about blowjobs, S&M
sex and Dermot OLearys perky
arse. I was never going to win as I
was way too intimidating.
After I left the house, I found
myself devouring a pizza with Alan
Carr while giving divorce advice
to Kim Cattrall. I grew up with Sex
and the City shes my icon and
I was totally star-struck. That same
week I shared a dressing room with
a young talented girl who taught
me how they make rum cocktails in
Barbados. Her name was Rihanna.
At a film premiere I met an
all-American boy actor. He was
relatively famous for a series of teen
flicks and we started a secret loveaffair across the Atlantic. We cared
We were both
so horny that
if hed stayed
thered have
been the firstever gay sex in
the Big Brother
house!
for each other, but he was becoming
more mainstream and was under
immense pressure from his
publicity team to keep his sexuality
a secret. They even fixed him up
with dates with actresses, which
became a major source of conflict
between us. I respected his privacy,
but he couldve been a role model
for millions of gay teenagers, so we
split up. Hes still in the closet.
Big Brother opens many doors
but closes just as many. Foolishly,
I thought I could experience the
thrill and then return to my art
job. Alas, my bosses didnt want a
Z-lister working for the company,
so I got fired. Thankfully, Random
House saw potential in me and they
published my dating book Treat
them Mean and Keep them Keen.
Theres a trash stigma attached
147
22/05/2015 14:19
to ex-housemates, just for

participating on a reality show,
and I found everyday snobbism
deeply hurtful. When my publishers
were presenting my book, one
distributing director of a major
retailer said, Girls are going love
that. Then when he saw my photo
on the book jacket his face dropped
and he hissed, Oh dear, thats the
gay Greek off Big Brother, and he
didnt order a single copy. I cried for
the rest of the day with frustration.
But I received an extremely
positive reaction from the gay
community, which made me realise
people actually like me and many
insecurities faded. Thanks to the
Big Bro asylum I actually became a
more humble, more understanding
individual. So joining a reality
Joining a
reality show is
a double-edge
knife. Youll get
opportunities,
but youll be
classified as
reality trash
show is a double-edge knife. Youll
get opportunities, but youll also
spend years being classified as
reality trash. I even had to grow
a beard and get fat to stop being
recognised!
Nowadays Im editing my new
book about sex and writing a very
scandalous and controversial
novel. And Im trying to find a nice
shop in Soho so that I can open a
Greek bakery. Ive always had a
weakness for redheads and I finally
found my own handsome ginger,
called Tom. Given the opportunity,
Id not do Big Brother again. People
will always try to be validated
through fame, but Ive learned that
fame is in fact quite
dangerous. n
@gerrygreek
48
gaytimes.co.uk
22/05/2015 14:19
[reality]
IMAGE TOMMEKETON VERSPORTEN AT SOHOS SECRET TEA ROOM, 29 GREEK STREET
Scott Mason 2012

Two weeks after Scott finished
his university finals, he was
living in the Big Brother house.
And there he stayed without
being up for eviction until the
last two days.
----------
All my uni and school

friends knew I was
gay, but my family
didnt as we never really used to talk
about personal things like that. So
the first they knew was on my
videotape introduction before I went
into the house where I said I was gay.
Ive always watched Big Brother
and wanted to give it a try as I
thought itd be fun, so in the last few
hours of auditions in Manchester, I
turned up and ended up on it.
I always say to people that
summer in the house was the
best time of my life, because
I absolutely loved it. It was
something completely different
and so removed from my normal
life. Ive always wanted to fill
my life with weird and different
experiences and that was the most
peculiar one I couldve had. I look
back on it fondly and if I couldve
lived in there for the rest of my
life, I wouldve. I was thoroughly
institutionalised immediately.
I was the only gay person in there,
but I never felt I was representing
any community because I always
had a firm sense of individuality. I
didnt label myself as gay; thats not
how Id describe myself. Its a big
part of my life now, but I didnt feel
gaytimes.co.uk
that pressure, it didnt occur to me.

And I didnt look to the show with
any expectations or with any hope
that it might benefit my career, so I
was never let down.
I had it easy. I was never up for
eviction until the last couple of days
so I could relax and enjoy myself.
There were two groups in the house
insiders and outsiders and I
didnt belong to either of them, so I
was immune from persecution. And
there were people more annoying
or horrible than me to nominate.
But not being up for eviction comes
with its own problems, because I
had no reaction from the public,
so my popularity with viewers was
ambiguous. They couldve hated me
even on Twitter it was 95% positive. It

was the gay community that has since
recognised me and remembered me
more than anyone else.
Over the years, some of the initial
positivity has dwindled. I used to
go to clubs where gays wanted to
befriend me and I ended up with a
lot of friends, but they turned out
to be fickle because now Im not as
famous, theyre not really bothered.
I went for a time without a job,
because you cant really stack shelves
in Tesco as everyone recognises
you, so its impractical. I searched
for a proper graduate job, which is
always a hard process, and I made
the most of my freedom and partied,
gallivanting around the country and
and Id have been none the wiser.

Eventually, I was there for 67 days,
but was evicted two days before
the finals. It was disappointing as
thered been talk inside the house
of me winning, but I was over that
disappointment in an instant.
I went to Manchester Pride almost
as soon as I left the house, and I was
constantly harassed in a good
sense by people wanting to talk
about the show and having their
pictures taken with me. I couldnt
have a nice night out in peace
without someone harassing me! But
I didnt have any negativity at all;
taking stopgap normal jobs.

Im in the middle of another gap
year at the moment and Im in a
positive place, because my future
is planned. Im starting a teacher
training course in September and
I think I might be one of the few
whove left Big Brother and gone into
a proper professional career.
BB isnt something I regret, its not
having an adverse bearing on my
life and I look back on it with nothing
but great memories. But now, Ive
got bigger and better
things to go into. n
@scottmasonoffic
149
22/05/2015 14:19
[reality]
Christopher Hall 2014

Just over a year ago, journalist
and writer Christopher Hall
put his career and life on
hold to become a Big Brother
housemate. Despite constantly
being nominated by his
housemates, he survived
eviction until the final week,
eventually coming third.
----------
I applied to be on Big
Brother because I was
a huge fan of the show.
Work wise, I was feeling unsettled
Id just finished my masters
degree, I was working but not
making much money, I had no job
security, so I thought, Fuck it, Im
going to apply for something crazy.
Before I went in I thought Id be
that years token gay character, but
they were also putting in a trained,
political journalist; someone with
an opinion, which was different for
Big Brother. When I went in and saw
Mark [Bryon] dressed like a canary
in his yellow blazer and his skin-tight
jeans, I felt a weight had been lifted
off my shoulders, as I wasnt wholly
representative of the gay community.
In fact, it was only later in the series
when we kissed that a lot of people
realised I was gay.
When youre in the house, you feel
a part of something. You dont know
how the public is perceiving you
but you think people care what you
have to say. But its a lot tougher than
you think and the glamour begins
and ends with the catwalk in and out
of the house its like a runway into
50
a nursing home. But it also pushes

you as a person. You have to learn
to entertain yourself, to be creative
and funny.
If you enjoy knowing whats going
on in the world, its a massive
challenge to be cut off from it. Now
I look back on it with rose tinted
glasses, but at the time, it was
fucking boring. When people ask
what it was like, I tell them to go
home, put anything remotely fun in
the drawer, sit in the kitchen with no
phone, books, TV or music, bring
in a few people you like and some
you dont like and try and keep the
conversation going.
After I left, I had a handful of
gay guys telling me they thought I
handled myself really well and I was
a good role model, and that they
could identify with me. But when
you go on a show like Big Brother,
are you really representing people
or just yourself? I just wanted to be
seen as a nice person, not a vile
malicious queen.
Years ago, some members of the
LGBT community would vote for
gay housemates just because they
were a gay representation on TV.
We had Brian Dowling and Nadia
Almada winning it, but that doesnt
seem to be the case anymore.
Theres no drive to support gay
personalities as I think weve
moved on theres so much gay
representation in the media it
doesnt require a gay presence in
Big Brother any longer! Had Mark
and I been on the show five years
ago, our relationship wouldve
been a bigger deal. The fact there
were no complaints to OFCOM
about the first two guys to have an
openly gay relationship speaks
volumes of where we are now in
the 21st century.
After the show, the psychological
support from producers to ease you
back into reality was completely
non-existent. We gave them three
months of TV and they put us in a
budget hotel and then cabs straight
home. That was it. Theres no
debrief, no psychologists checking

in with you youre just left to
your own devices. Its abrupt and
confusing and a massive jolt back
to reality. Big Brother occupied
all my thinking all my stories
and anecdotes related back to the
house and it was hard to escape
that mentality.
I admit I was a bit of a mess. Id
given up my flat and a new job
in Paris to go into Big Brother, so
when I came out I had no work and
nowhere to live I had nothing but
a friends couch. The journalism
industry is all about your contacts
and when I left, a lot of them had
deleted me from Twitter. People
whod helped me though my
masters and internships wanted
nothing to do with me and every
door was slammed in my face. I was
We gave them
three months
of TV and they
put us in a
budget hotel
and then cabs
straight home.
That was it
unemployed, living off my savings
and went on benefits for a month or
two while I job hunted. Eventually
I got an admin job and Ive been
writing on the side. But I was under
no illusions when I entered the
house a lot of people who think its
a springboard into a career are very
disappointed because you dont
make money from it.
Eventually, I reminded myself
that Big Brother was a dream that
Id checked off my list, and it was
time to move on. Ive not got very
far yet, but Ive managed to get my
independence back, Im paying my
bills and standing on my own two
feet. And that feels very
good, so Im happy. n
@chrishall9011
gaytimes.co.uk
22/05/2015 14:19
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unbreakabl
e
TITUSS
BURGESS
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER
52
052-56 FEAT Tituss.indd 52
gaytimes.co.uk
22/05/2015 15:07
[comedy]
He went from being the king of Broadway

to the king of Netflix, all thanks to Tina
Feys latest triumph the incredible
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. In our
exclusive interview, breakout star Tituss
Burgess lifts the lid on his character
Titus Andromedon, the #haterz who said
hed never make it in television and, of
course, his ode to black penis. Altogether
now. Peeeeeeenoooooooo Noiiiiiiir...
gaytimes.co.uk
The landscape of how we watch

television has changed. Perhaps
forever. We no longer have to
adhere to strict schedules to watch
our favourite shows. Now were
streaming them, downloading
them legally, of course and
embracing the culture of binge
watching with open arms.
And perhaps theres no better
example of this than Unbreakable
Kimmy Schmidt an outrageous
comedy created by Tina Fey, which
sees the titular character escaping
from a doomsday cult in Indiana and
trying to start life anew in New York
City. The entire first series of this
Netflix exclusive show was suddenly
thrust into our lives on 6 March
this year. By 7 March, most of the
Twitterverse had already digested
every single frame, memorised
every single line and started sharing
countless hilarious gifs.
Oh my God, that was a mindfuck, laughs Tituss Burgess, when
we ask him about his overnight
fame. Tituss, of course, plays his
almost-namesake Titus Adromdeon
in UKS a struggling actor trying
to make it in the Big Apple, and
Kimmys gay roommate.
That evening after it premiered,
I was on my way to the store and
got recognised, he continues. Im
used to being recognised where
Broadway is that makes sense to
me, I know that world. But then I
went down to South Street Seaport
for dinner and I never go down
there. Anyway, someone sent over
a bottle of pinot noir to my table! I
was speaking with Tina Fey a couple
of days later and I was like, Tina,
thanks to you, the world seems
to know who I am! People say
my name now with such authority
and I get nervous. Did I forget this
person? It always takes a couple
of words in for me to understand if
theyre talking to me, Tituss, or to
Titus Andromedon.
The bottle of pinot noir is an
obvious reference for fans of the
show and, thanks to social media,
153
22/05/2015 15:08
it might even be familiar to those

who havent seen it.
One of the standout moments of the
entire series is when the character
of Titus is struck with inspiration to
record a music video called Peeno
Noir an ode to black penis, as
he describes it. If youre anything
like us, just reading the words will
get that familiar dance beat and the
words caviar, mid-size car stuck
in your head. On repeat. Forever.
It seems almost inevitable that itll
be released as a single somewhere
down the line, no?
Well, I dont have control of that,
laughs Titus again. He laughs a lot.
But we sure got enough footage
when we shot it, so maybe we could
go back in the archives and piece
together a single? You should hear
some of the things people shout
at me down the street, though...
Its quite brilliant what people
will go through in excitement
and celebration of the show. I just
absolutely love it.
But its almost fate thats taken
Tituss from Broadway where hes
been an established performer for
more than ten years and placed
him on the worlds stage like this.
In 2011, Tituss appeared in a little
show called 30 Rock, where he
kissed Alec Baldwin and stole the
show with Sherri Shepherd as the
flamboyant socialite DFwan. But
he almost didnt even make it onto
the set...
I showed up to to the Rockefeller
Centre and couldnt find the
entrance, explains Tituss, when we
ask him how he first started working
with Tina Fey and the 30 Rock crew.
I was already 13 minutes late and I
thought, Oh God, theyre going to
think Im disrespectful for not being
on time. I literally almost turned
around and went home until I saw
a friend of mine and followed her
into the building. To this day, she
doesnt know that I saw her!
Id had no network exposure or
experience before, and I definitely
didnt have any single camera
54
experience. I was hoping someone

else would go first so I could watch
what to do when they call Action!
But of course, the first scene of the
day was me! I dont think Ive ever,
ever been that horrified. But I just
wanted to do a good job. And then,
of course, my next scene is with Tina
Fey and Sherri Shepherd. I made a
lot of mistakes that day, but I learned
a lot and I walked away with a better
understanding of what it takes to be
a comedic actor on television.
He obviously made an impression,
because Tina eventually wrote
the part of Titus Andromedon with
Tituss Burgess in mind. Something
which came as a complete surprise
to the 36-year-old actor.
youre my agent! You should dream

with me!
Luckily, Tituss has had a slight
change in personnel since then.
Oh honey, I left those people a long
time ago. Theyre not getting my ten
percent anymore.
Despite taking a supporting role to
Kimmy played by Bridesmaids and
The Office star Ellie Kemper some
of the best-loved scenes of the show
star Tituss. From crashing a Korean
mans funeral and inappropriately
singing Boys II Men, to walking the
streets of New York as a werewolf.
I never went in trying to be a
scene stealer, I was just doing my
job, Tituss humbly insists. But at
the root of UKS, its the blossoming
Oh honey, I left the

people who told me
I couldnt make it
in television a long
time ago. Theyre
not getting my ten
percent anymore.
Itd been a few years since Id
spoken directly with Tina. Id gotten
little messages from her through
third parties, but nothing that
wouldve clued me in that she was
working on what would become
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. So I
was flattered, honoured and beyond
loving the fact that she gave me this
career-changing experience.
It certainly gave Tituss the last
laugh, too. When he first told his
agent he wanted to take a break
from Broadway and try and make
it in television, pre-30 Rock, he
was brushed off. I didnt have any
credits, so I could see on the one
hand how they couldve been a tad
dismissive, he tells us, but hell,
relationship between Titus and

Kimmy that really captured
audiences and kept them hooked for
all 13 episodes.
A lot of people have said to me
that Titus is kind of mean at the
beginning, begins Tituss, and Im
like, No, no, no, no. Go back and
watch the set up! I think Titus acts
the way anybody would if they found
themselves in debt and struggling
for money. It makes you do things
you thought youd never do. Kimmy
is naive and doesnt know that this
guy is only being nice to her for
money, so theyre both winning.
Theyre both getting exactly what
they need.
But about two thirds of the way
gaytimes.co.uk
22/05/2015 15:08
[comedy]
gaytimes.co.uk
155
22/05/2015 15:08
[comedy]
through the first episode, she

catches on and realises that he
needs her as much as she needs
him, and that begins this sort of
alliance. But Titus is very proud
and very independent in his
codependency. He cant let on that
hes vulnerable because its that
very vulnerability thats gotten to
him into his mess in the first place
and Titus is more true to form to
most New Yorkers that I know. Its
actually a very accurate depiction
of most people I know.
Whats delicious about
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is
that parts of Kimmy and Titus and
all of us have to be slowly broken,
and I just think thats so beautiful.
And while we agree with
Tituss that theres beauty in the
development of the characters,
we cant help but remember

salacious click-bait headlines as
the show first came out, claiming
it perpetuated negative racial
stereotypes.
I think there are people who
need something to complain about
and find something negative in the
most fun situations, Tituss scoffs
when we quiz him. Again, were
inclined to agree. Theres nothing
offensive about owning fully who
you are and what you are, and
be apologetically what you are. I
think those critics mightve gotten
through the first three episodes
and didnt bother finishing it,
because that doesnt sound like the
show that I filmed.
As our time draws to a close
with Titus, our inner fangirl takes
over and our questions begin to
resemble quotes from the show.

Ever the professional, Tituss
takes them in good humour. No,
Ive never been forced to be a
straight giraffe, he chuckles,
and lots of pugs are cute, so
I wasnt upset about being
compared to one. But perhaps
the most important question of
the lot which we delivered in a
hushed whisper how does Tituss
plan for a seduction?
My way of seducing is very
simple, he purrs, and you wont
even know its happening until Ive
gotten what I wanted.
Well, whether its Tituss or Titus,
you can consider us officially
seduced. n
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is available to
watch on Netflix now, @thekimmyschmidt,
@titussburgess
Whats
delicious
about the
show is that
parts of
Kimmy and
Titus and all
of us have
to be slowly
broken, and
I just think
thats so
beautiful.
56
gaytimes.co.uk
22/05/2015 15:08
0203 322 7075
GT447-035-066.indd 57
26/05/2015 12:01
OUT
IN THE
PARK
58
058-61 FEAT Jurassic World.indd 58
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 10:27
[film]
Weve seen the trailers. Weve seen the Indominus

rex. And weve seen Chris Pratt riding through
dense jungle on a motorcycle, flanked by a pack
of velociraptors. But Jurassic World isnt all about
lovely Chris and his lovely arms. Eagle-eyed fans
of the franchise mightve spotted a familiar face
from the past scientist Henry Wu, played by gay
actor Bradley Darryl Wong. With the blockbuster
of the summer finally upon us, we meet BD for a
gay press exclusive interview and talk all things
Jurassic, movie stars in the closet and finally being
immortalised as a LEGO figure. Dino-mite.
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER
There are very few actors who can

claim to be part of such a cinematic
dynasty as the Jurassic Park
franchise. And there are even fewer
gay actors who can stake that same
claim. Yet Bradley Darryl Wong or
BD, to his friends is a man whos
been woven into the fabric of the
silver screen. And a gay man, at that.
Twenty-two years since he first
appeared on our screens in Jurassic
Park as Henry Wu, BD is back in
Jurassic World, resuming his role as
the thoughtless scientist who mixed
fossilised mosquitoes and frog DNA
to make a deadly dino-cocktail.
But his return to the film the only
member of the original cast whos
made it into the reboot, that we
know of came as just as much a
shock to him as it did anyone else.
I was kind of surprised about how
excited I was to come back, laughs
BD. For a man whos tread the boards
of Broadway and starred in one
of the most iconic films in cinema
history, hes incredibly humble. I
gaytimes.co.uk
never thought I held much stock in

these kinds of super popular things
I dont know, maybe Im just a snob
or something like that! I do know that
my friends have always made jokes
about the fact Henry Wu was never
resolved in the first movie and they
were always very sure Id one day
be back.
I never thought it was going to
happen. I never thought anyone
cared about Henry, or thought
he was interesting or important
enough in the first movie. I always
downplayed the whole thing,
because I felt I was there to fulfil
a certain technical, informational
function. Theyd always tell me,
No no, youll see, youre the only
person who nobody knows what
happened to them at this point.
And then, wow, they were right. But
what I felt was almost an oversight
in the first movie has turned out to
be a great advantage and dooropener to so many possibilities
of fresh exploration, and actually
reconnects us to the Crichton novel

and the character that he created.
The Jurassic Park nerds among
us and yes, were including
ourselves in that will know that
BDs character Henry actually
plays a much larger role in Michael
Crichtons original novel, on which
the first movie was based. He was a
genius geneticist who brought John
Hammonds dinosaur dream to life,
before being savagely ripped apart
and eaten alive by a velociraptor
when things inevitably went awry.
I did actually feel kind of robbed
when that didnt get to play out in
the first movie, BD laughs again.
I remember in the novel it was a
really fantastic, graphic and juicy
death, with just lots and lots to it.
Everyone else in the movie who was
dying was getting that. You know,
getting to meet their end while sat on
the toilet, or whatever. I just thought,
well, gosh, whens my turn?
BD quite rightly is tight-lipped
when it comes to the chances of
159
28/05/2015 10:27
his characters survival in Jurassic

World. In fact, he still hadnt seen
a final edit of the film when we
talked to him in San Francisco, mere
weeks before the world premiere.
Security has been THAT tight.
But from everything BD has seen,
read and acted, he doesnt think
fans of the original are going to be
disappointed.
Theres a real relationship
between the first movie and Jurassic
World, he explains. When I
read the script for the first time,
the first thing I thought was theyd
done a really good job of serving
up everything that we liked about
Jurassic Park and putting it in
Jurassic World, without making it
redundant. But whats better in this
movie about the others is that you
get something youve never had
possessing stronger willpower than

we do, but hes super great. And
its true what everyone says about
him he really is the nicest guy, the
funniest guy and the greatest person
to put in the centre of a movie,
because he just has that energy. If
someone is sour or bitter after a long
day, or whatever, hes just being
positive. And hes funny. Funny is
always great. Funny and insightful
and witty people are always more
interesting to me than not.
If theres one thing that BD is
passionate about, though, its
the fact that hes an out gay actor
performing on the massive,
global stage that Jurassic World is
providing. Hed be the first to shoot
down claims that hes a role model,
or an inspiration, but he strongly
upholds the belief that if youre part
There are a few people I know

who wont talk about their
sexuality, and it really upsets
me. I dont watch their movies
and if I had the choice to work
with them, Id decline.
before you get to see the dinosaurs
freaking out thousands and
thousands of people, not just a few.
It makes it much more of what we
used to call a disaster movie Im
old, so I remember this genre. But a
disaster movie isnt a disaster movie
unless theres humanity involved.
And this movie has TRULY gone into
disaster mode, I love it.
And while reassuring us that
Jurassic World wont sink to the
same depths of mediocrity as
Jurassic Park III, BD also confirms
for us what weve always believed
that Chris Pratt is indeed the
best man to follow in the giant
Tyrannosaurus-shaped footprints of
Sam Neill and Jeff Goldlblum as our
heroic male lead.
Im not going to say drooly
things about him, starts BD, clearly
60
of the conversation, then youre

helping in the fight for equality
and helping countless young people
facing issues surrounding their own
sexuality.
I do feel that theres a
responsibility when youre a
member of a marginalised or
disenfranchised group of people,
he explains, and your behaviour
or your acknowledgement of that
presence in that group is important.
Its more important than your
average person on the street, I think.
Ill admit now that Im always
disappointed when people I KNOW
are gay, yet they dont want to go
on the record because they think
theyre protecting something. I find
that really upsetting. I understand
where theyre coming from and
I understand all their complicated
explanations for why theyre not

coming out but I also dont think
theyre being fair to young people
who are wondering about their
sexuality or struggling with it.
There are a few people I
know who wont [talk about their
sexuality], and it really upsets me. I
dont watch their movies and I dont
want to work with them not that Id
have a choice about working with
them, you know but if I DID have
the choice, Id decline.
But its not just the adoring fans
that miss out on not knowing about
a movie stars true sexuality BD
thinks that its just as damaging for
the actors themselves.
Not speaking about it can really,
really gnaw at you, he muses.
You dont realise how good it feels
until you stop doing it. It feels like a
great relief. The famous people or
people in the public eye who cant
go on the record, theyre kidding
themselves in some way. Theyre
buying in to all the things theyre
trying to over explain. Theyre
addicted to the notion of staying
in the closet, and they cant come
out because theyve convinced
themselves that all these things
theyre feeling only applies to
them, which is sort of like what an
addict might do. You kind of say,
Well, Im different, Im special, I
need to do this for me. And thats
not acknowledging your role as
a functioning human being who,
when youre in the public eye, has
to interact with other people every
day. Its a very specific way youre
interacting with people, because
youre doing it just by being
there. By making your money
off the public, youre implicating
them in a relationship and if
youre not honest with them within
that relationship, then theres
something really weird to me about
that.
We wish that all movie stars had
the same openness and the same
candidly-honest approach to their
sexuality as BD Wong does. We
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 10:27
[film]
really do. We can only imagine how

far wed be in the fight for equality
and acceptance around the world if
people who have the power to speak
out and make a change actually
wielded that power.
But the old adage goes that
with great power comes great
responsibility and perhaps that
can be applied to the other big
achievement in BD Wongs life.
Something that far outstrips in
his own words any accolade or
distinction hes received for acting
in his career to date.
We are, of course, talking about
BD finally being immortalised as a
LEGO figure.
Yes! Thank you! Thank you
so much for your validation and
understanding of the enormity of
this event in my life! BD is beaming
when we acknowledge that fact
that his character Henry has been
included in the latest range of LEGO
Jurassic World toys.
This is what really matters, he
laughs. When I was in Mulan [he
voiced the character Shang], I was
an action figure which came with
Happy Meals at McDonalds and
that was a high point of a similar
kind. Im looking forward to making
little stop motion movies with the two
action figures that have come out of
movie characters Ive played. Im
going to do a whole web series of
encounters between Henry Wu and
Shang. Thats going to be my REAL
contribution to popular culture.
All joking aside, BD HAS made a
real contribution to popular culture.
As an out gay man whos starred
in Jurassic Park one of the most
important movies in cinema history
and Jurassic World sure to be one
of the biggest box office smashes of
all time hes continually pushing
the envelope and the conversation
when it comes to being out in the
public eye, with grace and humility.
And lets just hope thats something
that DOESNT become extinct. n
Jurassic World is in cinemas from 12 June,
jurassicworld.com, @jurassicpark, @bd_wong
gaytimes.co.uk
161
28/05/2015 10:27
SUPPORTING YOUR
Image: Paola De Paola, www.paoladepaolaweddings.com
Wedding Directory
GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR YOUR WEDDING
GWedding.indd 62
www.gweddingdirectory.com
26/05/2015 16:08
WORDS STEPHEN CONWAY
making a splash
[style]
[07/15]
David Gandy pairs

up with M&S, again,
and this time hes
releasing his own
swimwear collection
for Autograph. And
if the campaign
shots are anything
to go by, he might
well be after Daniel
Craigs day job, too.
Shot at the Bond
writer Ian Flemings
Goldeneye estate
in Jamaica, it
means were now
envious of both
Davids body AND

travel destinations.
Inspired by the
timelessness of 60s
Hollywood and his
love of tailoring,
David wanted a
range of swimwear
that was detailed
yet attainable at
25. Eight colours
range from navy
and cobalt to
orange and red,
with a short leg,
low rise and slim t.
The shorts will be
available in sizes
ranging from 28
to 40 and have
side adjusters for
days when we
might need a little
more room in our
shorts. The shorts
have Quick Dry
technology too,
to help you move
from the pool into
casual wear without
any fear of soggy
bottoms. Available
online and at
M&S.
A VIEW TO
A KILL
[64]
In the Navy...
Batten the
hatches, weigh
anchor and hit
the high street,
where nautical
flourishes are
very much of
the season.
----------
gaytimes.co.uk
063-67 STYLE.indd 63
[68]
Oooh l l
We cant speak
French, so we
let Franois
Sagat do the
talking, as we
shot him in his
new underwear
range.
----------
[77]
Be all Braun
Getting beach
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isn't just protein
shakes and situps. But Braun's
cruZer6 will help
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job.
----------
163
21/05/2015 17:06
push the boat out...
[07/15]
WANT LES ESSENTIELS, 260, MRPORTER.COM
SPERRY TOP-SIDER, 85, MRPORTER.COM

M&S, 15, MARKSANDSPENCER.COM
THOM BROWNE, 405, MRPORTER.COM
SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA

Nauticals? For summer? OK, it might not be groundbreaking, but the ol saying goes if
you cant beat them, join them. Playing sailor dress up can be a great transition when
getting wet, just dont over mix your motifs. If your budget doesnt quite stretch to yacht
club membership yet, you can at least fake it till you make it. All hands on deck!
FOUNDWELL VINTAGE, 450, MRPORTER.COM
64
MOLLUSK, 30, MRPORTER.COM
LANDS END, 39.95, LANDSEND.CO.UK

BLUE HARBOUR, 17.50, MARKSANDSPENCER.COM
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:06
[style]
BOSS HUGO BOSS, 79, HOUSEOFFRASER.CO.UK
FACONNABLE, 555, MRPORTER.COM
TATEOSSIAN, 75, TATEOSSIAN.COM
POLO RALPH LAUREN, 65, MRPORTER.COM
BLUE HARBOUR SHOES, 19.50, MARKSANDSPENCER.COM
NN.07, 70, MRPORTER.COM
DUNE, 69, DUNELONDON.COM
STORM AQUAPRO SILVER, 199.99, STORMWATCHES.COM
gaytimes.co.uk
165
21/05/2015 17:06
strap in
[07/15]
FOOT
LOOSE
AND
FANCY
FREE
01
02
03
04
66
[01] Hippie standard

turned normcore staple,
the German classic will
outlast us all. Great
with shorts, great with
casual trousers, but stay
clear of anything hemp
or too many linens. And
denitely avoid the old
German tourist look
by wearing these with
socks. Always stick with
the classic two straps,
and best bet is usually
on black. You also cant
beat the comfort of the
Birkenstock beats a
Croc any day. Birkenstock
Arizona sandals, 50,
schuh.co.uk
---------[02] This might be your
tuxedo sandal, if you will.
Just dont EVER wear
sandals with tuxedos
unless its a beach
wedding, in which case
youre probably in ip
ops anyway. Too many
straps and a leather
sandal can be a little too
close to gladiator territory,
while too little and were in
leather ip ops. You want
a sturdy strap across the
front and some coverage
in the back to show you
mean business, but
maybe work retreat or
summer BBQ business
casual. Jerusalem Black
Golan sandals, 50,
schuh.co.uk
---------[03] Flip-ops have a
specic purpose really,
pool side or beach side.
These might work for a
west coast casual look,
but dont trust them on the
dirty streets of London.
The ip-op will always
have a place in out heart,
but it also has a time and
place. Do your best to
avoid wearing jeans no
one wants to look like a
bad disciple of ip-op
loving Mike Jeffries, AKA
former Abercrombie cult
leader. Ecoalf Recycled
Tyre ip-op, 28,
schuh.co.uk
---------[04] Something of a
Birkenstock and Teva
hybrid, the upmarket utilitystyle sandal has been
making its rounds on the
catwalks for a few seasons
now. They look like what
can only be described as
a hiking sandal, but were
not sure wed be wearing
them on any high altitude
excursions. The look is
more sporty-meets-sturdy
and less imsy than a
oppy. This can be your
walking sandal, just dont
call it that. Red or Dead
navy Mr Gough sandals,
33, shuch.co.uk
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:06
The stigma and struggle against sandals is real. Very real.

But how do we separate the men from the bros and frat boy
impostors? Mandals are shoes too and they deserve respect,
so buff up those scaly soles and clip those claws! Not all
sandals are created equally, so proceed with caution when
going bare toe. Either way, your sweaty feet will thank you
for the freedom to breath on those long summer days
[style]
30
80
30
birthday
suit
50
Swedish brand WeSC celebrated its 15th year

this season with an anniversary collection that
honours the brands history and heritage by paying
tribute to its hometown, Stockholm. The Sarek
Hawaii print puts a spin on the classic Hawaiian,
focusing on Swedish ora and fauna from the
Sarek National Park, located in Swedish Lapland,
home of WeSC. They say that crystal is the gift
for 15 years, but unless youre David Bowie in
Labyrinth, its hard to pull off crystals.
gaytimes.co.uk
167
26/05/2015 11:52
KICK
STARTER
PHOTOGRAPHY LEIGH KEILY
STYLIST STEPHEN CONWAY
GROOMING EVAN HUANG USING MAC
THIS PAGE FULL LOOK BY KICK SAGAT
SHOES BY NIKE AT JD SPORTS
OPPOSITE UNDERWEAR BY KICK SAGAT
68
068-75 STYLE Shoot.indd 68
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:08
[style]
gaytimes.co.uk
169
21/05/2015 17:09
Retired porn star Franois Sagat

has still got it. Those bush-baby
big brown eyes, a thin film of
stubbly chest hair and a body
that doesnt scream gym-shy.
Or shy. The perfect frame for
launching a new underwear
range, and good a reason as any
for an exclusive GT photo shoot
Being a voyeur at a Franois Sagat
shoot is funny. In his previous
incarnation as a porn star, no one
would bat an eyelid, but in the
studio everyone makes a conscious
effort to look like theyre not
peeking when Franois casually
takes his pants off in the corner
and slips into a yellow jock. Hes
quiet, professional and relaxed
throughout the day and once the
shoot is wrapped up, we sit down
with our umpteenth cup of coffee.
Refraining from lighting up a
cigarette, we casually ask how
was that for you?
Im used to it so it was fine. Ive
done a lot of photo shoots before.
We know. This Is Hardcore by
Pulp starts playing in our head.
Its great, its very colourful, I
love colourful things. Usually Im
not really smiling so I tried to smile
a bit more than usual.
He smiles.
I need to smile a bit more
because everyone is always
saying the same thing, that Im
always very serious and solid.
70
Like a refrigerator. I tried to go

beyond this. But you know, when
Im walking by myself in the street,
Im not smiling
Having posed in his own
brand new Kick Sagat range of
underwear, Franoiss designed
the lot himself working with
Parisian fashion designer PierreHenri, developing a label that
originally started out just doing
trompe-lil t-shirts of Sagats
chest. Its still their best seller and
Franois is flattered seeing his
biceps on other people. It works.
We didnt invent it, but we did it
differently, we did the body more
in a twisted way. Its not centred,
which when you wear it makes a
different effect, which is nice. Its
recto verso. Front and back.
Since the initial t-shirt was a
raging success, theyve branched
out over the past few years into
the current range of underwear,
posters, sportswear, key rings,
socks and jocks. And apart from
the odd arse-out accoutrement,
the whole collection is a bright,
JUMPER BY WESC
UNDERWEAR BY KICK SAGAT
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:09
[style]
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171
21/05/2015 17:09
72
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:09
[style]
JACKET BY BODYBOUND
UNDERWEAR BY KICK SAGAT
gaytimes.co.uk
173
21/05/2015 17:09
fun, playful burst of colour far

from Franois porn star reputation.
Weve always thought he had more
of an artistic side, thanks to his
real film roles in Man At Bath and
LA Zombie, and well always have
a special place in our hearts for
a photo shoot he did mimicking
Britney in a wig and roller skates.
Yeah, thats after the porn
actually, he reminisces when we
bring up that shoot, cos people
knew me from the porn thing and
they were thinking I was more into
dark things and I was more How
do you say, stiff? Or, like, rough
He drawls this out in his thick
French accent, like rufffff, all the
time being softly spoken, eroding
all the native English speakers
harsh H sounds.
The real me is more like camp.
It depends when, but thats the
image I prefer to show people. I
dont think Im that masculine. Im
between the two genders, I think. I
just look like a man maybe.
Thats the thing. If you just look at
Franois Sagat, hes pretty much the
image of masculinity. Hes hairy,
hes muscly
Yeah, but thats just physique,
non? It doesnt make a man. I mean,
hair and stuff, that doesnt make
you a real man, its also about
the attitude or the actions in your
life. I think I was a quite feminine
teenager and Im still a bit inside.
Some people I meet are always
surprised about the real me.
Theyre like, Oh, but youre more
soft that I was expecting, maybe
not nicer but more soft.
It should make sense of the
humour and pastel shades that
permeate the Kick Sagat collection.
Its not surprising when you listen to
his inspirations, mostly 80s and 90s
fashions, and the era of the super
model. Hes a Cindy Crawford kinda
guy, and quick to downplay the high
fashion elements of what hes doing.
I dont want to do fashion myself,
I dont want to pretend to do
fashion. Maybe its good for you to
74
say it, but I wont say it. Its exactly

the same reluctance we felt when
talking about the more fetish-y
elements of his clothes which in
reality only amounts to a jockstrap.
We move on to a more personal
question, as last time we spoke to
Franois he was dating someone
Were asking for a friend.
Err, I see someone, yeah, but
were not together, so I cant
date, it takes time and Im not
very stable with it. I see some
people, but I dont have any real
relationships. I mean, I dont live
with someone. I dont share the
bed with anyone, cos I love to
sleep alone, he smiles before
adding, with my black cat.
It must be difficult when people
have such a clear idea about what
youre like, based on what amounts
to an acting job. We talk about the
gay bubble Sagat lives in, but his
day-to-day life sounds humble,
mundane and ordinary. Go to the
gym, design and promote some
T-SHIRT BY KICK SAGAT

TROUSERS BY VIDUR
SHOES BY NIKE AT JD SPORTS
underwear, hang out with his cat.

Hes not reclusive, but has learnt
how to say no to people. Particularly
when being asked for pictures on a
night out on the scene.
Im not necessarily in the mood
for that and I know how to say no.
Im more like, I dont give a shit.
People are sometimes disappointed
but thats life. Everyone wants to
Instagram in the minute, the second,
and sometimes its a bit annoying.
But its annoying for everyone, not
just for me. Its the same mechanism
for everyone, I think.
But, well, it must be useful if youre
promoting some new underwear?
Yeah, he agrees. Im not rude,
I think Im nice enough in public,
otherwise Im not there if Im in the
bad mood.
Well, Franois Sagat, you seem
pretty nice to us.
Ah, I dont know he laughs,
you said it. n
Kick Sagat is available via menspackage.com,
in Prowler stores and prowler.co.uk,
kicksagat.com, @kicksagat, @sagatfrancois
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:09
[style]
gaytimes.co.uk
175
21/05/2015 17:09
grooming
[07/15]
WORDS DARREN SCOTT
Golden touch
Atelier des Ors release not
one, not two, but FIVE new eau
de parfums each with their
trademark gold flakes and
sea horse motif. If we had to
pick just one, wed go for Cuir
Sacr, with strong, leathery
wood notes.
From 225, exclusively at Harrods and
atelierdesors.com
Musky marine
Brush strokes Youve heard the term must-have before, but this time we mean it. The
best-selling brush for women is now finally available for us guys yes, with a new brush
specifically designed for tougher skin. Its a skin care regime that takes mere seconds, but
youll instantly feel the difference. Youll be hooked...
Clinique for Men Sonic System Deep Cleansing Brush, 79, used with Clinique for Men Charcoal Face Wash, 18, clinique.co.uk
LOccitanes new mens

collection aims to leave
no area untouched by
its citrusy, refreshing,
masculine fragrance.
Cedrat, which falls into
the wood citrus family,
is a body and skincare
range of eight items
going from a simple
soap bar to deodorant
to eau de toilette and
beyond. From 4.50,
loccitane.co.uk
76
076-77 STYLE Grooming.indd 76
Acqua di Parmas journey

continues with Colonia Ambra,
which blends the citrus notes
of Colonia with the deep and
seductive notes of ambergris.
Its the sandalwood and soft
vanilla when the scent settles
that ultimately seals the deal.
From 150, exclusively at Harrods and
acquadiparma.co.uk
ON
LEMUSH
CR
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:10
[style
style
style]
WORDS DARREN SCOTT
CruZing
From bear to
otter in one
easy sweep
the Braun
cruZer6 Body
2-in-1 Groomer
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Or not, as
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And yes, its
suitable for ALL
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The range
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Precision,
Face, Beard
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From 49.99,
braun.com/uk
Pride and Gruhme The sophisticated

choice, Gruhme (pronounced groom) is
the latest addition to the British mens
fragrance scene. The complex scent is
fresh and uplifting, but understated and
gentlemanly, rather than lingering and
overpowering. Top notes of lemon and
bergamot are closely married to a base
of patchouli, cedar and petitgrain. Gift
sets with British-made Bolin Webb R1
razors will follow. From 35, gruhme.co.uk
gaytimes.co.uk
076-77 STYLE Grooming.indd 77
177
21/05/2015 17:10
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GT447-067-099.indd 78
26/05/2015 12:07
[entertainment]
[07/15]
GOIN BACK
Back, back, back!

Into the archives,
that is, for a new
London show about
the life of legendary
singer Dusty
Springfield. Dusty
promises to deliver
classic footage
performed on stage
by Springfield
herself, thanks
to the wonders of
modern technology.
Yes, were talking
about a holographic
Dusty Springfield
here, people!
Until 22 August, thedustyshow.com
[86]
Jackie, oh!
Ciaras back.
And her front,
ho ho! [Youre
fired - Ed]
Ahem. Why
this mother is
turning this
mother UP.
----------
gaytimes.co.uk
079 PREVIEW Open.indd 79
[94]
Mo on homos
Academy
Award winner
MoNique on
why Blackbird
is an important
movie that
you NEED to
see.
----------
[102]
Queer heroes
Its true we
CAN be
heroes! We
speak with the
men behind
two new
gay comic
books...
----------
179
27/05/2015 15:40
HOZIER
TAKE
US TO
CHURCH
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER IMAGES ALEX LAKE
80
080-82 MUS Hozier.indd 80
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 15:37
[music]
...because we can now, cant we? In the Republic of Ireland, anyway.

On 23 May, the Emerald Isle made history by becoming the first
country on the planet to turn out in force and actually vote same-sex
marriage into law. And its thanks, in part, to people like Hozier
the chart-topping, award-winning singer-songwriter from County
Wicklow for standing up in the name of equality, showing their
support and redefining what it means to be a straight ally...
Take Me to Church. Its a song
that became a viral hit when
it was released in September
2013, racking up thousands upon
thousands of views on YouTube in
mere days, making its writer Hozier
a household name in the process.
And its one thats been taken
to heart by us gays, too, thanks
to an arty, black and white video
depicting the impact of bigoted,
small town beliefs on a loving
gay couple, and its empowering
lyrics shaming the hypocrisy of
the Catholic church and the role
religion plays in general when it
comes to denying the most basic of
human rights.
While not specifically written with
the LGBT community in mind, we
adopted it as an anthem, finding an
affinity between the lyrics and the
plague of persecution against us in
places like Putins Russia.
Its somewhat surprising, then, that
Hozier has never actually done an
interview for a gay mag in the UK
before. So consider this a gay press
exclusive.
The interview format is pretty
much the same as any other mag,
we tell him, but we have to ask him
for his man crush at the end. Were
joking, obviously but Hozier
responds as quick as a dart.
Its John Hamm, man, he laughs,
John Hamm. Hes just a Disney
prince, isnt he? That jawline? And
the fact he plays Don Draper in Mad
gaytimes.co.uk
Men? Im just crazy about him!

Its the kind of cool, down-to-earth
answer youd expect from someone
like Hozier. Yes, hes straight.
But like Macklemore before him,
hes made equal rights such an
integral centrepiece of his mission
statement. And were not just talking
about gays and sexuality. With
Hozier, its equality for all.
In fact, he was as shocked as
anyone when the LGBT community
started to embrace Take Me to
Church as an aural call to arms.
It was a surprise at first, he
says. I knew when I was writing
the song that it was layered, and
there was a significance in there,
a big one, and obviously its about
sex and sexuality. I knew it might
connect with some people in the
LGBT community, but I didnt expect
the song would blow up like it did. I
didnt expect anyone would actually
even hear the song, so the reaction
definitely took me by surprise.
Hear it we did. It seeped into every
corner of the globe, was the subject
of an alternate emotionally-charged
video directed by David LaChapelle
starring Ukrainian bad boy of ballet
Sergei Polunin and even saw Hozier
perform it alongside Annie Lennox at
this years Grammys, for which it was
nominated for Song of the Year. By
the end of 2014, itd been streamed
on Spotify more than 87 million times.
I remember getting Facebook
messages from people all the way
out in America, he continues,

whod just been kicked out of
their house for being gay, or been
a victim to a homophobic attack
and brutalised, and theyd found
something in the song. It was
shocking, sometimes, but they were
just saying thank you for what I
was saying. It fucking boggles the
mind sometimes, man. You know? In
fucking Uganda they have a fucking
death penalty for being gay. It
boggles the mind.
Its no surprise, then, that Hozier
was one of the straight allies who
joined Irelands Straight Up for
Equality campaign, recording video
messages and urging everyone in
his home country to vote in favour
of same-sex marriage, and even
joining the thousands who flew back
home to make their voices heard.
Its such a simple thing, equality,
isnt it? Hozier muses, when we
ask him what first got him involved
with Irelands Yes movement.
Youre either equal or youre not.
Id been following what was going
on in Russia, when they passed that
anti-gay propaganda law to protect
the children, and then there are
those far right Neo-Nazi gangs,
which is just fucking harrowing.
Theres no justice. There are these
incredibly aggressive hate crimes
going on, which are ingrained so
much in the institution, ingrained
in the government and ingrained
in the fucking justice system its
181
28/05/2015 15:37
[music]
shocking. So, yeah, for me, I

was always supporting the Yes
campaign in Ireland. Its such a
simple thing to me.
If you know theres a civil
injustice, or a human rights
injustice, or just a lack of equality.
If you recognise that, and you
stand by and do nothing, youre not
turning your back on gay people
youre turning your back on
equality as a whole. But I think its
practically absurd that a majority
had to even vote for a minority to
be considered equal in the first
place, its just bizarre.
Thankfully, though, the majority
DID turn out and vote in our
favour. Hozier tells us that he was
silently hopeful before the vote,
but that he was immensely proud
of his home country for making
history. As we all are.
By the time you read this,
Hozier will have just completed
a string of shows in London,
before taking a run at the festival
season Glastonbury is going
to be amazing, he beams. Hes
also bagged himself a prestigious
Ivor Novello award for Take Me to
Church in recent weeks, too. Oh,
and if you were wondering, he said
he was nervous as hell about his
aforementioned Annie Lennox duet
at the Grammys.
The point being that, wherever
you are this summer, if you hear
Take Me to Church whether
its in a festival field or just from
watching clips on YouTube sing it
loudly and sing it proudly. Not just
in recognition of the momentous
strides the LGBT community has
made in countries like Ireland, but
in recognition of the fight weve
still got on our hands in places like
Russia and fucking Uganda. And
finally, in recognition that, luckily,
we have allies like Hozier fighting
by our side. n
Hozier will be performing at Glastonbury, V
Festival and others this summer, his selftitled album is out now, hozier.com, @hozier
82
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 15:37
E
ID
R
P 2015
T
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S
O UGU 0pm
ZSAT 1 Am - 10.3
6
p
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T
ETonly)
K
IC s
Street performers. Silent disco.

Animal talks. Live music. Comedy.
Face painting. Food and drink.
5
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Sponsored by
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GT447-067-099.indd 83
26/05/2015 12:13
albums
[entertainment]
84
084-85 MUSIC Main.indd 84
Saint Raymond
Young Blood
Barely 20-years-old
and this Saint is
making an unusually
appealing mix of
the Arctic Monkeys
and The Police,
all ltered through
Balearic electro.
For someone born
in Nottingham,
it contains an
inexplicable amount
of tropical rhythms
and already sounds
like its made of
sunburnt, boozehazed festival
memories.
PINS Wild Nights

Though their singles
like Too Little Too
Late are snarly
rock beasts, the
main stretch of
the album is much
jinglier and janglier.

A guitar drone sets
the tone and female
vocals chant with
hipster ennui. Its as
entrancing as it is
derivative, but if the
trendy end of riot
grrrl oats your boat,
dive in.
Heartless Bastards
Restless Ones Not
a million miles from
The Black Keys,
this fellow Ohiobased rock outt
have an innitely
better name. Once
you get past the
occasional Kermit
delivery, its slow
burning indie fare
that slowly entices
you into enjoying
their college rock
campre tunes.
Ben Montague Back Into

Paradise This handsome chaps
third studio album is a lushly
produced collection of acoustic driven
toe tappers. Each track sounds like
a potential X Factor winners single
all harmonious vocals laced with an
easily digestible puppy dog croon.
Theres a surprising Foo Fighters
cover, Best of You, which takes all
the hard rock edges off, preceded by
Montagues own attempt at rocking
out. Its as gritty as Will Young, with
a bit of Robert Palmer thrown in. The
album has no more teeth than the
slobbering aforementioned loved-up
puppy which is all very cute, but
very soppy.
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:11
WORDS BOB HENDERSON
Nick Jonas Nick Jonas

Flirting with gay media like a coy debutant, Nick
Jonas has given us everything but full frontal.
And accordingly weve lapped up every dened
muscle ex, often forgetting that those lips
were made for singing. Is a solo album from a
former Disney Christian rock band member just
the nal strategic move to shed his previous
clean cut image? Or is he any good as a
pop star in his own right? Well, this is not a
singing-by-numbers operation, but a carefully
eclectic selection of slick pop songs. Its the
socially acceptable side of dark, mid-tempo
electropop, packed with former and potential
hits from Chains to Warning respectively.
There are moments where hes bringing Justin
Timberlake-style sexy back on Teacher, and
things get more interesting the further he strays
from the predictable. His track with Angel
Haze Numb sounds like a gender bent
version of Katy Perrys Dark Horse, a riskier
proposition than his awlessly-belted duet with
Demi Lovato on Avalanche. It feels like theres
something interesting happening underneath
all the big hitting, over condent, immaculately
produced pop moments. Itll be worth us all
keeping our ears, as well as our eyes, on Nick
Jonas next move.
Giorgio Moroder Dj Vu Serving

up the cheesiest wedge of Euroelectro-dance, but always within
easy reach of a guitar funk riff,
this is easily the best album weve
heard this month. Its jaw-droppingly
trashy and we love every glorious
moment. Charli XCX does a K-pop
bonkers number, Kylie reaches
gold-hot-pants-Light-Years-era
greatness and Britney delivers a
career-dening electro cover of
Toms Diner. Even Sia checked her
sadness into the cloakroom, Mikky
Ekkos efforts are akin to BWO and
Matthew Koma sounds like S Club 7.
Truly incredible.
WORDS BOB HENDERSON
[music]
THE OVERTONES
Five piece manband The Overtones
yet to veer that close to the present.
their neatly coiffed image.
are back and bringing their suave cover
I dont know if were going to be doing a
versions and charming originals to a town
swing version of Steps or S Club 7 anytime
twinkle in the eye, says Lachie. Were
near you. Everyone is welcome to our
soon, he jokes, but one of the first times
having fun with what were doing and we
concerts, the tallest Overtone Lachie
I realised I could sing was singing along to
do like to push it, so it cant just be old
Chapman explains, I dont care if youre
some of those N Sync songs.
fashioned homestyle fried chicken style
from Timbuktu, if youve got one leg, if
When we catch Lachie, hes pottering
Each one of us five dudes has a little
values. Were five dudes doing what we
youre there with your granddaughter,
around in his pyjamas having a cup of tea,
love in one of the worlds greatest cities
your lover or your civil partner. Hes
which both fits and jars with our image of
and life is pretty good.
one of three gay members of the band,
The Overtones. Are they that sensible?
including Timmy Matley, who we grill
Yes, I think we are, says Lachie. Im
about their latest album Sweet Soul Music.
quite proud and happy to say that. Theres
It has a distinctly 60s vibe to it, pulling
not too many people out there whore
together a selection of covers from the
getting the opportunity to make album
era, which they often describe as having
number four and have something that
universal appeal. But were interested in
resembles a career, you know?
the specific appeal for their gay audience.

I cant speak as a whole for what the
Part of their clean cut image is those

dapper suits, and for this album
gay community likes, but Im a gay man,
campaign theyre even all wearing the
says Timmy, I like good singing, it
same one. Which helps them contain
doesnt matter from what era or genre.
some of their impulses...
For me, on this album, weve done a
I think its also what helps the fans
version of Give Me Just a Little More Time
giggle along as well. Sometimes youre
and its obviously originally from the
not expecting a group of smartly dressed
Motown era, but I know that Kylies done a
lads to say some of the things that we say.
cover of it as well.
We make no joke about it when we say
Timmy then goes on to declare his

love of 90s dance and the big diva house
you should see us on the tour bus.

What happens in the tour bus, stays in
vocalists. Which is funny, as of all the eras
the tour bus. But theres something of that
The Overtones have gone back to, theyve
cheekiness we can see lurking under
gaytimes.co.uk
It is. And what weve been driving at is

the latent sexual energy which were
undoubtedly projecting from watching
these five dudes give it all theyve got.
[Its] energy full stop, whether its
playful, romantic, whether its wistful...
Look at the music we sing. Theres a lot
of romantic old songs, but theres some
really bloody sexual stuff as well. When
youre singing something like Shake Your
Tail Feather, all of a sudden that energy
gets sexual! All of us are just horrific flirts.
If there was a tree in the concert hall, Id
be flirting with the tree. Someone once
said to me that flirting is nothing more
than making someone feel good about
themselves, which is a lovely thing to do.
Quite frankly, we couldnt agree more. n
The Overtones are on tour across the UK now,
gigsandtours.com, theovertones.tv, @the_overtones
185
21/05/2015 17:11
Fresh off the back

of her sixth studio
album, we meet
Ciara to talk Missy
Elliot, channelling
her inner-ratchet
and being a bad
motherfucker.
Yasss, slay, etc
Welcome to Ciara, the matriarchal
edition. A self-proclaimed bad
motherfucker. Or rather a bad ass
mother, full stop. Her latest sixth
album and first since giving birth
to her baby boy is called Jackie,
named after her own mother. In the
opening track, she sets the tone
with the repeated chorus of Im
a bad motherfucker just one of
many banging tracks this feisty new
incarnation is pushing. It is, as we
point out to her, an incredible lyric.
Absolutely, she says for the
first of many times during our chat.
Let me tell you, after I had my
son I felt like there was nothing I
couldnt do. I was in the kitchen
with mom and dad and I was
tapping my foot like Muhammad
Ali, like Im the greatest! And
when I went to the studio I felt like
screaming out, in a good way.
I felt like everything Id been
through personally, professionally,
just in life Im like, You know
what? I just delivered a 9lb 10oz
baby, Im a bad mother... urgh!
Thats how I FELT. So thats where
that song came from. When Im
screaming it out, you get to feel my
real raw energy of what Im feeling
in my soul.
She reminds us of a lioness, oozing
a primal protective energy and
a lion is her favourite animal, she
discloses as an aside. Her own
tough cookie mother had plenty
to say on her daughters musical
outpouring.
Oh, she definitely had to give
her Jackie feedback. My mom,
86
even before I made the album, was

telling me what she thought I should
do and who she thought I should
work with. If I left it up to her, shed
be one of the executive producers
on the album.
The gays have been giving
good feedback from the start
too, something shes aware and
appreciative of.
I definitely know the LGBT
community have been extremely
supportive of me and its a big part
of why Im successful today. I got to
judge at this big ball competition
and it was so cute because so many
people did routines to my songs. I
definitely know Im supported and
loved by the LGBT community, its
pretty darn cool.
The reason we know is that from 1,
2 Step right through to the criminally
overlooked Overdose, we still hear
tracks out in the clubs. In fact,
were still a bit gutted that the latter
wasnt a single and were definitely
not the only gays whove hit that on
repeat getting ready for a night out.
The funny things is, Overdose
was one of those songs that really
stood out. And its so cool to now
hear how people love that song. And
still bring it up. And on that album
[2013s Ciara] it was really about
getting my feet wet and getting
started. It was definitely really cool
to get all that love from that album
and that song in particular.
Luckily there are plenty more gay
hits in the bag. From her BMF-ing
to Give Me Love, Jackie is made to
make you move.
This whole album is about dance
energy, she says, and of course
subject wise Im talking about love
and life. I feel such a good, happy
energy thats happening in my life.
And since having my son, I wanted
to make sure that I expressed that
energy through music.
Im not really ballady. On the
standard version of the album its
pretty straightforward, I want you
to dance. I want you to have a good
time, thats how I like to live life.
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:11
[music]
Shes come full circle too,

working with her breakthrough
collaborator Missy Elliot again
on Thats How Im Feelin, a track
about having a few drinks and
maybe taking a lover for the night.
It also features Pitbull, but dont
let that put you off. The funny
thing is, Ciara begins on Missy,
that she and I have had so much
success together and more than
anything shes been one of the
best supporters that I could have
in my life, as a friend, but also in
my career as an artist. Shes truly a
legend. Its one of those things that
with this song that we did together,
it just felt right.
The lead single I Bet already
supplied us with some sassy lines
Is that your bitch over there?
Giving me the ugly stare? and
along with Kiss & Tell Hair pulled
back, high heels on and a behind
the scenes video, we really get a
sense of Ciara feeling her oats.
Feeling ratchet is par for the course.
I definitely have a lot of ratchet
moments, I can say that. Im from
Atlanta, so Im always going to
be a southern girl at heart and
theres definitely some moments
like, Ive got my 80 inch hair on.
I think we all have to have a little
inner-ratchet in us, if you ask me.
You gotta have fun and have a little
attitude, a little spice to you. I think
thats important.
As much as shes bad ass, Ciara
is ultimately a pretty good egg.
She talks about energy all the time
and we cant fathom where she
gets this never ending supply of
goodwill from.
I really believe life is what you
make it, and Ive chosen to make it
great. I know that everything isnt
going to be perfect, but I also know
its up to me on how things can
go. I just like being happy. I like
laughing. Im just striving to live
the best life that I can possibly live.
I really am. n
a
r
a
ic
Ciaras new album Jackie is out now,

onlyciara.com, @ciara
gaytimes.co.uk
187
21/05/2015 17:11
N
88
088-91 MUSIC Nile Rodgers.indd 88
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:12
[music]
WORDS SIMON BUTTON
NILE
RODGERS
The list of hits is breathtaking: Le Freak, We Are Family, Im Coming Out, The
Reflex, Lets Dance, Like a Virgin, Get Lucky etc, etc. The occasional misses,
with the likes of Debbie Harry and Sheena Easton, are ripe for reevaluation. And
the man himself is a musical genius. Its no wonder then that Nile Rodgers is a
legend and one who has a theory as to why the music hes been making since
the 70s has always been an urgent call to gay dance floors around the world...
gaytimes.co.uk
189
21/05/2015 17:12
T
hink of who the stars were when
we first came on the scene:
Sylvester, The Village People,
Donna Summer, Cher. It was the
most liberated period in the history
of music, says the Chic frontman,
who burst onto that same scene with
Everybody Dance and Le Freak.
We come from a period when the
club scene was the most inclusive
scene in the world. The world was
cool, people were cool The great
thing about the disco movement
is that it allowed anybody and
everybody to join. If your record
was cool, then you were cool.
Nile says cool a lot, but hes
earned the right. Other musicianwriter-producers can only glance
at his CV and gasp in envy. Other
performers can only watch him on
stage, working his way through
that awesome catalogue of hits, and
wonder how a 62-year-old man in
remission from cancer manages
it. But hes been lost in music since
the hedonistic heyday of Studio
54. And there were some pretty
legendary nights, he laughs of the
good times recounted in vivid detail
in his 2012 autobiography.
Diana Ross was a regular at
NYCs most famous/infamous
club, and she and Nile would go
on to work together on her 1980
Diana album, the biggest-seller
of her career for which The Chic
Organisation penned such classics
as Upside Down and Im Coming
Out. Miss Ross had no inkling
that the latter lyric had a double
90
meaning, but Nile knew full well.

I grew up in New York and any
scene that was popular and trendy
I was around, he says of how he
came to have his finger on the
pulse of the gay disco movement.
My parents were beatniks and
heroin addicts and we lived in the
thick of the scene.
He goes on to tell a very
entertaining story about ending
up one night in the bathroom of
a transvestite club. There were
six fabulous drag queens in there
all dressed like Diana. I knew
something special was going on
and I got the idea for Im Coming
Out. I knew it would be Dianas
equivalent of Say it loud, Im black

and Im proud.
The diva agreed, at least until one
of her people pointed out its other
meaning. Then she got a little bit
upset, although Im not sure she
wouldve, had it not been for the guy
who told her the song was going to
ruin her career if people thought
she was coming out of the closet.
Diana ended up loving the song
and its since become a staple on
Niles setlist. Having lost Chic bassist
Bernard Edwards to pneumonia
and drummer Tony Thompson to
cancer, he now tours under the Chic
featuring Nile Rodgers banner.
Theres a new Chic song on that
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:12
[music]
especially loved working with

Madonna on her Like a Virgin
album. Some people say thats the
Madonna
was maybe
the most
magical
person Ive
ever come
into contact
with. We
were as
close as two
people could
be without
being lovers
last great Chic album because I

convinced Madonna to let my band
play on the record. Madge was just
gaining traction when they went
into the studio together and Nile
knew he was in the presence of a
megastar. She was maybe the most
magical person Ive ever come into
contact with, he remembers. We
were as close as two people could
be without being lovers.
Still, there was one major clash
when Madge overstepped the mark
by telling one of the assistants he
couldnt go to the bathroom. I
thought that was a little too heavyhanded on her part so I said, I
cant work with you if youre gonna
act like that, and I headed out to
the elevator. She opened the door
and said, Nile, does this mean you
dont love me anymore? It was so
funny and so cute.
Like Madonna, Nile is a
perfectionist. Everything I work on
I do with my full heart and anyone
whos worked with me knows that.
In fact, I just got a letter from Sam
Smith and it made me realise how
much I love the people I work
with. They know I have their best
interests at heart.
Nile and Sam were united on the
setlist now the brilliantly catchy Ill

Be There, the result of the discovery
of some long-lost master tapes and
a new album on the way.
We may also get to see Nile and
Kylie on stage together this month.
Chic are sharing the bill with Miss
Minogue and Grace Jones in Hyde
Park on 21 June and Nile tells GT
hes collaborating with Kylie on a
one-off song, then wonders if he
shouldve let that slip. Ditto plans
to work with Miley Cyrus. Im not
sure what I should and should not be
saying, he admits, but you caught
me early in the morning.
The new Chic album promises to
be both celebratory and forwardgaytimes.co.uk
looking, with songs fashioned

around the old tapes remaining true
to the disco vibe, and new tracks
with a more contemporary flavour.
Niles signature guitar sound is
the through-line on practically
everything hes worked on, from
those disco classics through to
Get Lucky, and he never tires of
playing the old songs live. Theyre
different every night. A huge
amount of current artists play to
secret backing tapes and their
shows are synched to videos and
all that kind of stuff, so everything
comes out the same every night. But
we play everything live.
Personal highlights? Well, he
2013 Disclosure single Together,

before the Brit singer became the
sensation he is today. So when I
walked in that room I didnt know
who he was, but I treated him with
love and respect and we just adored
each other right away.
Any plans to hook up with Sam
again? Id sure love to. He has one
of the most magical, distinct voices
Ive ever heard. Nile laughs.
But I think hes a bit busy at the
moment. n
Chic featuring Nile Rodgers play Barclaycard
British Summer Time Hyde Park, headlined by
Kylie Minogue and Grace Jones, on 21 June.
Tickets are available at barclaycard.co.uk/
entertainment, @bsthydepark. The new Chic
album is out soon, more information will be
posted at nilerodgers.com, @nilerodgers
191
21/05/2015 17:12
[music]
[entertainment]
Emilie Nicolas The Norwegian singersongwriter Emilie Nicolas is actually quite a

happy bunny. Im really serious when Im
on stage, like, this is serious shit, she says
while removing an earring, and behind the
scenes Im more of a bubbly person. Though
she still maintains that no one is truly happy,
laughing before explaining herself.
Of course, you CAN be happy, but there are
so many things that tell you that you shouldnt
be happy all the time, I mean were going to
die, we dont know why were here, we dont
know what everything around us is and then
Im supposed to be happy and do yoga? That
doesnt make sense. To be happy all the time
is maybe not the goal.
Itll give you some idea of the direction of her
music a dramatic, typically Scandinavian
sweeping mix of delicate acoustics and heavy
electro. More Lykke Li than Robyn, if you get
our drift. And despite our initial thoughts, not
all of her songs are about boys.
People think Im sweet and small and Ive
had that since I was a kid. So for me its like,
Fuck you, dont touch me! a lot of my songs
are about that and not relationships.
In a short, reductive sentence? Passive
aggressive melancholic adult pop. n
[playlist]
The Chemical Brothers Go

Incredible comeback single
with a spat-out rap from Q-Tip and some serious funk
synths. Feel the weight and youre feeling the girth
n Tiga vs Boys Noize 100 Glitchy Kraftwerk-y
voices repeat the title like electroclash never died,
reviving the sound of early 00s futurism. n MO
Preach All that 90s girl group homework paid off, as
theyve nailed that Little Mix sound, but with a casual
off-hand breeziness. Unlike n Bebe Rexha Im
Gonna Show You Crazy This is so try hard it hurts
and yet is totally incredible. Once you get past the
ridiculously solemn intentions and ropey acoustic
verse sincerity, youre left with a massive Tove
Lo-worthy chorus. And some batshit swearing. n
Britney Spears feat Iggy Azalea Pretty Girls Bad
grammar abounds in this collaboration, which sounds
like a song Gwen Stefani did ten years ago, dressed
up to sound like Fancy. Although, the thought of
Britney doing Charli XCX on Stars In Their Eyes isnt
such a bad prospect. n Alesha Dixon The Way We
Are Do you remember Tulisas comeback single? Its
that type of vaguely Kiesa club track, with a few more
disco strings. Nothing a Freemasons remix couldnt
sort out. n Le Grind Toute Chaud Totally queer
dayglo bedroom trash disco, like CSS with even
more camp drama. Its probably the best song ever
written about accidentally stumbling into a sex club.
n Jessie J Flashlight Its vulnerable JJ belting out a
ballad and not sounding very vulnerable at all. n
Emilie Nicolas album Like Im a Warrior is out now, emilienicolas.com, @emilienicolas
baby
love
Petite Meller is
a small, perfectly
formed enigma.
Though she claims
to produce nuovo
jazzy pop, she
has the adult-child
coy delivery of
Joanna Newsom,
an indie pop effect
heightened by
her penchant for
playground catchy
melodies and the
odd xylophone
and sax combo.
92
Petites videos are

an integral part
of her vision, as
she pictures them
throughout the
songwriting process
and casts the stars
of her video on
the ground, from
random men on the
subways of New
York to the beautiful
tea-supping giraffes
somewhere outside
Nairobi. She has
the kooky presence
of Yolandi Visser,
via Lady Gagas
more mainstream
charms, and
her next single
Baby Love is a
joyful mash up of
euphoric house
pianos and cute
sing-a-longs.
A bit like fellow
French pop pioneer
Stromae. One to
watch, as they say.
petitemeller.com,
@petitemeller n
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21/05/2015 17:11
GT447-067-098.indd 93
28/05/2015 12:26
MoNique hadnt
made a movie
since 2009,
when her role in
Precious bagged
her the Academy
Award for best
supporting
actress. Then
a script called
Blackbird landed
on her desk.
And its a story
that needs to
be told, the
actress tells us.
Heres why...
WORDS SIMON BUTTON
who with co-writer Rikki BeadleBlair has updated it to present-day.

The wider themes resonated
with Baltimore-born MoNique,
whos 47 now and admits to being
taunted about her size when
she was younger. Its all about
acceptance acceptance of oneself
and acceptance of other people,
she says of the film, which has been
fted at festivals around the globe.
Thats what we want people to walk
away with. When you get a chance
to see behind the door and you get
a chance to see this young mans
pain, simply because of who he was
made to be and he has no control
over that, you begin to wonder:
Would I want to put that type of hurt
on somebody? Would I knowingly
do that because they simply want to
be who they were made to be?
Is she surprised that, nearly three
decades since the novel came out,
homosexuality being viewed as a

sin or a curse. I was only involved
in the black community and the
guys I hung around with were black
gay guys, so I thought it was their
story until we started taking this
film to different festivals and white
men came up to me saying, Thats
my story too. Latin men started
coming up to me and saying that.
And Asian men. I realised its not
a black gay community issue, its
happening in all communities.
In the film, MoNique is dowdy
and emotionally disturbed. In
reality, shes cheerful and chilled,
declaring, Im wonderful, my
love, when asked how her day
is going and saying shes taking
our call in Happy Town USA.
But shes deadly serious about
Blackbird, which she hopes will
change peoples prejudices. Shes
just been talking to a journalist
MoNique and husband Sidney

Hicks have their own production
company, Hicks Media Productions,
and the tale of a devout Christian
teenager struggling with his sexual
identity moved them so much they
signed on as executive producers.
When we got that script and read
the first page we said Sign us up
because its a story thats so brave,
so honest and so raw, she tells us.
We knew we had to be a part of it.
In the film, Randy, played by the
brilliant Julian Walker, has a full
plate going to school, singing in
the church choir and caring for his
troubled mum, played by MoNique
herself. All while coming to terms
with being gay and black and falling
in love. Penned by novelist Larry
Duplechan in 1986 and set in the
70s, its a coming of age saga that
touched director Patrik-Ian Polk,
homophobia still exists? She sighs.

We as the human race have to go
through our periods of Yall, this is
not making sense. There was a time
in America where it was against the
law for a black person and a white
person to be married, until some
folks got together and said: Are we
crazy? This doesnt make sense.
Theyre human beings, they just
happen to be another colour. We
had to come to an acceptance of that.
Now its about the children,
whore children now, who may
have their own children and those
children will look back and say: I
cant believe two men couldnt get
married or two women couldnt get
married. I cant believe this country
was like that at one time.
She used to wonder if homophobia
was more prevalent in the black
churchgoing community, with
from a religious publication, who

agreed were all Gods children.
So I asked her, Would you stand
back and let one of your children
hurt your other child simply for who
they were or what they liked? She
said that no, she wouldnt want that.
So I asked her, So why would God
want that to happen?
The journalist, who was a parent,
got the message. MoNique herself
has three sons and says shed be
fine if any of them turned around
and said he was gay. I would worry
about my baby just as much as I
would worry about my baby who
was heterosexual, she adds. If my
baby went out at night, me and his
daddy would be worried as parents.
Its no different.
This multi-tasker cut her teeth
on the Baltimore stand-up comedy
circuit, then broke into TV and film.
MONIQUE
94
094-95 SCREEN Monique.indd 94
gaytimes.co.uk
22/05/2015 15:11
[screen]
Shes made documentaries, written

books, hosted her own chat show
and won so many awards for her
no-holds-barred performance as
an abusive mum in Precious, its
amazing she didnt have to buy a
second home to house them.
Glamorous on the red carpet,
shes happy to put her vanity to one
side when it comes to a role. Am
I afraid to get ugly? Am I afraid
for my hair to be messed-up? Or
my nails to be dirty? Or my teeth
looking like they havent been
brushed? No, because Im playing.
I get to play and I love that.
When it came to making
Blackbird, she wasnt worried
about the reaction from the gay
community, because Patrick-Ian is
gay himself, so the gay communitys
right there on set. On a personal
note she says: Ive always
appreciated the gay community
because its always accepted me.
I remember before anybody knew
who MoNique was, there was a
group of gay teenage boys that
treated me so good and took me to
the clubs.
The woman who would go on to
make a reality TV show called Fat
Chance about a beauty pageant for
plus-sized women adds: I wasnt
treated as, Shes just a fat girl. It
was all, Look at our chunky diva
right there. They always loved me
and this movie is my love letter to
the gay community.
Blackbird is now available to watch online at
urbanmoviechannel.com, @moworldwide
gaytimes.co.uk
094-95 SCREEN Monique.indd 95
195
22/05/2015 15:10
GT447-067-098.indd 96
26/05/2015 15:48
WORDS MATT RISLEY
cinema
[screen]
[entertainment]
Spy Cinema
As much as we love her, Melissa McCarthys
not had the best career trajectory of late, with
dud (Tammy) after op (Identity Thief) after
meh (The Heat). Which is why Spy is such a
grin-inducing, refreshing joy; an action-comedy
that genuinely nails each part of the genre
hopscotch with aplomb.
The plot screams eye-rolling predictability,
as unassuming, frumpy ofce-bound CIA
analyst Susan Cooper is elevated to eld agent
and takes on the agencys most dangerous
mission after their top agents are bumped off
or compromised. But what couldve been yet
another case of tubby prat-falling, ad innitum
switches gears mid-way through, as Cooper
steps up to the plate and kicks ass in a series of
surprisingly solid, bad-ass action scenes.
Its a balance made all the more entertaining
by a lthily amusing script, and a stellar
supporting cast, with Jason Statham on hand
to send up his hard guy image, and Rose Byrne
nailing her turn as a super-villainous megabitch but lets just all politely agree to ignore
Miranda Harts galumphing misre, shall we? As
action-packed as it is funny, its left us counting
down the days until director Paul Feig reunites
with McCarthy for Ghostbusters 3.
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Mad Max: Fury Road Cinema

Fuck me. Get used to that expletive
exclamation, because youll be
hearing a chorus of it the moment
the credits start rolling on Mad Max:
Fury Road an astonishing action
spectacle that grabs the genre by
the dirty, gritty balls and shakes
it so hard it stuns. What couldve
been little more than a cacophonous
chase scene is given a surprising
amount of feels and narrative
subtext feminism, YAY! thanks to
a powerful turn by Charlize Theron,
eye-watering cinematography and
some jaw-dropping choreography.
Also, you know, muddy, muscled,
doe-eyed Tom Hardy is as nuanced,
loveable hard guy as ever.
Jurassic
World Cinema
Unavailable to view
at the time of press,
theres really no
way they can muck
this up, is there?
Hunky Chris Pratt
doing his leading
man thing, children
being terrorised by
dinosaurs, random
by-standing idiots
being eaten by
dinosaurs, and
THAT score. We
can only assume
its going to be ve
stars.
Be True To Your
Pleasure Other
And now for
something different.
Potty-mouthed bad
girl Willam Belli
is taking back the
crown as the new
face of Magnum,
serving up ice cold
realness in a new
ad campaign. With
the boundaries
pushed, Willam
teaches us that
being true to your
pleasure never
tasted so good.
Amen!
Avengers: Age
of Ultron Cinema
Its another solid
win for Marvels
all-conquering
Hollywood
steamroller, as Joss
Whedon and his
swoon-some cast
of be-costumed
super-tties save
the world from
an amusingly
snarky, sociopathic
murderbot. As
witty, spectaclelled, beautiful and
heartfelt as weve
come to expect.
Tomorrowland Cinema The

Incredibles director Brad Bird joins
forces with Lost creator Damon
Lindelof on a quest to turn a
Disneyland zone into a credible, sci family epic. Mission accomplished,
thanks largely to a curmudgeonly
George Clooney, appropriately roller
coaster action and a feel that harks
back to the 80s family romps of
yore. Sure, Damon Lindelofs script
does the typically Lindelof-y thing
of blurting you over the head with
THE MESSAGE, but at least its one
full of wonder, awe and the kind of
optimistic retro Disney futurism you
just dont see in cinema anymore.
Plus, you know, jetpacks. You can
never go wrong with jetpacks.
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stream/disc
[screen]
[entertainment]
Charlize Theron overshadows Tom Hardy

in this months Mad Max: Fury Road as the
terrifyingly bad-ass action heroine Furiosa. Here are a few of
our other favourite oestrogen overlords
[the list]
[01] Ellen Ripley Alien Originally written as a man, Sigourney

Weaver redefined the genre and cinematic stereotypes by
overcoming every Xenomorph in her path in inventive, bloody
style. WE ARE QUITE EXCITED ABOUT ALIEN 5.
[02] Sarah Connor Terminator The only thing more terrifying
than an unstoppable liquid metal robot from the future? The
maternal instincts of the woman it keeps trying to murderise.
Sarah Connors amazing in every timeline.
[03] Buffy Summers Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sassy, snarky
and more than a little relatable havent we all fallen in love with a
nice-guy-turned-demonic-sociopath? Buffy was as bad-ass as she
was brave. And she saved the world. A lot.
[04] The Bride Kill Bill Whether shes comatose, been abused or
just shot/stabbed the hell up, Uma Thurmans stylish uber-ninja
comes back fighting. Blood will be spilled.
[05] Laurie Strode Halloween Horrors first real female icon,
Jamie Lee Curtis turn as the smart survivor determined to outwit
the unstoppable bogey man makes us air-punch to this day.
Still Alice Disc The years most

LOL-free movie is also one of its
best, having snaffled up all manner
of gongs throughout awards season
and deservedly so, thanks to a
stunning, sob-inducing turn by
Julianne Moore as an educated
mother who gradually loses her
memory, faculties and familial
connections thanks to a crippling
case of Alzheimers. n n n n n
Jupiter Ascending Disc Cherish
this completely barmy, high-camp
sci-fi opera, because this kind
of big-budget lunacy wont be
around forever. The Wachowskis
return with a romp thats actually
genuinely fun if you detach critical
faculty and common sense for
127 minutes. Sean Bean is part
bee! Channing Tatum has pointy
ears! Eddie Redmayne shrieks
repeatedly! Mila Kunis is a toilet
cleaner whos also heir to the
galactic throne! n n n n n
Orange is the New Black
series three Netflix Litchfields
army of strong, independent,
predominately mad female inmates
are back for a third series of
unapologetically soap opera-y
hijinks. Things to get excited about
this time around Alex is back with
her sexy-ass glasses, Jason Biggs
is gone BYE LARRY! and there
are new prisoners and back-stories
galore. Bring on the binge.
nnnnn
why we love movie post-apocalypses
George Millers
return to the
franchise that
launched him
couldve gone so
wrong, but Mad
Max: Fury Road
is a gloriously
insane adventure
that reminds
us why we love
post-apocalypses
so much. Sure,
gaytimes.co.uk
097-99 SCREEN Main.indd 99
cannibalism,
Darwinism and
violent, horrendous
death at every
turn may SOUND
horrendous, but
when its crafted so
enjoyably on-screen,
who are we to
judge? Then theres
the creative vision
inherent in each
twisted, humanity-
starved idea of
what would be left
after Apocalyptoday. Whether its
the eye-bleedingly
stark beauty of Mad
Maxs outback, the
soothing desolation
of 28 Days Laters
London, or the
splashy fun of
Waterworld, theyre
all places that are
at least beautiful
to visit. And then
theres the kicker
watching these
movies catalyses
the eternal pub
debate of quite how
long wed survive
if it all went down.
Oh, for the record,
wed outlive you all
by a good year or
seven. n
Sense8 Netflix Sense8 is pretty

much The Wachowskis last hurrah
see Jupiter Ascending, above
but it could also be their critical
saviour, with a predictably mad
plot eight strangers discover they
are connected and can share each
others memories, emotions and
skills throwing gender-bending,
orgies and borderline superpowers into the mix. This could be
one of their big ideas that actually
has the space and time it needs to
come into its own. n n n n n
199
28/05/2015 12:04
AT DISNEYLAND PARIS
This October, pack your Mickey ears and
join us as we head back to Disneyland Paris.
With special weekend packages from just 219 per adult* staying at a Disney
Hotel, you can book your place today with a deposit of just 50 per person!
15th - 18th October 2015
Book now at magicalpride.com
Disney Parks
Its a Family Affair
Four magical, fun-filled days bringing

together the sparkle of Pride and the
wonder of Disney! With accommodation,
Disneyland Paris park tickets, a welcome
meal, partying and the chance to meet new
friends, a fun-filled weekend awaits!
With two parks to enjoy, discover the

magic of the Disneyland Park and
Sleeping Beautys Castle or explore the
world of animation and cinema in Walt
Disney Studios Park. From flying with
Dumbo to shooting through the stars on
Space Mountain : Mission 2, there are
rides to suit both the young at heart and
the thrill seekers.
From grown-up kids to little loved ones,

Magical Pride welcomes families of all
shapes and sizes. With children from
just 79, theres nowhere more magical
than Disneyland Paris to create lasting
memories with family, friends and close
loved ones.
Disney
Serious Fun
Magical Pride is brought to you by Manchester Pride and is operated by Greatdays Holidays LTD, ABTA Y0380. * Price is based upon 4
adults sharing a room at Disneys Sequoia Lodge. Child aged 3-11 years when sharing a room with at least 1 adult. Promotional rates
subject to availability and not guaranteed. All events subject to modification without prior notice. Shows, attractions and parades may be
closed, delayed, modified or cancelled without prior notice, notably in case of inclement weather.
GT447-099-162.indd 100
26/05/2015 15:56
WORDS TIM MITCHELL / ITEMS FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE TO ORDER FROM FORBIDDENPLANET.CO.UK
[geek]
[reviews]
Oh Hail No! (We

mean yes) The
original Star Trek
crew get that 70s
Kenner tweak in this
series of Star Trek
ReAction gures.
Grab three and
inches of Star
Trek LGBT front
man George Takei
sorry George,
thats just how tall
you are. Let Hikaru
Sulu blast you into
the past at warp
speed.
WHAT
TIME IS IT?
AD-FUCKINGVENTURE-TIME!
----------
In Kidrobots latest open letter

to a quickly emptying wallet,
theyre doing what they do best,
taking a cult property this
time showcasing those popular
inhabitants of the Land of Ooo
and vinylizing them with their
trademark chibi twist.
Yes, in collaboration with Cartoon
Network, the art toy mega-brand
are taking on Adventure Time this
summer, in four and seven inch
scale. Our excitement is about to
hit critical. By now, were all big
fans of the 12-year-old human
boy Finn and his magical shapechanging dog Jake, who roam
the Land of Ooo righting wrongs
and battling evil. Youre probably
bigger fans of the evil that form
takes, too. Namely, the princesskidnapping Ice King, whos looking
for love in all the wrong places.
Obviously, youll be able to
gaytimes.co.uk
101 GEEK.indd 101
pick up a wee vinyl Jake the dog

and Finn the human for your
workspace, but for us its all about
the King. Just think of all those
elaborate kidnappings youll be
able to stage.
So the choice is yours. You can
snap up your favourite Oooians as
pieces of gorgeous affordable art,
or recreate Jake and Finns ultimate
adventures with LSP, Gunter,
Beemo, the LGBT ship that cant
be sunk Princess Bubblegum and
Marceline the Vampire Queen. As
well as Ice Kings amazing genderswapped Finn and Jake fanfic
characters Fionna and Cake. We
cant even.
Seven inch surly teenage Finn is
a genius sculpt. With Jake puffajacket and BMO Walkman.
The four inch series are all
blind-boxed, so although a closely
guarded secret, were hoping that
adorable little psycho Peppermint
Butler is in the mix. Or
Lemongrab. Or Root Beer Guy. Oh
God, or Hotdog Princess.
Basically, TAKE OUR MONEY!
Q: Which ones will you get? A:
All of them.
Nostalgiagasm:
Garbage Pail Kids
If youre too young
to remember,
Garbage Pail Kids
were amazingly
grotesque trading
cards with funny
names and dark
illustrations, banned
in school for their
snotting, farting and
puking. Just hope
this nine inch Adam
Bomb vinyl doesnt
go off in your
hand.
Who you gonna

call? Funko are
teaming up with
A Large Evil
Corporation to
pump out some
awesome redesigns
of much-loved
pop culture icons.
Check out these
lady killers packing
PhDs and PKE
Meters. Honestly,
eight inches of
back-in-the-day
Bill Murray? Whod
pass that up?
The Iceman Cometh, Out.

Its not really a huge thing in comics now
to have a character come out, but when
that character has a 52 year publishing
history of being straight, thats going to
ruffle some feathers.
What will time-travelling teenage Icemans
big reveal mean for his adult self? Being
outed by a fresh-faced version of yourself
isnt far off how teen Jean Grey reads
young Icemans mind and confronts him
about his sexuality. Boundaries, Jean!
Jesus! It all kicked off in Marvels All-New
X-Men. Were hoping it doesnt get wiped
when the teenage X-Men presumably go
back to their own timeline.
1101
22/05/2015 16:02
Gays and comic books have always sat well

together. We caught up with the men behind two
of the latest queer comics to hit the shelves...
(COMIC) BOOKS
FOR BOYS
102
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[geek]
Midnighter He can win a fight 50 ways before it begins, but

we bet he still starts all his Grindr messages with hey. From
the pages of Stormwatch, The Authority and Grayson, GT sat
down with writer Steve Orlando to quiz him on the upcoming
Midnighter series, and how he sees the skull cracking supersoldiers first foray into internet dating
How do you see Midnighter? And
how does he see himself? The
Midnighter to me, hes all about
confidence, Ive said a couple of
times before, he was originally based
on The Shadow. People always say,
Oh, hes gay Batman, but really he
was based on The Shadow, which
Batman was also based on. That
plays a large part in how I see him,
as opposed to Batman. The Shadow
was not just about frightening the
frighteners, although thats a huge
part of Midnighter, but there was
also a sense of community with The
Shadow. When he saved you, hed
give you an original decoder ring.
Your life belonged to him and you
were part of his network of people
to help him do his job better. I think
thats a big part of Midnighter as well,
something Im trying to build into
the book. How does he see himself?
Thats a large part of the book. People
always think, for a long time hes just
been this fight-machine. He has this
computer in his head that lets him
play fights out a million different
ways in an instant. He sees himself
as someone whos given up a normal
life to be a fighter. I think thats a
distinction we make even in the first
pages, there are a lot of heroes in
the DCU. Midnighter is a fighter. Hes
not ever going to be in the Justice
League, he just sees something that
has to be done, someone who needs
to be helped, and he gets in there and
starts punching until that help has
been achieved. He really sees himself
as a fighter, and going forward in the
book, its about him rectifying that,
his day job, so to speak, with needing
to be a real and fulfilled person.
Learning what he likes and what he
doesnt like when hes not kicking
gaytimes.co.uk
through someones chest. Its a work/

life balance he needs to deal with. For
an enhanced vigilante, its sort of on a
grander scale.
Weve read that Midnighter is on
Grindr? The thing about Grindr is, it
really just speaks more to his trying
to acknowledge the gay community
and show himself as being an active
gay man. All of the gay men I know at
least tried using a hook-up app. Its
naive not to acknowledge it exists.
His profile is ridiculous. Because
his interests are soft tissue shots or
violence. Its the kind of thing where
people cant believe its real when
they meet him. They come up against
this larger than life icon and he says
no, this isnt a joke, this is who I am.
His profile and the way he
approaches the gay community and
any relationship he has is just as he
approaches anything else in life. Its
Steve
Orlando
bombastic, its bold, and its a little

tongue in cheek. Hes super confident.
Hes super aggressive and sometimes
he needs to get out of his own way,
because hes a cynical guy, because
hes really only been with one person.
He really doesnt fit the traditional
stereotypes for a super hero or a
gay man. Do you think Midnighter
is something thats been missing?
I definitely think he is. I think
thats what makes him unique. Its
ridiculous not to acknowledge,
certainly, he was created as an
archetype he and Apollo were
called the Words Finest Couple but
I really do think that hes something
different. He isnt necessarily
stereotypical and thats important.
People are going to focus on him a
little bit more being an out gay man,
but that doesnt necessarily mean
hell be going shoe shopping. Hes
still who he is, just to sway peoples
fears. He has a very unique place
both as a queer character and as a
superhero, because when it comes to
his in-costume life, a big part of my
thought process on him, going right
back to his initial appearance in 1998,
is that Midnighter LOVES his job.
Even if his job is horrifying.
You get all these images Daredevil,
Batman. All of these sad superheroes.
I shouldnt say sad superheroes, thats
a little melodramatic. But these people
filled with pathos over what they
do, who they are, theyre conflicted.
Midnighter has a genuine joy for what
he does. He acknowledges that he has
an itch for the ultra violence, because
of how he was raised, but hes curbed
it in a way thats useful to society.
It makes him fun and is sort of the
trademark of the character. Blowing
up a terrorist island, the final shot
isnt destruction, its of him smiling
and saying, I love being me.
That confidence is vital and very
unique and something we can all
aspire to. People say Midnighter is
violent, is he the best character for
the gay community?
I dont think his violence is
stereotypical, but I also dont think
1103
29/05/2015 13:31
its a ruling on the gay community.

People ask, Should we show gay
men being violent, but I think
thats absurd. Hes a gay man, and
no one thinks Wolverine killing
peopleis passing judgment on every
cisgender white Canadian guy.
Do you feel theres a resonance
with the gay community and comic
books/superheroes? I definitely do.
Living two lives, the idea of being in
the closet, superheroes with these
secret identities have to come out.
Thats why I think Midnighter is
an energising next step, because
hes totally broken that boundary,
because hes out everywhere. In the
DC universe, you have characters that
define themselves based on these
iconic pillars of their community. I
think its super that you have these
characters entering into super
heroics, following in the footsteps of
these icons and, hopefully, eventually
coming into their own. Thats what
coming out and evolving as a queer
person is like.
Who would Midnighter think is hot
in the Justice League? In the classic
seven, the easy answer is Aquaman.
Hed clearly be the hottest member of
the Justice League, hes super athletic
and kind of looks like Apollo. When
you see Midnighters dating patterns,
he likes opposites. He couldnt be into
Batman, Batman is too much like him.
Who do you think could or should
play Midnighter in any TV spinoff/crossover? The chief answer is
Matt Bomer because hes super hot,
extremely fit and actually gay.
Can we expect to see Apollo in the
pages of Midnighter? The book
mostly focuses on Midnighters
journey, showing him as an
independent character who can
really stand on his own.
People look at him as part of a
pair. Midnighter and Apollo. He
doesnt know how to define himself
without Apollo. Theyre broken up
at the beginning of the story, but he
features heavily when the story goes
on, whether physically in the book or
the effects of their relationship. n
104
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28/05/2015 13:00
[geek]
Jupiters Circle From bullet-bending super assassins to

c-bomb-dropping 11-year-olds like Hit Girl, comics god Mark
Millar is the man with the Midas touch when it comes to
getting work from the funny pages up onto the big screen.
GT sat down with him ahead of the launch of his cross
generational superhero saga, Jupiters Circle, to talk capes in
the closet, Kick-Ass and Kim Kardashian or not
Whats the response been like for
the Jupiter books? Jupiters Legacy
has been the biggest hit Ive ever
had. The first issue outsold every DC
and Marvel book bar one, which is
crazy. It sold three times what KickAss sold, and Kick-Ass had been my
biggest hit before that.
Jupiters Circle has been described
as Mad Men meets the Super
Friends, Which parallels would
you draw between the two? Id say
the big thing is taking something
thats beautiful and idealised and
actually showing it just to be real
thats what I took away from Mad Men.
The Americans call that generation
of people the greatest generation
which I always thought was quite
weird because every generation
is good and bad in their own way. I
think its probably because thats the
era a lot of our parents grew up in,
and people idealise their parents,
and thats a big theme in the book
too. What I wanted to do was really
tell a story about the parents
of the superheroes, from a really
simple time.
I think it came from a while back
just finding a picture of my parents
having a laugh when they were in
their 20s, and it seemed bizarre
to me because, for the first time,
Id seen a photo of them where
they were slightly younger than I
was. And to actually see them so
humanised, because you always do
think of your parents as relatively
infallible growing up, you cant
really imagine them having the
same kinds of problems and desires
as we have. I just found that quite
interesting to write about.
Why do you think that superhero
gaytimes.co.uk
comics seem to attract so many

LGBT fans? I actually spoke to a
couple of gay directors about this,
and that was one of the things that
drew them to superhero stories.
The idea that you were secretly this
awesome person but you could never
allow people to find out because your
enemies would use it against you.
On some simple level, I guess that
probably does appeal to anyone in
the gay community especially back
in the old days. And thats a theme in
the first storyline of Jupiters Circle.
The idea of having three secret
identities if youre a gay superhero
in the 50s. Because you have to
be the superhero, be the robustly
heterosexual secret identity and then
the real you.
Why was it important for you to
set this story in that era when
Mark
Millar
gay sex was basically practiced

in bushes and under bridges?
Russell T Davies is a great friend
of mine and we email back and
forward putting the world to rights. I
was telling him my oldest daughter
has a gay best friend, and in a way,
things like Doctor Who were a big
step for gay teenagers, because
it normalised something that was
seen as a niche thing. I dont mean
Doctor Who, I mean being gay. The
idea of gay characters just matterof-factly in it, and it wasnt a big
reveal or a big deal, there were
just gay characters or bisexual
characters, whatever. Having gay
characters in comic books now in
particular is not such a big deal,
its not that interesting, but just
by taking it back two generations
to 1969, you have an entirely
different story. Nice people having
a problem with it, or Blue Bolts
concern that they might have a
problem with it. Suddenly you had a
very interesting character there.
If Blue Bolts story had been set
now, hed probably be on Grindr.
Its totally true. Thats why the story
would be almost too easy now. Itd
be, hey guess what, this superhero is
gay and he has a lovely life. The end.
Hed meet someone hed get on really
well with. Thats being done. Youre
getting gay characters in the Marvel
and DC universes now. That idea,
if you hope to meet someone you
maybe had to go to a gay meeting
point or something, secretly and at
any moment the police could come in
some big entrapment ring. That just
seems so interesting.
Did you have a lot of fun
including real historical
characters? I really loved doing
it. That was one of the great things
about it being a period story.
Im kind of less interested in the
people whore alive just now. I love
that Golden Age of Hollywood, so
getting to write those real people
was actually very exciting for me.
Issue four has Liberace in it. I found
out a little while back, Liberace was
1105
28/05/2015 13:01
[geek]
in the Church of Satan in real life.

It was just great fun to play around
with all that stuff. Im so much
more interested in what Katherine
Hepburn thinks than what Kim
Kardashian thinks.
If you had to cast Blue Bolt
from the current pantheon of
Hollywood actors, who do you
think youd pick? I think its got
to be somebody that guys really
fancy. A lot of the gay guys I know
absolutely love James Franco. I think
itd be quite cool, if you dont go for
a gay actor, then go for a gay pin up.
Blue Bolt doesnt have the
opportunity to be picky, but what
do you think his type would be?
I think if youre in a time where
you can be busted by the police
for meeting someone, well I think
hes less picky than he would be
if he were alive today. I kind of
like the idea he was getting off
with a paunchy middle aged guy
in the comic, because he looked
delighted just to get his hands
on somebody. I like the idea of a
promiscuous superhero. The whole
series heterosexual, homosexual,
male, female, whatever I like the
idea of people being kind of randy,
you dont really get that, especially
if its kind of loving.
Weve been big fans since you
married gay superheroes Apollo
and Midnighter... And gave them
an adopted baby! I was going
all out with that one. It was at a
time when you were first starting
to see gay superheroes in the
papers. It was quite polarising. Ive
got clippings of the MP up here
saying, These people are moral
degenerates! [Laughs] So its
weird, just a few years later, youre
in quite a different world. That first
issue went EVERYWHERE, issue
13, where you actually saw Apollo
kissing Midnighter for the first time
at a party. In this one tiny panel, and
it went everywhere we were in
newspapers all over the world! n
Jupiters Circle is out now, millarworld.tv,
@mrmarkmillar
106
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28/05/2015 13:03
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GT447-099-162.indd 107
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idle hands
[reviews]
ES
M
A
G
Arkham Knight
Game of the Month
The Arkham series has gone a long way to
legitimising superhero games across its previous
iterations and Arkham Knight brings the series
to an ostensible close. Spoilers in leaked special
edition packaging seem to suggest a certain
end to the series but, whatever the outcome, this
story-driven actioner is something of a Batfans
wet dream. This time around, the Batman is
taking on another roster of famous faces and
new threats. But hes not ghting the ght alone
and Gothams hub of insanity has never felt
more alive or more open. With a cinematic
air, Arkham Knight looks absolutely stunning
and the established combination of detectivedriven exploration, gloriously stealth sections
and brutal melee combat really connect this time
around. Whats more, Batman is better equipped
than ever before thanks to the Batmobile and
the Batwing both being playable additions.
AND, for those who love a younger man or
woman in spandex, Arkham Knight also features
appearances by Dick Grayson, the original
Robin-turned-Nightwing, the current Robin and
even Catwoman, all ghting to help Bruce Wayne
overcome perhaps in this series at least his
biggest threat. Out 23 June on Xbox One, PS4 and PC
108
108-109 TECH Main.indd 108
Seasonal Cities
City guides are
nothing new, but
Season Cities
offers iOS users
something different,
with detailed yet
concise guides to 11
major cities that are
updated according
to the seasons and,
smartly, according
to the real time
weather. A bargain
at 79p, this is worth
checking out.
WORDS MIKE HIRD
[apps]
Grilltime Summer
the season of
food poisoning and
people thinking
they can cook with
precision in an
inferno. Step forward
Grilltime, a rather
smart barbecue app
that lets you know
when its time to ip
your meat. Covering
all bases from steaks
to veg, the app takes
the caveman out of
alfresco eating.
LEGO Jurassic World Almost

inevitably, this one sees a plastic
Chris Pratt lead a cast of, well, plastic
people in a plastic fight against
plastic dinosaurs. The whimsy of new
franchises being given the block
treatment cant be denied. But the fact
that LEGO is the only way most films
get a game tie-in, at a time when the
capability of the tech matches the
storylines and special effects in the
films, just seems a shame.
Out June/July TBC across formats
Project CARS Its been slim pickings

for fans of lowdown and dirty
motorsports, with consoles favouring
glossier, more bombastic racing sims.
Project Cars aims to redress that
balance somewhat, and with the full
muscle of next-gen tech behind it. The
results are undeniably impressive
and the developers have managed to
gloriously realise race arenas, with
cars heaving past one another and
backdrops with real heft.
Out now on Xbox One, PS4 and PC
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 13:49
[tech]
WORDS MIKE HIRD
01
Obsessing!
Cant stop taking

pictures? Dont
think a view is worth
looking at unless
youre plastered
across it? Then
look! MORE ways
to take photographs
of your narcissistic
self! Unlike the
cumbersome
sele stick or appbased/time delay
solutions, this little
button connects by
Bluetooth allowing
you to snap from up
to 15-metres away.
Great! 4.99 from
integralmemory.
com
----------
OUT IN
THE FIELD
Summer is here!
Nearly. Ish. And as
the weather turns,
so thoughts turn to
the outdoors be it
for festival season,
barbecue season
or topless selfie
season. Naturally/
depressingly, your
phone now acts as
the beating heart
of your social life,
but theres tech
to enhance that
wherever you turn
gaytimes.co.uk
108-109 TECH Main.indd 109
02
Flashing! The
iLight protective
case allows your
entire phone to
radiate when you
receive calls and
texts perfect for
long summer days
into night when your
phone is on silent
and you cant nd it
outside the tent. Or
because you want
to look fancy. With
a choice of four
plastic inserts, this
is simple stuff, but
rather fun! 9.95
from glow.co.uk
----------
03
Power! Youve
run your battery

down on your
phone after
hours outside by
deafening your
neighbours through
your Bluetooth
speaker, endlessly
taking seles and
posting them to
Instagram, showing
off your ashing
iPhone case and
trying to locate
your drunk friends.
The Groov-e (we
know...) Portable
Power Stick
Charger is on hand
to top up practically
all of your devices,
packing 2,200 amphours of backup
power. Yay! 19.99
from groov-e.
co.uk
----------
1109
27/05/2015 13:49
GT447-099-162.indd 110
26/05/2015 13:21
IMAGE JOE MCCORMICK GROOMING EVAN HUANG USING MAC, SHU UEMERA AND MAKEUP STORE WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH
readers lives
[life]
[07/15]
Parris
Partheniou
28, NHS
Worker, Surrey
---------Nobody really does

anything like this, so
everyone Ive told
said to go for it, or Id
regret it.
Ive been naked in
public before, a couple of years ago. We
all got pretty drunk
and went down to
the sea and you
have to be naked in
the sea. So yeah,
Brighton beach has
seen me naked.
You feel very free
and natural when
youre swimming
naked. I must feel
comfortable with
my body, because
you wouldnt do that
if you didnt, would
you?
I like my legs,
because theyre
muscly. I dont like
my hairy back. Ive
just lost a stone
through changing
my diet. I used to be
really fat and ugly
at school and all the
other boys used to
be the good-looking
ones. Now theyre
the ugly ones and
Im the handsome
one. I used to be
a bit cautious of people judging, like, I
wouldnt take my top
off in front of people.
Whats my weak
spot? I dont like
death, so that unsettles me. That spurs
me to do things like
this. Youve got one
life, so youve got to
live it, you know?
[120]
Break open
What do you
do when
youve invited
someone
else into your
relationship,
but want to
stop?
----------
gaytimes.co.uk
111 LIFE Open.indd 111
[126]
Suns out...
Yes, yes, boys
take their tops
off when its hot.
But dont forget
the golden rule
if youre still
sculpting that
beach body.
----------
[136]
Pride and joy
Boney M and
Heather Small
fans rejoice
it's Pride
season. We
round up the
best of the
best.
----------
1111
28/05/2015 10:19
Former Disney marketing exec

Josh Sabarra blew the lid off
Hollywood with his memoir
Porn Again. From fall outs with
his former best friend Ricki
Lake to paying porn stars for
threesomes, Josh has done it
all. And thats before we even
get started on sex with Alan
Cumming. But after coming out at
31-years-old and embarking on
a sexual renaissance, what else
would you expect?
WORDS RHYS EVANS
FOR MOST KIDS, THE FIRST

thing youd do if you were being
bullied would be to run to your
parents. Id be constantly teased
as soon as people sensed that I
was gay whether at school or at
camp. Ive always lived thinking
that I wasnt good enough, so Id do
anything to keep my family from
knowing what was happening, in
case they felt the same way as the
bullies and stopped loving me.
Looking back with an adult brain
112
112-115 REAL LIFE.indd 112
and after spending 31 years in the

closet I know that wouldnt have
happened. Its very easy to say that
now, and I may have come out at 12
if Id known my parents would be
as accepting as they are. But after
being talked about by everyone, I
just thought that keeping my mouth
shut was for the best.
Working in Hollywood was what
made me realise that it was OK to be
different. I loved the idea of getting
to work beside these amazing
people who Id always dreamed of
getting to know. What I didnt count
on, however, is that the industry
is very territorial. Everything is
about who looks a certain way and
whos invited to what party. It felt
like professional bullying, which Id
already gone through enough of.
Obviously, as with any job, there
came a point where I just burned out

and thought I needed to share my
story. Id been approached a couple
of times about doing reality TV,
but I wanted something within my
control. Id gotten so caught up in
my Hollywood career that Id put my
dream of writing a book aside so I
brought it back to the forefront and
started brainstorming.
Having been a virgin until I was
31, I knew thatd be a large sexual
element to the book and I realised
that it was going to be a very balls
out project, if youll excuse the
expression. When I came out also
at 31 I thought, OK, Im in my
30s, so I can skip all of the things
that people do from when theyre
15 to when theyre 25. I fell into a
relationship almost immediately
with a man named Gavin and just
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:14
[life]
REAL
LIFE
gaytimes.co.uk
1113
21/05/2015 17:14
expected to settle down and live

happily ever after. Of course, what I
learned was that you cant skip over
it you just end up having a delayed
adolescence.
I didnt count on how sexually
alive I felt after losing my virginity
and, up until I was 30, my brain
never understood how people
cheated. Once I became sexually
active, though, I realised what it
meant to have that connection.
Three years into the relationship
I started to wonder what it must be
like to have sex with somebody
else. Gavin and I hired a couple of
porn stars to have threesomes with,
but I soon realised I wanted to have
them without him there.
Id fantasised about Alan
Cumming since I first saw Cabaret
in 1998 and never imagined Id
meet him until one day I did,
through a mutual friend. Gavin and
I were in an open relationship by
this point and Alan came regularly
114
I was sat with my

boyfriend at a
table with Alan
Cumming, but
one table away
was Johnny Weir.
After sleeping
with them all
that weekend
I just thought,
This isnt
working for me.
to this friends house. One night

I was leaving our friends and he
said, Oh, its already 3am. Why
dont you just stay here? I was quite
naive cos Id never been chased
by anybody and it didnt click that
he was hitting on me.
After sleeping with Alan for a
third time, I met ice skater Johnny
Weir. We flirted and I slept with
HIM the day after. It was so surreal
that, for the first time in my life at
36-years-old, I was getting noticed.
That Sunday was when I sort of came
to my senses. Id gone to the Elton
Johns AIDS Foundation Oscars after
party and, not only was I seated with
Gavin on a table with Alan and his
husband, but one table away was
Johnny. After sleeping with them all
consecutively that weekend I just
thought, This isnt working for me.
I included a lot of things in my
book that I knew were going to
piss people off, but I was very
deliberate that it was MY story.
Theres nothing that talks about
anyones private doings unless it
relates to how my life has folded out.
In certain chapters it didnt matter
if it was X, Y or Z who was in the
situation, but obviously names like
Alan Cumming and Ricki Lake were
included, because we were very
publicly linked and there was no
other way around it.
Ricki played a big part in my life.
Shes a really fun and whimsical
person, but what people dont
realise is that shes playing
everyones best friend. Shell share
very personal information with you,
which makes you think that she
trusts you. At the time, I was this
buttoned-up executive who lived life
on a schedule and worked around
the clock. Then all of a sudden I was
coming out and meeting this Peter
Pan character in Ricki. One minute
shell just be like, Lets get on a jet
and fly to Vegas! It was so different
to what my life was like before.
What I learned slowly, even
after ignoring the warnings of my
friends and family, was that the
gaytimes.co.uk
21/05/2015 17:14
[life]
minute a man came into her life

I was kicked to the curb. Usually
the men were threatened by my
close relationship with her I was
even named guardian of her kids
if something was to ever happen
to Ricki and her ex-husband. Shes
a very impressionable person,
though, and this one man she
met on match.com told her that I
wouldnt be very good for their
relationship so she ditched me!
When she found out he was trying
to use her to get a Green Card, she
came crawling back. I told her that
if it ever happened again, then that
would be it. And, of course, it did.
So that was that.
A lot of people have spoken out
against the book, but I didnt write it
to drag anyones names through the
mud. The narcissists in Hollywood
just dont like what their behaviour
looks like when its played back to
them. Alan Cumming even went as
far as to leave me a voicemail telling
me that he couldnt believe Id write
a tell-all book which made me
think he probably didnt even read
it, because thats not what the book
is. Its about my story.
Im finally doing things for me
and not for other people. I certainly
dont have it all figured out yet and
anyone that says they do is lying.
It wouldve been great to get here
20 years ago, but thats not how life
works. You cant ever fast-forward
and I had to learn that through
having experiences and friends that
didnt work for me. Thats just part of
growing up. You cant skip over it
you just have to do it later. Even if it
means starting at 31. n
Josh Sabarras memoir Porn Again is available
now, joshsabarra.com, @joshsabarra
gaytimes.co.uk
1115
21/05/2015 17:14
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GT447-099-162.indd 116
28/05/2015 12:34
column
[life]
And then, that

message you gave
up on waiting for
long ago finds its way through all
kinds of impossibility and turns
up right on your phone screen
I miss you.
Suddenly memories of him and
his addictive ways start to bash
you around the head the way
you felt for the bastard, the way he
made you feel loved, happy, funny,
beautiful and like you were the
only person in his entire world
The way he blew your heart to
bits Or was it the other way
around?
After so long trying to rub him
out of your thoughts and without
him there to remind you how it
really was, its hard to tell, isnt it?
All you know is that without
him, youve felt nothing but the
dull pain of an empty aftermath.
And its been a long time since
you saw him, heard his voice
or listened desperately for the
familiar words that would spill
from his mouth to soothe you. To
let you know that everything was
OK, that nothing was going wrong
and all those other pretty lies
gaytimes.co.uk
117 FIRST Mikey Walsh.indd 117
THE CONTINUING
ADVENTURES
OF GYPSY BOY
[mikey walsh]
that Joni Mitchell sang about.

As time has passed, Ive
become more and more ruthless
with the people I keep close. I
have an ugly impatience and lack
of time for all the bullshit. And at
34-years-old, I no longer have the
patience to fight to keep people
in my life if they dont want to be
a part of it.
The people I care about most
these days are those I know I can
rely on and I intend to keep
them for good. I can count my
closest friends on one hand and
the rest I can take or leave. Who
needs a million friends to feel
valued? And whod want to hang
on to a person who decides that
youre no longer what they want
right when you thought you were
getting somewhere?
I love you, just not in that way
Can we stay friends?
My best advice to anyone on
the receiving end of this is to
graciously say: No.
With all due respect, this person
is doing the right thing by telling
you upfront, but to try and remain
friends with a person youre in love
with who doesnt love you back is
I love you,
just not
in that
way... Can
we stay
friends?
My best
advice to
anyone
on the
receiving
end of
this is to
graciously
say: No
@thatbloodymikey
beyond a nightmare.
Yes, the idea of never seeing
them again is equally as horrifying,
but let me tell you this theres
NOTHING more unattractive than
someone youve just dumped
begging for you to take them back.
The only chance you have and
the only bullet youve got is to
gather what dignity you have left
and cut yourself out of their lives,
for the sake of your own survival.
No calls, no texts, no emails.
Block them on every bit of social
media there is and get the hell
away from them as far as possible.
You might think this is being a tad
dramatic, but it works in two ways.
Firstly, its the only way youll
make them absolutely certain
that they havent made a huge
mistake by letting you go, but more
importantly That youre doing
whats best for YOU.
You need to grieve, hate, pine,
listen to every depressing breakup
song there is, eat the contents of
your fridge and feel the shittest
youve ever felt in your life.
All of this is a horribly slow, wellneeded process. But when youre
still texting, calling, seeing, or
living in the same house as the guy
who started to get on with his life
as soon as he dropped the news, it
can only prolong your pain.
And after some time, if you
do get that I miss you text I
wouldnt read too much into it.
Its a risk-free statement. Take
comfort in not replying.
Think back to the last person that
broke you. Now try and remember
the guy before that the guy who
at the time you thought youd never
recover from. Funny, isnt it, what
time and distraction can do?
Trust me, this will come round
again. And again. And again. But in
the meantime, youve been given
the opportunity to find yourself
again and focus on take care of
you. After all, theres
nothing more important
than that. n
1117
21/05/2015 17:15
PROVINCETOWN
your vacation just got sexier
ptown.org
GT447-099-162.indd 118
28/05/2015 12:35
column
[life]
Youre paranoid!
My roommate Ernie
Glam seemed
frustrated. He couldnt believe
a social media site would ever
remove a persons posts without
at least notifying them. I dont
think they can do that. Facebook,
especially. Are you sure you didnt
remove them yourself? Then, the
ever accusatory words always only
inches away. Are you on drugs?
No, I wasnt on drugs. And
Facebook had removed some
posts. A lot of posts. Posts about old
boyfriends and party invitations.
But mostly about the new webcast
I started a few months ago with
Ernie, The Pee-ew satire of daily
American yak fests like The View.
I racked my brains over this.
Why would Facebook remove our
harmless ol talk show? What could
The Pee-ew have done to incur the
wrath of the titans?
Dont they need a reason to
remove a post? I asked naively.
Facebook could do whatever they
wanted and didnt have to answer
to anyone.
Whats that old saying, I
asked Ernie. The one about the
gaytimes.co.uk
119 COLUMN MichaelAlig.indd 119
SECOND CHANCE:
LIFE AFTER 17
YEARS IN PRISON
[michael alig]
consequences of not having to

answer to anyone?
Absolute power corrupts
absolutely, my old friend
responded. Its like a George
Orwell novel.
It dawned on me just then that,
once required reading in high
school, now that there really was
24-hour surveillance and an actual
Big Brother, no one bothered
studying Orwell anymore.
Its exactly what Orwell would
have predicted a government like
ours do, I said to Ernie that day
over our usual breakfast of yogurt,
fresh fruit and wheat germ were
old now! Encourage obedience.
Only now it wasnt merely the
government doing this, it was
also companies like Twitter and
Facebook.
The day after, I posted comments
on Twitter and Facebook about
how Twitter and Facebook were
removing my posts.
My Facebook friends warned
me not to ask too many questions.
This, of course, only made me
want to ask more questions. Did
this have to do with the fact that
Id committed a crime? Was it
Did this
have to do
with the
fact that Id
committed
a crime?
Was it
something
personal?
And of
course a
gay man,
even in
2015, has
to ask
himself, is
it a gay
thing?
@alig_aligula
something personal coming from

the top dogs at these companies?
And of course a gay man, even
in 2015, has to ask himself, is it a
gay thing?
Friends became more concerned.
If you disappear one night and
dont come home, one Facebook
friend a person from Portland Id
known all of 30 minutes opined,
dont say I didnt warn you.
I didnt know if Id go THAT far.
Facebook was scary, of course not
quite on the level of Scientology, or
Pete Burns lips just kidding, Pete!
I love your lips! But scarier than
your average crazy person. You
didnt want to rile them too much.
So, naturally, I had to rile them.
Lets put everything back, I said
to Ernie the next morning. I went
over to my laptop and proceeded
to re-post every episode of The
Pee-ew that evil Facebook had
removed. Getting Drugs in Prison.
Celebrity Penis Experts. What was
so gosh darned offensive, why on
earth would they have taken these
shows down?
As an added measure I included
a note ostensibly to our viewers,
but meant actually for the Evil
Corporate Big Wigs at Facebook.
Like a frustrated and bratty nineyear-old sent to his room scrawling
a note in crayon to the parent whod
sent him there, I warned viewers to
Hurry up and watch this stuff now,
while you can, before its TAKEN
DOWN AGAIN BY THE NAZIS WHO
RUN FACEBOOK!
It worked. The episodes
remained on my Facebook page.
Viewers rejoiced. Wed won! David
had overcome the powerful clout
of Goliath. Try and tell US what we
can and cant post on Facebook!
Well, perhaps I should save my
rejoicing. Facebook may, in the
end, have the last laugh. Lets
wait and see what happens to my
collection of Pee-ew episodes on
my Facebook page
After this column
comes out! n
1119
21/05/2015 17:15
readers dilemmas
[life]
---------Me and my bloke have been

together for more than 17 years.
Were the first serious boyfriend
either of us ever had and are
devoted to each other. After a
few years, we werent shagging
as much as we used to do, if at
all. My boyfriend suggested an
open relationship and, although I
wasnt sure at first, I went along
with it and we started to shag
other people. It had an amazing
effect on our sex life together
it really got us going again and
it was like when we first met.
But now its been a few years,
Id like to go back to it being
just us again. My boyfriend is
120
worried the sex will go stale. I

am sick of randoms; I just want
to be with my boy. My friends
think the open relationship thing
is disgusting and that I should
move on, as my man obviously
wants to be with other guys and
not me. Is it too late to go back
to how we were? Ben, via email
The Guyliner replies First of
all, you need to worry less about
your friends description of your
relationship. An open relationship,
in any form, is not disgusting. It
does, however, have to be right
for you, and the only way an open
relationship can ever truly work is
if both people or all, if this is a
mnage many are into it and
dont get hurt. You say you went
along with it at first, which suggests
your heart hasnt always been in it.
Though it had a positive effect on
need advice?
120-121 LIFE Guyliner.indd 120
@theguyliner
Need some good old-fashioned advice on matters of love, life or relationships?

Email me in total confidence on [email protected]. I cant
respond individually and your emails may be edited for use in the magazine.
We wont use your real name or publish any contact details.
gaytimes.co.uk
27/05/2015 13:50
WORDS THE GUYLINER IMAGES ISTOCKPHOTO
I want my open
relationship to go
back to how it was
your sex life with your partner, you

dont say what the balance of hookups between you was. Im willing to
bet your partner was more active on
that front than you are.
Its understandable your man
would be eager to maintain the
quality of sex youve been having
together, but lets take a serious
look at your options. If you stop
sleeping around and he doesnt,
can you handle that? It doesnt
sound like it. Youd need nerves of
steel and surgical removal of the
jealousy gene. Otherwise youll have
the added issue of mistrust and
resentment your boyfriend didnt
respect your wishes.
What about if you both continue
sleeping with other people?
Great for him, on paper at least,
but disastrous for you youll be
effectively going out and having sex
you dont want to have. Imagine. Will
you actually go out and do it? Will
you pretend? Either way, this is only
going to lead to more misery.
And if your boyfriend stops but
doesnt actually want to? Hell now
be the one going along with it,
and is likely to be just as unhappy.
You need to talk this out. Mutual
agreement is the only answer
laying down the law and expecting
the other to adhere can only lead to
splitsville.
Youve had 17 wonderful years
together that Im sure youre anxious
not to throw that away, but lets get
some cards on the table here. If your
boyfriend wont stop having sex with
other people, regardless of your
feelings, then youll never be happy.
Never. If he can be persuaded into
couples counselling, then do it.
Youve invited a spectre into your
bed thats only going to be exorcised
when both of you agree how to take
the relationship forward. n
THE GUYLINER LENDS AN EAR TO

YOUR LIFE DILEMMAS AND DISHES
THE DIRT ON THE UNDATEABLES
The Compliment
Trap Most of us like
to look nice, and were usually
satisfied with feeling good
when we look in the mirror, or
snaring a few likes on
Instagram for the odd selfie.
The Compliment Trap,
however, needs to HEAR it. He
wont be content just to know
he looks nice; youve got to tell
him. Over and over. And over.
And over. Itll start innocently
enough. Does this top look
OK? he will trill, as he stands
before you, looking down at the
floor, shoulders hunched, and
feet pointing in together like
one of those dreadful fashion
bloggers. You will, of course,
say yes, because everybody
says yes when asked Do I look
OK? You think your work is
done and that your night out
can now begin. But, sadly, its
only phase one of a multitiered, inescapable maelstrom
of self-doubt, reassurance and
fawning with no way out. But
dont you think it makes my
belly look big/hangs wrong
over my arse/is too tight/is too
big? Youll hear them all
eventually. What he wants is to
trap you into finally admitting,
once you have exhausted your
standby supply of plaudits, that
maybe its a little tight. Cue
hours of sulking, a refusal to
leave the house and general
misery until you crack and say
he looks amazing and youll
buy him a new top to prove it.
WORDS THE GUYLINER IMAGES ISTOCKPHOTO
[01]
ALL
THE MEN
YOU
SHOULD
NEVER
DATE
gaytimes.co.uk
120-121 LIFE Guyliner.indd 121
The solution Set the tone early

on. From day one, say he looks
like John Prescott in absolutely
everything. Or start wearing
exactly the same clothes as him
but a size smaller. Hell not ask
you again.
---------The Shirtophobe
You should,
however, at least be grateful
[02]
[advice]
the Compliment Trap actually
wears clothes, unlike the
Shirtophobe, coming soon to a
summer near you. Almost
every gay man you meet these
days has a gym membership.
While most of us just want to
keep in shape and make sure,
as Lucille Bluth would say, its
our belt that buckles, not our
chair, the Shirtophobes aim as
he pumps iron is quite simple
he wants to spend the
summer with everyone staring
at his nipples. Weve all known
a Shirtophobe. He whips off his
top at the first hint of sun back
in June and doesnt put it on
again for as long as he can get
away with it Bonfire Night if
he can. Youll enjoy this at
first, as you watch the entire
parks heads swivel in awe as
your man pulls that tight white
T over his head. Hes with
me, youll think. But is he?
You get to see all the good stuff
in the bedroom, so why is he
flexing for the masses in your
local park? And lets face it,
its 14 bloody degrees hardly
the Seychelles in high season.
Its not just outdoors, either.
Visiting your parents, hell
wander about around the
house for hours after his
shower in just a towel
obviously. Itll leave your
sister incapable of rational
thought and your mum
washing the same cup up over
and over, lost in a trance
thanks to your boyfriends
gym boobs.
The solution Well, you could try
scolding him with, Oh just put a
bloody shirt on! But if your man
wont cover up, maybe draw a few
zits on his pecs while he sleeps,
dye his chest hair purple or play
him at his own game and practise
your best Page Three poses next
time youre picnicking on the
common.
1121
27/05/2015 13:50
A gay superstar turns the tables

on a homophobic tabloid.
EXPOS
The new satirical thriller by Paul Ilett
Great writing. A fantastic debut from

a former journalist The Sun
A timely tale of tabloid culture
Attitude Magazine
Available exclusively from Amazon
GT447-099-162.indd 122
26/05/2015 13:22
IMAGE LIAM WYCHERLEY
column
[life]
On 11 June this year,

aside from taking my
final English exam,
itll be two years since my HIV
diagnosis.
The potent feelings of immense
fear, regret and sorrow that
circulate in your mind at hearing
such news feels like something
much more recent.
When I was diagnosed, I always
imagined Id obviously be the
person most affected by it, while
people who knew would simply
undertake the position of an
onlooker either distributing their
support or their condemnation.
This seems to be true for the
majority of people in my life until, of
course, you sleep with someone.
I met a boy lets call him Jack at
a house party last year. Hed turn
out to be someone I kept in contact
with on social media as a part of the
growing crowd of young people
living in and around Birmingham,
all interconnected through
friendships, relationships and
party-lifestyles on the scene. Jack
and I had never really expressed
any desire for each other, largely
due to him having a boyfriend for
gaytimes.co.uk
123 COLUMN Positive Luke.indd 123
FEAR AND
LOATHING AND
LIVING WITH HIV
[positive luke]
most of the time Id known him.

Hed be someone that I knew, but
rarely saw.
Well, this was true until a few
weeks ago, when I received some
photos of his boxer-less front via
Snapchat. Unexpectedly, they kept
coming, and the flirting started then
and there something thatd resume
at my friend Jennys 21st birthday
precisely one month later. I found
myself sitting next to Jack in a limo
touching my leg and, overall, being
rather sweet.
After hours of drinking, dancing
and laughing, we returned to the
home of Jennys sister to resume
the party. Jack sat down next to me
and starting playing porn on his
phone. While initially surprised, I
was in no rush to end the signals I
was receiving he was cute, kind of
awkward in his mannerisms, while
still showing himself as maturely
sexual and attractive.
Moments later, we were fooling
around upstairs before jumping into
a taxi to visit a couple he knew.
Had I been completely sober, I
probably wouldve opted to stay
with Jenny rather than have one of
the hottest foursomes of my life,
Jack
asked
me to
keep our
intimacy
a secret. I
wouldve
done
anyway,
but when
I asked
him why, I
dont want
people
to think
I have
HIV, was
the final
response
@positiveluke
but maybe because Id had so few

of them, and Jack had been adding
to the frustration all morning, I
naturally obliged.
Jack asked me to keep my HIV
status a secret from the couple
this was something that already
made me feel marginalised, as I
firmly held onto the philosophy that
everyone who was sexual with me
had the right to know, and therefore
this was something new.
I agreed. With an undetectable
viral load and condom-use, I wasnt
actually doing anything wrong it
was just morally wrong in my head.
The sex was magnificent, but hours
of fun ended with a feeling of regret
when Jack asked me to keep our
intimacy a secret.
Naturally, I wouldve done
anyway, but when I asked him why,
he struggled to get his words out. I
dont want people to think I might
have HIV, was the final response.
Saddened and somewhat
understanding, I nodded. But I
promised myself Id never so much
as touch this guy again, because
the vile feeling of being someones
dirty little secret was worth no
amount of sexual gratification.
This is something not uncommon
with people living with HIV; the
undoable stigma thats attached to
us the moment we are diagnosed
seems to be, in the context of sex,
transferable. We now have another
difficulty to face those of us whore
single run the risk of ruining a
good reputation of anyone were
intimate with. I ask myself today
why anyone would bother.
For someone without HIV to be
involved with me, it would mean a
brave face-up to the stigma I carry.
And in a world where the next
hot guy might be just around
that corner, why would anyone
waste that opportunity with
someone as detrimental to their
reputation as me? All down to the
fear, judgement and
shame HIV will always
seemingly carry. n
1123
21/05/2015 17:16
GT447-099-162.indd 124
26/05/2015 17:16
column
[life]
Im in an open
relationship. I dont
want to be.
For months, Ive been trying to
reconfigure myself to make it
work, repeating the mantra that
its all a part of being a gay man
and that Im challenging taboos. At
least, thats what my guy tells me.
A few weeks ago, I finally
cracked, telling him that seeing
the Scruff and Grindr messages
pop up on his phone while were
hanging out doesnt leave me
feeling very nicely. Guess what
he does when I politely ask him to
take the notifications off his screen?
He groans and doesnt even get
around to doing it until days later.
I guess hes been trying, though.
The other day during another
heated discussion I tell him that
I saw his attempt to hide the iPad
screen when an OkCupid email
popped up. This guy is basically
on any app that can get you sex.
I actually tell him I appreciate
it, since he hadnt made much of
an effort to do anything like that
before then.
OK, look, hes not very nice
to me, so this was the best
gaytimes.co.uk
125 COLUMN PJBrennan.indd 125
EVERYBODY
NEEDS SOMEBODY,
APPARENTLY
compliment I could come up

with. The peace lasts seconds,
only; he tells me that hes
talking with a straight boy
online who wants my guy to be
his first. He tells me this after I
thank him for trying to keep an
OkCupid email out of my eye
line. He blames his word vomit,
but I dont believe in that.
On some level, he knew he was
hurting me by sharing that. Now,
when Im in bed with him asleep
next to me, I try to visualise this
straight boy and hes better
than me in every way. The T2000
version of me.
Sometimes I wish you werent
so nice to me, then it would be
easier, my guy says to me.
Easier to treat me the way
you do? I finish his sentence.
I simultaneously love and hate
myself. Love myself for finally
saying it, but hate myself for
sounding so much like my mother. I
know my expectations of my loved
ones are high, but why exactly did
I pick someone who was entirely
incapable of thinking of anyone but
himself? I hear RuPaul tell me its
because I dont love myself. And
[pj brennan]
Now, when
Im in bed
with him
asleep
next to
me, I try to
visualise
this other
boy and
hes better
than me in
every way.
The T2000
version of
me
@peejaybrennan
its true. But who really does?

He leaves for work really early in
the mornings, so I tend to get up
after hes left, make the bed, wash
the dishes and tidy the apartment.
Sometimes, right before I leave,
Ill sit on the edge of the couch so
as not to muss the fluffed cushions,
resembling a character from The
Hours, and just feel deeply sad
for myself. If I didnt do all those
things for him, Id respect myself
more, I think. But hell drop me,
I respond, and wipe down the
coffee table.
My mind feels muddled and I
cant focus on a lot of other things
at the moment. The day we came
the closest to breaking up I sat
down for dinner with my parents
and asked them to ignore me
and to continue speaking as they
normally would. I had calmed
down and was paying attention,
but I couldnt stop the steady
stream of tears down my face. Just
couldnt help it. But I needed the
comfort of familiar voices.
My guy used to be a chubby
kid, which has left him feeling
inadequate. Now, as an adult
man, he is incredibly handsome
Disney prince handsome and
is using his newfound power
over others as a means of finding
validation.
At least, thats my Freudian
analysis of the whole situation.
Most people dont like to be told
that to their face, though; I learned
that the hard way. Still, part of me
thinks hes listening.
Which is why Im still around. He
tells me he wants to go away for the
weekend soon and, Im not kidding
you, I couldve cried. Then ten
minutes later, I see him flirt with
someone on Instagram and I tell
myself hes a scumbag. Hes not.
Hes doing what he wants.
I am too, but I suppose what I
want is to be not wanted.
I guess Im just going
to have to learn to fix
that, arent I? n
1125
21/05/2015 17:16
average joe-mo
[life]
SUPER
STRETCHY
WORDS CHRIS JONES IMAGE LEE FAIRCLOTH CLEVERPRIME PHOTOGRAPHY
126
need advice?
126-127 LIFE Fitness.indd 126
Whether youre wanting to look good on the beach, shed a few pounds or just
live a healthier lifestyle, email me on [email protected] or tweet me at
@chrisjonesgeek. I cant respond to everyone and your emails or tweets may
be edited for use in the magazine. We wont publish any contact details.
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 12:07
[get fit]
know, Mr Fantastic wouldve

been a better picture choice.
But I only have a Spider-Man
costume
I wanted to talk about stretching
and how often people dont stretch
before a work out. I get asked by a
shockingly high amount of people
whether one should stretch before
or after a work out? The answer is
of course yes and do both please!
The more blunt answer is also, do
you want to avoid an injury?
Again, most of us would!
Stretching can often be overlooked
as a waste of time or even boring,
but its so important in trying
maintain a healthy body. No matter
how careful youre performing your
exercises, your range of movement
and motion is far easier after a damn
good stretch and it improves the
quality of your muscle tissues.
Theres two main types of
stretching dynamic and static.
Used in the correct way, youll
notice that youre getting more from
your workout.
For a pre-workout stretch, youre
looking at dynamic stretching. This
involves putting those muscles
through a full range of movement
by also getting all those joints
moving too. Theres a lot of benefit
from dynamic stretching, as a preworkout warm up has the desired
result of getting your body totally

switched on and ready to get more
pumped, by lifting weights or
hitting that treadmill. One amazing
example of dynamic stretching
is a movement called, get ready
for it, the SPIDER-MAN WALK. Its
where you basically walk around,
completing a deep lunge with every
step and placing one hand on the
floor. Its pretty amazing.
Static stretching, which you can
complete mid-workout and post
is used to almost slow down the
results achieved with our dynamic
stretching and workout. Its a bit
like an off switch, as your body
starts to wind down. I mean, any
exercise basically is hell on your
muscles. If they could speak, theyd
be screaming in pain every time
you hopped on a bike. With a static
stretch, its usual to stretch out a
body part and hold that position.
It lowers the nervous systems
involvement in that area, and starts
to wind your body down, as it were.
I was doing static when I should
have been doing more dynamic
stretching for YEARS.
By stretching over all, youll notice
that your body doesnt tire as easily,
as its more prepped for what youre
about to do to it, and youll probably
notice results more quickly too!
Lovely.
Monkey Nutrition
Primal26 Whey Protein
Isolate powder
A highly biologically
active protein powder,
Monkey Nutrition
offers up Primal26.
A very sweet tasting,
yet easy to stomach
whey protein powder
thats packed full of
BCAAs and essential
amino acids. Its one of
the cleanest powders
Ive tasted and really
supports muscle
growth. Being 17.95,
its one of the best little
secrets out there.
gaytimes.co.uk
126-127 LIFE Fitness.indd 127
[ask chris]
Question Whats
a bear to do?
Greetings from
across the pond!
Is there a way
I can still be
thick without
really bulking up
or dropping too
much I guess
a gay mans
version of being
curvy? Are there
any supplements
youd recommend
taking? Any
help would be
awesome!
Ben, via email
---------Answer Hello in
the US! Supplement
wise, perhaps a
protein/creatine
all in one would
benet you, Ben,
but to get the shape
you describe, youd
have to be training
hard and heavy,
and also eating
ALL the foods.
High intensity
cardio will make
sure you dont drop
the weight, while
you pack on more
size.
Chris move of the month
knee to chest
st retch
To keep things stretchy, I want

to show you the knee to chest
stretch. This move is quite simply
amazing at tackling any lower
back pains. Of course, if you
have a very extreme lower back
pain, then please visit your GP.
This move is a certified move
recommended by physios, even
though it looks like you fell out of
a plane. If a back pain sufferer, try
this every morning.
[01] Start off by

lying on the oor.
---------[02] Extend one
leg straight and
pull the other
knee to your
chest, then push
it away to the
opposing side.
---------[03] Turn
your head in
the opposite
direction to
the tucked leg,
and hold for 20
seconds. Then
switch sides!
----------
1127
28/05/2015 12:07
Two outrageous comedies...

ughs
VE la
I
S
S
A
y
M
graph
o
e
r
o
ch
TIGHT
unes
t
H
T
SMOO
Looking
for fun?
IN VAUXHALL FROM 24 JUNE!
RENT
BOY
THE MUSICAL
...one award-winning theatre!
Above The Stag Theatres annual adult pantomimes...

have become the stuff of legend
The Huffington Post
Cinders S lips it In
Keeps the laughs coming thick and fast. A filthy,

riotous, queer alternative to the usual panto dirge
Gay Times on panto 2015: Treasure Island - The Curse of the Pearl Necklace
The magic begins 26 November...
Join the crowds at the UKs only full

time professional LGBT theatre!
Book today: abovethestag.com
GT447-099-162.indd 128
vauxhall
28/05/2015 12:36
IMAGE MEGAN TAYLOR
column
[life]
MILAN DESIGN WEEK

THE GREATEST
SHOW ON EARTH
[2 lovely gays]
[01]
[02]
This month we bring

you the best of
Milan Design
Week, the greatest design show
on earth. Its a tough job, but
someones gotta do it.
Starting off with a bang, our party
highlight was a bank of caesarstone
swings set in an incredible palazzo
to launch Philippe Malouins new
range of stone planters.
The marble trend of last year
expanded into new territory
with coloured stone, quartz and
terrazzo featuring heavily. Our
Brooklyn-based friends, Calico
Wallpaper, were leading us in
a stunning new paper marbling
direction in collaboration with
BCXSY.
On the colour front, Milan was
full of surprises. Black was the
new black, with blackened ash
and black gloss furniture playing a
major role. Gold was in abundance
on the lighting front, with touches
of chrome creeping in. Deep
blues and forest greens were still
present, but reds, mauves and
purples were the big surprise.
Bold new talent, Sebastian
Herkner, made a big impact on us.
gaytimes.co.uk
129 LIFE 2LovelyGays.indd 129
His cast glass ALWA tables in all

the colours of the moment were
a highlight. As were his beetle,
fish and bird designs for Bosas
ANIMAlit installation.
Fantastical animals were a trend,
in fact, from Selettis family of
climbing monkey lamps to Mooois
rocking unicorns and Jaime
Hayns golden creature masks.
It was the year of the creature, if
only Buckley, our mini dachshund,
couldve been with us.
In other trend news, you may not
be ready for it, but fitted patterned
carpet is back. The bolder the
better. You heard it here first.
We finished off our trip with our
very own gay pilgrimage. One
of our favourite films, I Am Love,
was shot in Milan at the stunning
Villa Necchi. We couldnt resist
a visit and it turned out to be a
spiritual experience. We traced
Tilda Swintons footsteps down the
incredible staircases and through
the vault-like dressing rooms. It
was pure interiors porn. If you
want a flavour of the Milan
design scene,
watch the film. Tilda
commands you. n
[03]
[04]
01 Monkey lamps by Seletti, seletti.it

02 Wallpaper by Calico Wallpaper and BXCSY at Rossana Orlandi,
calicowallpaper.com
03 ALWA tables by Sebastian Herkner for Pulpo, pulpoproducts.com
04 Moooi Carpets, POA, moooicarpets.com
1129
28/05/2015 11:41
interiors
[life]
Geometric shape,
bold pattern, block
colour and even some
80s Wild Style graffiti
get graphic this
summer and brighten
up your living space.
Use sparingly as a
highlight or go all-out
and mix and clash
[02]
WORDS MARK KING
[03]
[01]
GRAPHIC
DESIGN
[04]
[08]
[09]
[07]
130
130-131 LIFE Home.indd 130
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 11:35
[home]
home
home]
01
The trigonometry
puzzle
How many triangles does it

take to make a fruit bowl?
Answers on a postcard,
please. Triangle Bowl
by House Doctor, 43,
atnumber67.co.uk
----------
02
The new retro
Geometric dresser that

could be from the 50s OR
the 80s, which means its
bang on trend right now.
Aldo dressing table, 279,
made.com
----------
03
The pixel pillow
[05]
Monochrome pixelated
cushion. Hold it over
yourself in a photograph to
self-censor. Luna Cushion,
66, skandium.com
----------
04
The cushion clash
[06]
Go for 80s Memphis Group

(Google it) overload and
crowd these cushions
together. Casa De Studio
cushions, 20 each,
made.com
----------
05
The typographic
timepiece
Graphic design as a clock/

calendar. Wait up until
midnight to watch the aps
rotate. Habitat Flap White
Clock, 60, habitat.co.uk
----------
06
The target shelf
Highlight your prized

possession on this graphic
display shelf, folded out
of a metal circle. Pivot
Shelf 1 by Hay, 62,
madeindesign.com
----------
07
The bold classic
Elegant porcelain tableware

brought right up-to-date
with eye-catching chevrons.
Richard Brendon meets
PATTERNITY, pieces
from 40-235,
richardbrendon.com
----------
Love letters Iconic Danish architect Arne Jacobsen

is famous for not only designing buildings, but also
everything in them including furniture, door handles
and even ashtrays. Some buildings obviously needed
signage, so he designed that too, and his hand-drawn
typeface for Aarhus City Hall has since become a
classic. Fellow countrymen, Design Letters and Friends,
have taken Jacobsens completest vision and run with
it. Theyve applied his typeface to a vast array of
homewares and furnishings so you can add Jacobsens
graphic style to your own home. Create a focal point,
your own signs or initialised table settings for dinner
parties the possibilities are endless.
scandinaviandesigncenter.com
08
The urban gnome
[10]
Yes, city-dwellers need

gnomes too, but a sherman
on a toadstool doesnt quite
cut it in Shoreditch. Vitamin
Urban Gnome Street Style,
49.50, vitaminliving.com
----------
09
The visual
audio unit
Bright, statement audiovisual unit with linear grilling

detail. Have we mentioned
the 80s are back? Alton Tall
AV Unit, 250, habitat.co.uk
----------
10
The colour
block carpet
Colour strip runner to coordinate your entire room

around. Miraculously made
from woven paper. Paper
Carpet by Hay, 79,
nest.co.uk
----------
gaytimes.co.uk
130-131 LIFE Home.indd 131
1131
28/05/2015 11:35
got to have friands
[life]
I love recipes like this. Recipes that take

mere minutes to make but are so much more
satisfying than that time suggests. These are
friands, the Aussie name for whats effectively
the same as the French financier, a simple
cake made of ground almonds but you can
pretty much use any nuts and then flavoured
with berries and a hint of vanilla, the perfect
mid morning pick-me up.
D
D
E BER
KIM
W
BOY S
E
H
E
IS T BAK
HO
132-133 LIFE Ed&Gastro.indd 132
a bowl, mixing them together to

slightly cooled butter and mix until
Almond and Blueberry Friands

120g unsalted butter
100g ground almonds
25g plain flour
120g icing sugar
Pinch of flaked sea salt
3 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
18 blueberries
25g flaked almonds
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C
fan). Place the butter into a small
pan and cook over medium heat
until the butter has foamed and
turned a golden brown colour.
Set aside for the moment and
salt, egg whites and vanilla into

form a smooth paste. Pour in the
----------
132
place the almonds, flour, sugar,
uniformly combined. Cover the

bowl with cling film and refrigerate
for a few hours before baking. To
bake, lightly grease a six-hole
muffin pan and divide the batter
between the moulds. Top each
with three blueberries and some
flaked almonds, and bake in the
preheated oven for 12-15 minutes
until lightly browned around the
edges. Remove from the pan and
cool fully on a wire rack. Kept in a
sealed container, these will keep
for up to three days.
Author of The Boy Who Bakes, Say It With
Cake and Patisserie Made Simple,
@theboywhobakes
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 11:48
[food]
Absolut Pride
Tis the season... And no Pride event
would be complete without a rainbow
flag and copious amounts of vodka.
Now, thanks to this Absolut exclusive,
you can have both in one handy
package, as Gilbert Bakers iconic
flag adorns the Absolut Colours
limited edition.
Absolut Colours, 23, Harvey Nichols and 31dover.com
gaytimes.co.uk
132-133 LIFE Ed&Gastro.indd 133
A Peachy Picnic
Serves two
1 block of halloumi, cut into
inch slices
3-4 ripe peaches, de-stoned and
sliced thickly
Salad leaves (raddicchio, endive
or a strong lettuce like cos)
Honey (with a little extra virgin
olive oil)
1 red chilli, de-seeded and
chopped nely
A bunch of fresh mint, leaves
kept whole
Half a red onion, sliced very thinly
Pomegranate seeds (optional)
---------Packing up a picnic shouldnt be
time consuming the whole idea
behind al fresco dining is spending
as much time as you can in the
great outdoors and as little time
as possible preparing what youre
going to eat. Dont waste your
energy slowly baking chicken
drumsticks or worrying about soggybottomed homemade pork pies.
Weve all had our share of picnic
disasters. Being forced to eat warm
foods-gone-cold, struggling through
wilted, soggy salad and choosing
the foods that seem to attract wasps
every single time. So, we abide by
a few rules for picnic foods they
must be easily transportable, should
be equally as enjoyable hot or cold,
must not require much assembly and
ideally should be handheld or easily
eaten out of a container. Follow these
steps and you should have a failsafe
al fresco feast in the sun.
Halloumi so rarely gets a starring
role. While its available year-round,
it seems only in summer salads
that it nds its spotlight. Heres

a picnic favourite of ours, mixing
salty halloumi with ripe slices of
peach, spiked with spicy chilli and
sharp onion for a balanced taste
sensation. You can easily substitute
peach for mango, pineapple, plum
or any other sweet fruit that takes
your fancy. This is prepared in under
ten minutes, meaning you can drop
everything and land yourself at the
park, lido or beach at the rst sign
of a sun ray during the great but
ckle British summer.
Heat a non-stick pan over a high
heat with no oil and fry the slices of
halloumi in batches until streaked
with golden brown on both sides.
Leave aside to cool.
Chop the chilli and add in to the
honey and oil in a little jar (an old
mustard or small sauce jar cleaned
out works great here). Close the
lid and shake this is now good
to go until you pour over at your
destination; the chilli will slowly
infuse its spice into the dressing.
Assemble the salad by placing
the sliced peaches at the bottom
of a container, topped with all
the halloumi, then the onion and
pomegranate with the leaves of your
choice and mint on top. This way
the juicier, wetter ingredients are
kept well away from the drier, more
delicate ingredients.
When ready to serve in your
sun-soaked spot, toss everything
together and slick with the honey
and chilli dressing.
Gastro Gays are Patrick Hanlon and
Russell Alford. For more visit
gastrogays.com, @gastrogays
1133
28/05/2015 11:47
modern family
[07/15]
Gay couples wanting to start a family

are increasingly turning to surrogacy.
But the legal issues associated with
surrogacy, both at home and abroad,
are complex. We asked leading UK
surrogacy lawyer Louisa Ghevaert, of
Michelmores, for her tips on how to
avoid any potential pitfalls
[01] Start with the
right information
Its crucial for intended
parents to tackle the
legal issues from the
outset to protect their
much-wanted family,
as the law is always
evolving. Theres
also no international
harmonisation of
surrogacy law and this
can leave intended
parents and surrogate
born children with a
lack of legal status and
protection in the UK
and abroad.
---------[02] Legal status
for a surrogate born
child English law
treats the surrogate
mother and her
spouse if married
as a surrogate born
childs legal parents
at birth, no matter
where in the world
conception takes
place. This means that
intended parents must
obtain a parental order
the legal solution
for surrogacy in the
UK to secure full
legal parental status
for their child after the
birth, and a British
birth certificate naming
them both as their
childs parents.
---------[03] Fitting the
criteria The legal
criteria for a parental
order is prescriptive.
Intended parents
should ensure they

can meet the criteria
including that one
parent is a biological
parent of the child at
the outset, as the legal
position crystallises at
the point of conception.
---------[04] Issues abroad
Intended parents
should obtain expert
immigration advice
from the outset to
ensure they can
navigate a safe path
home with their
surrogate born child
after the birth. This will
help to minimise time
abroad and obtain the
right travel papers for
their surrogate born
child.
---------[05] Be proactive
The decision to embark
on a surrogacy
journey is one of
the most important
decisions anyone can
make. The fast moving
nature of surrogacy
law and policy requires
intended parents to
understand the legal
issues and proactively
manage them, making
expert legal advice
essential. n
Louisa Ghevaert is a
partner and head of the
Fertility and Parenting
Team at Michelmores,
michelmores.com.
Fun, colourful AND educational

videos that explore LGBT
issues for kids? Thatll be
YouTube channel PopnOlly,
then. Created by Olly Pike, its a free resource aimed at
kids between four and seven-years-old, teaching about
diversity, equality and respect. The channels latest
video, Prince Henry, depicts a loving romance between
a young prince and his servant Thomas, focusing on the
idea of class being a discriminating factor rather than
sexuality. Prince Henrys tale of love is about to be made
into a book, too, perfect for bedtime reading for you and
your little ones. Check out popnolly.com for more. n
POP OVER TO
POPNOLLY
134
134-135 LIFE ModernFamily.indd 134
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 11:53
WORDS CHRIS MCPARLAN
FIVE LEGAL HURDLES

OF SURROGACY
[life]
JEREMY AND MARK OUR GAY JEWISH WEDDING

Some might call me
romantic, but I
always dreamt of the
archetypal 2.4 children family
life. Perhaps due to my parents
being happily married for 37 years,
Ive always believed in the one.
On 5 March 2012, I met Mark.
After ten months of dating I
popped the question, offering
him a Marry Me love heart in
Meersbrook Park, overlooking the
Sheffield sunset. After preventing
him from eating it without looking
at what it said, he said yes.
Over the following months we
discussed how we saw our future.
Mark enjoyed partaking in Jewish
traditions, but we werent sure
conversion was the avenue for him.
With no Rabbi attached to the
Sheffield Reform Community,
we spoke with Rabbi Jacobi
of Birmingham Progressive
Synagogue. While encouraging,
she was realistic about conversion
and suggested Mark immerse
himself in our local community
for an extended period prior to
commitment to study. He did, and
we fell in love with the community
we still proudly call ours. Our
fortnightly commute to Birmingham
for lessons brought new friends
gaytimes.co.uk
134-135 LIFE ModernFamily.indd 135
and a real sense of belonging.

A year later, we learnt that gay
marriage would be legalised and
that Marks conversion would be
complete, meaning we could have
a full Jewish wedding.
With Kat Eaton singing Ane Bruns
Humming One Of Your Songs, we
walked together down the aisle to
be the first wedding to take place
on the bowling lawn at Ringwood
Hall Hotel. We consented to a life
together in a traditional Jewish
ceremony under the chuppah,
with a contemporary twist the
glass breaking represented
LGBT oppression that still exists
worldwide.
We later discovered that out
wedding day 28 July 2014 went
down in history. We thought our
day was just about sharing our
love with family and friends, but
we cant help but smile knowing
we were the first fully Jewish gay
male couple to be married in the
UK. Looking forwards, we cant
wait to start our own family and
realise our personal dream, but
we simultaneously hope that LGBT
communities around the world stop
needing firsts as the
battle for equality is
won.
Smooth as a babys bottom

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1135
28/05/2015 11:53
amsterdam
[07/15]
AMSTERDAM NETHERLANDS
POPULATION 1,317,663
SIZE 84.68 SQUARE MILES
TIME ZONE CET (UTC+1)
GAY LEGAL SINCE 1811
WORDS JAMES GOSS
AMSTERDAM
PRIDE
136
136-139 TRAVEL Main.indd 136
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 12:12
[travel]
magine if the gays formed

a navy and invaded. Itd be
slow, drunken, and very
loud, but the uniforms would
be amazing. Its kind of what you
get with Amsterdam Gay Pride,
which really is more Gay Smug.
Organised fun is hard to do, but
its something the Dutch excel
at. Where so many other gay
Prides end up as a disastrous,
slutty tombola, Amsterdams river
parade is a proper spectacle.
Strictly speaking, its a floating
carnival of only 80 boats, but
hundreds of other craft join in on
the sidelines from houseboats
crowded with families through
to old married couples sitting in
rubber rings with wine and flags.
One of the cliches of any gay
Pride is to say, Oh, well, you
know, really the whole city takes
part. But in Amsterdam theyre
serious. Nearly half a million turn
out, clogging every boat, bridge,
roadside, window, and even
holding parties on the roofs of tram
shelters. The city is full of gossip
about the parade for days before
and after, from the waitress in the
hotel to the shoe shop owner who
had to do emergency heel repairs
for a sobbing drag queen.
Without deviating much from
the standard formula of men-inhotpants-dancing-to-house-music,
the parade itself is, by Pride
standards, a fast-paced romp. The
boats are just so random a Dutch
Bank explains how to balance the
economy by sticking some go-go
boys on a see-saw; hot on their tail
comes a boat full of male escorts.
Competition to get into the parade
is strong, so only the fun ideas
get through, and the whole thing
stays reasonably family friendly
a proposal to have a boat with a
darkroom was quietly abandoned.
What makes the festival work
is its jaunty silliness. If you cant
present an issue through the
medium of interpretative dance in
your knickers, then its probably
gaytimes.co.uk
not going to end up on the water.

Yet that doesnt prevent floats
about everything from ageism to
sexual health, from a swingers
sports club to a boat from the
ruling political party.
This irreverence spills over into
the other events in the weekend
the Homomonument is normally
Amsterdams vague tribute to gay
oppression but for gay Pride, the
big pink marble triangle makes a
handy stage for the Drag Queen
Olympics. And while not everything
is so family friendly why not spend
Sunday afternoon at Fist Factory?
the range of supporting events
covers a lot more of the gay lifestyle
than just pant-jiggling.
Mercifully, there are no worthy
speeches and theres minimal
health and safety. Spectators spray
each other with water pistols, a man
falls into the water and his friends
pass him a drink and a joint while
he bobs happily towards a floating
version of The Wizard Of Oz. The
river police come over to check that
hes all right, decline a puff, and
then speed away, dancing gently.
When it rains and it pours the
parade just carries on, the dancers
popping up parasols while helpers
neatly mop the podiums dry.
This carefully organised fun
neatly explains why a London
version of Amsterdam Pride just
wouldnt work. The Dutch excel
at practicality, punctuality, and
making money. The best that can be
said about Pride in London is that it,
urm, probably happened. A floating
parade down the Thames is a great
idea but wed end up with three
drag queens in a pedalo being
hectored through a megaphone by
Peter Tatchell while Boy George
and Kelly Llorenna made balloon
animals. n
Amsterdam Gay Pride or Botenparade
takes place from 25 July until 2 August. Visit
holland.com or pride.amsterdam for more
info. GT travelled with easyJet, with flights
to Amsterdam from London, Edinburgh,
Manchester and more. Flights start from
31.49 per person, one way, easyjet.com
1137
28/05/2015 12:12
worldwide
[07/15]
With Pride season

right around the
corner, its almost
time to start dusting
off the hot pants
and digging out
the glowsticks to
celebrate all the
strides weve made in
our fight for equality.
Heres the best of
the best Pride events
happening in the UK
and beyond...
Tel Aviv Pride

Date: 7-14 June
Highlights: Gordon Beach Party,
colourful floats and a mass of
chiselled, tanned bodies
Info: Pack your swim trunks and
sun cream, cos its about to get wet
and wild! Tel Avivs great weather,
amazing food and incredible gay
community are expected to attract
around 120,000 participants this year
Website: visit-tel-aviv.com
----------
London Pride
Date: 21-28 June
Highlights: Pride Arts Festival,
Prides Got Talent, Pride in the Park
Info: One of Europes largest Pride
celebrations, last year London Pride
saw over 750,000 people attend the
event. You may also want to keep an
eye out for Kylie Minogue and Grace
Jones around Hyde Park
Website: prideinlondon.org
----------
New York Pride

Date: 23-28 June
Highlights: NYC Pride Rally, VIP
rooftop party, performances by
everyone from Ariana Grande to
Adore Delano
Info: NYC Pride takes place
in commemoration of the 1969
Stonewall riots, which paved the
way for acceptance of the LGBT
community today. The Big Apple
plays host to some of the biggest
stars of the moment
Website: nycpride.org
138
gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 12:12
[travel]
Madrid Pride
Date: 1-5 July
Highlights: WE Party Pride
Festival, La Carrera de Tacones
(a famous stiletto race), line-up
including Sagi Kariv and DJ Brett
Henrichsen
Info: Claimed to be Europes
largest Pride event, Madrid Pride
has built a fantastic reputation for
its huge street celebrations
Website: madridorgullo.com
Pride Cardiff
Date: 15 August
Highlights: Welsh Pride Parade,
main event line-up including
Kinetic Theatre Arts, Jolene Doven
and Amanda Kelli
Info: Formerly known as Cardiff
Wales LGBT Mardi Gras, Pride
Cardiff/Cymru kicks off at
Coopers Field and is Wales
largest celebration of diversity
Website: pridecymru.co.uk
----------
----------
Bristol Pride Festival

Date: 4-12 July
Highlights: Pride dog show, main
stage performances from Heather
Small, La Voix and The X Factors
Amelia Lily
Info: Get your game face on for
what has been voted the UKs #2
Pride event. The award winning
Bristol Pride Festival returns,
offering a fantastic line-up of acts
Website: pridebristol.co.uk
Pride Glasgow
Date: 22-23 August
Highlights: Performances
from acts including Union J and
Heather Peace
Info: Theme for this years Pride
event, is happiness. #BeHappy
is the official hashtag thats been
launched alongside the event,
so whip out your biggest smiles
and flash those pearly whites at
Scotlands largest Pride
Website: pride.scot
----------
Bristol Zoo Pride

Date: 1 August
Highlights: Incredible circus
entertainment, fabulous face
painting, Gaydios DJ Craig Law,
hilarious comedians
Info: For all those party animals
out there, Bristol Zoo is offering
tickets to an exciting new Pride
event just make sure to look out
for bears!
Website: bristolzoo.org.uk
----------
Manchester Pride
Date: 28-31 August
Highlights: The Big Weekend
featuring acts such as DJ Fresh,
Union J and Atomic Kitten, George
House Trust Candlelit Vigil
Info: An explosion of art and
culture, Manchester will be hosting
a series of spectacular events with
stellar line-ups
Website: manchesterpride.com n
LEFT THE EMPIRE STATE

ILLUMINATED BY A RAINBOW
FOR NEW YORK PRIDE
RIGHT PRIDE IN TEL AVIV
gaytimes.co.uk
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GT447-099-162.indd 140
26/05/2015 13:23
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GT447-HOLIDAYS.indd 141
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1141
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28/05/2015 14:49
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Brighton
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gaytimes.co.uk
1145
28/05/2015 14:50
A TO Z
Deadline for next issue 16 June
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146
GT447-A-Z NEW.indd 146
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gaytimes.co.uk
28/05/2015 15:53
A TO Z
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Box 517547
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Box 327793
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Box 787633
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M, 43, with sock & tight boxer fetish.
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M, 60, 66, WLTM M, 60-90 for fun &
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PLACE AN AD
BLACK & WHITE

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seeks black guy, 30-65, for f/ship
& fun. Mancs. Box 885215 or text
GT 885215
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TV M, 48. Seeks M, 65+, for LTR.
Notts/Yorks. Box 621211
DRINK WITH ME
M, 57, medium build, 56, enjoys,
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drink. Seeks M, late 50s+, for r/ship
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fun. Lancs. Box 598393
ATTRACTIVE BUT STRICT
TV, 63, wants to administer restraint,
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feminine, girly Ms, sissys, CDs &
TVs. E Ldn. Box 870280
INTO SUSPENDERS &
STOCKINGS?
M, 65, 6, smooth. WLTM
very submissive CD, who can
accommodate. Staines/Middlesex.
Box 819348
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Trustworthy, caring M, 58, enjoys
walking, swimming & meals out.
Seeks M, 45-70, for r/ship. Ipswich.
Box 927554 or text GT 927554
HANDSOME, CROSS-DRESSING
M, 42, seeks older M, 50-60s, for
good times & more. Glasgow.
Box 838926
VERY BI-CURIOUS
M, 47, seeks M for fun & f/ship. Can
accom. Wirral. Box 690830
TALL, WELL-BUILT
M, 49, WLTM very mature guy,
70+. Cross-dressers very welcome.
Liverpool. Box 457537
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M, 59, medium build, seeks similar,
feminine M for great fun. Cheshire.
Box 463326 or text GT 463326
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LOVES DRESSING UP
Cross-dressing M, 61, n/s, likes
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lots of fun. Wilts. Box 144066
FUN, CROSS-DRESSING
M, 65, WLTM other CDs, TVs or Bi
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434067
MATURE, EXPERIENCED
M, 76, slightly disabled, seeks M for
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AFFABLE, HONEST
M, 50, 510, slim build, likes films,
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Thesic

gaytimes magazine number 447 July 2015

001 GT COVER MAIN.indd 1

ALL THINGS GAY

let the music play

Editor DARREN SCOTT

Thanks to VAUGHN ALVAREZ (135st Agency), LAUREN

Gay Times magazine was founded in 1984

2015 GAY TIMES All rights reserved ISSN: 0950-6101

63 Nautical but nice

111 Readers Lives

006-008 FIRST Fitty.indd 6

WORDS JOE OROURKE IMAGES MATT CROCKETT

Jordi! We all know you from

006-008 FIRST Fitty.indd 7

currently getting bombarded

006-008 FIRST Fitty.indd 8

PRODUCED BY LIVE NATION GLOBAL TOURING

Preferred Tickets for

From 12 June well be able to see Chris Pratt in a

10-11 FIRST Speed Mix.indd 10

10-11 FIRST Speed Mix.indd 11

Hes the sexy Swede who took his childhood bullying

On his winning song Heroes...

WORDS TOM RICHARDSON

they were great. n

012 FIRST Man.indd 12

Long before Sam Smith decided it was safe to come

014-15 FIRST Rufus.indd 14

will have been somewhat tested

a little bitter sometimes, I have to

when you do just Great Britain.

something he hopes to recall when

thats backwards, but thats also

014-15 FIRST Rufus.indd 15

kind of why we love it, I guess,

because of that black and white

Tickets for Live At Chelsea are available

The top three T

016 FIRST Visage.indd 16

by staring it straight in the

Dear Michelle What

Thats a great question

for one another. I see

Kav, Calum and myself on stage in London at the RuPauls Drag

let us eat cake!

Is your local bakery

018-19 FIRST Mix.indd 18

018-19 FIRST Mix.indd 19

Re-start your engines!

boys boys boys

020 FIRST Mix.indd 20

& never miss an issue

TO SUBSCRIBE OR BUY AS A GIFT VISIT GTSUB.CO.UK & ENTER

Theyve tackled high

WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH / JOSEPH OROURKE

022-23 FIRST Sweetie.indd 22

022-23 FIRST Sweetie.indd 23

Kylie, Madonna or Gaga?

say where from! I was young and its