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HOMOVISION REHAB with THE SWARMITE: XMAS BOOZE CHECK

Swarmite Parker — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:56:44 +0000

We know that Alcohol can make gayers do mad things but no one is mental enough to give up Booze before Christmas. Right? “It’s only another month before the New Year and I can get it sorted then” is the annual December mantra of hope. The page BOOZE CHECK on my own website is number 1 on Google if you tap it in, my most popular hit. Funny that, as we are led to believe by government and media that drug cartels are the greatest threat to civilisation when alcohol, the oldest known drug remains a coffer filler in taxes.

Don’t upset the horses. This brings us neatly to heroin chic and horse tranquilliser, contenders for regular off yer face activities. HEROIN for GAYERS? surely not, that’s so skag estate 1986, so dilly boy in the ’70s, well it’s all fashion retro now, visit any Narcotics Anonymous meeting in London or ANTIDOTE , the Soho LGBT substance misuse support service and you will find gay smack heads, recovering K-holers and the like. In the rush to find something higher and higher the old standby of dutch courage – BOOZE – is forgotten in the stampede.

Just because I don’t drink anymore doesn’t mean I am anti booze like a member of The Temperance Society, the problem as I found out, is not the booze or substance but the vessel it goes in and my vessel was as flooded as the Lake District . I remember someone saying “I drank to drown my problems then my problems learnt to swim”. Right. I needed help but couldn’t reach for the phone. Gayers who are alcoholics are in the minority compared to a majority who say they ” drink too much “. There is a difference, a fine line, and no one can tell you where it is, but if alcohol is costing you more than money then it makes sense to booze check.

Using December as a month to start is unrealistic as excuses abound, justifications made and duty calls. You may as well do yourself a service and get pissed till you’re ready to surrender the game and see what’s it’s like WITHOUT BOOZE in the New Year. Using alcohol to function as a remedy for social phobia is easy compared to tapping yer fingers in a dry period to prove you can live without it. People have such misconceptions of alcohol abuse, binge drinkers are the worst when it comes to porkies, lying to yourself that you don’t need it, “I’m not a daily drinker etc” is futile excuse compared to the things you do to prove the point. Just like some Class A Muscle Mary’s who don’t flinch at the dealers running costs or escorts bill of fare, who binge weekends and drink wheat grass juice in the week for detox, using gym workouts to prove they are on top to stay in the game of approval seeking. Excess can become normalised, losing the plot along the way with a chem-ed up body clock. Our bodies used to tell us when to stop, now the ego says stopping means missing out, then we moan that rejection is our own worst fear and reject the consequences of using. I have done it myself.

Office parties, group meet-ups, Shoreditch House invites, marathon clubbing weekends and being sick on the tube is all part of the vehicle called Xmas, but I have not yet scored 100 points this season witnessing sick on both inside double tube doors. The Great Escape. They never made it. No one is suggesting you adhere to the healthy units limit ( unless you’re driving ) the Government lays out, that’s gone at Happy Hour in Barcode, but it’s wise to EAT before you lash out in Soho and beyond. Have a great time and have a drink on me. You’re paying.

But some people are dreading the party season, let’s concentrate on two types. The first are the ones socially phobic, permanently shy and awkward in company and the second type could be connected to the first but is likely to worry someone just the same – the partner, boyfriend or best m8. For this group someone who changes personality or becomes abusive when drunk is nerve racking. Their Xmas is buggered before they start pulling crackers. Some are dreading going home for Xmas to face the drunken Mum or abusive Father or even worse – a drug free Christmas. Coming from a family damaged by alcohol breeds codependency and excuses, it also breeds silence when it comes to explaining London life in Vauxhall. Yes Xmas is difficult but good preparation ahead of the game can avoid worst fears. Christmas IS the most codependent time of the year and next week as the Virgin Timetable draws closer I shall focus on the coda pitfalls of going home. If you partner someone with a drinking problem, share what’s going on with friends, don’t enable the drinker and stop nagging. Make sure you have a Xmas too and avoid babysitting, heavy drinkers are amazingly resilient.

After New Year some of you may want to dry out a bit or consider purposeful using of alcohol and chems. Many support services are free and remember that paid for therapy costs no more than what you spend willy-nilly on booze and other distractions. If you have a drug or Alcohol issue maybe these guys can help in Soho : http://www.thehungerford.org/antidote.asp or check-in to The SwarmiteREHAB Booze Check Page : http://tinyurl.com/mckg6b for a New Year lifestyle makeover.

VIDEO: GMFA’S MATTHEW HODSON ON HIV PREVENTION

Simon McD — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:02:11 +0000

Matthew Hodson, Head of Programmes at gay men’s health charity GMFA, has spoken to HOMOVISION.TV about the recent criticisms of HIV health campaigns as well as the work and aims of the charity, their policy on bareback porn and the effect the internet and sex-clubs have on HIV prevention.

Hodson says that the main aim of GMFA is to provide clear, honest, accurate and accessible information, and stresses the need for a balanced approach towards HIV prevention: “There isn’t one campaign, one booklet or piece of group work that will work equally with everyone,” he says. “We strive to give gay men information. The work we do works to empower gay men. We look at those issues like self-esteem and we do that with counseling, group work or mentoring. If gay men have the information, the ability and the resources for safer sex – that’s what we are striving for.”

In the interview, he also questions the results of the Soho Live Survey – featured in Gary Leigh’s article on HOMOVISION – stating that such research may simplify HIV prevention campaigns: “I think the problem with some of the criticism recently, is blame culture. I think this is the main problem with Gary’s research – it was asking people who’s to blame – and people could say it’s bareback porn, or the failure of HIV prevention agencies. But actually when people have unprotected sex, it’s not just because they saw a bareback porn film, it’s a whole range of different influences that go into that decision. That will be what their understanding of HIV is, what their understanding of HIV transmission is, how they feel about themselves, self-esteem, what they think their partner’s status is etc. These are really complex things. I think the problem with Gary’s survey is that it tried to make it really simple, and say there’s one reason why people are having unprotected sex, and I don’t think that relates to people’s experience.”

According to Hodson, most gay men now meet their first sexual partner online, which has lead to new challenges in the ways HIV prevention campaigns are developed: “Sixty percent of gay men meet their sexual partners on online dating websites. It’s the most significant place for people to meet. Ten years ago people were more likely to meet in cottages or cruising grounds,” he says. “There’s a real change in the way gay men organise their sex lives now, and this is something that HIV prevention agencies need to work with.”

Hodson is also admits that some advertisements for sex clubs in gay magazines are questionable: “I don’t think it’s up to me to say to a magazine who they should accept advertisements or not. I couldn’t name the club, but sometimes I have flicked through a magazine and seen an advert for a club and been quite shocked by the way its depicted because I think there’s a lot that does suggest that there’s sometimes quite hardcore and potentially dangerous activity.”

He adds: “I don’t think it’s damaging the work of GMFA, but I do think there are some things that make HIV prevention activity harder. But this is the environment we have to work in, and that’s why it’s really important that we put out our messages which are clear, unambiguous and honest.”

As to the future, Hodson admits that HIV prevention campaigns must be relevant: “There’s always new people to the scene and you’ve got to get information out to them,” he says. “We’ve got to look at new ways of using the Internet, which is a large part in which gay men organise their sex lives. And it is also about saying ‘We’ve got to take responsibility for our own behaviour’. I also think there’s new challenges which are presented by the fact that treatments are improving because it isn’t the death sentence it was 15 years ago and I think there is a real challenge because we can’t say “Don’t catch AIDS because you will die” because we’ve seen deaths drop by 80%.”

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

TERROR CAMPAIGN AGAINST LGBT IN IRAQ CONTINUES

HOMOVISION — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:40:13 +0000

The rise of fundamentalist groups in Iraq since the 2003 U.S. led invasion has proven deadly to LGBT Iraqis, who are now being forced to either hide or face the consequences.

Using the internet as a means to track down new victims, militia members are now employing computer analysts to monitor traffic on gay dating and networking websites in the region. They work with internet café owners to single out people who frequent these sites and set up fake profiles in the attempt to lure them out.

On the 28th of August, police raided the houses of Asad Galib and Faeq Ismail, both 24 years old, and took them into custody. They were held and questioned for about four hours, accused of viewing gay websites in an internet café on the 21st of July. Both men denied the accusations and explained that the websites had already been open when they had begun using the computers. They were later released and are now in contact with Iraqi LGBT, a London based organization working to support and protect LGBT individuals in Iraq.

Others who have been accused or are suspected of such activities have not been as lucky.

On the 2nd of September, the body of 21-year-old student Mizher Hussien was discovered in Al Najaf, a city south of Baghdad. His head and genitals had been severed, and he had the word “pervert” written in black across his chest. The details of his murder are unknown, and Iraqi police have refused to launch an investigation into the cause or motivation of the crime.

On the 18th of September in Al Shatra Amara, two bodies were found exhibiting signs of torture. They had both been decapitated and left with a paper stating, “This is the end of all pervert homosexuals”.

Iraqi LGBT has been working since 2003 to raise awareness of the abuses being committed against LGBT people in Iraq, as well as provide protection to those who have been targeted. The organization currently funds a number of safe houses in the region, with nearly 100 individuals in Iraq directly benefitting from their work. In addition, Iraqi LGBT has been involved in securing asylum for Iraqi refugees who have been forced to flee the country.

Unfortunately, Iraqi LGBT has not been able to help everyone. The organization estimates that over 720 LGBT men and women have been murdered by these extremist militias in the last six years. The Iraqi government has largely been absent in pursuing the roaming death squads who carry out these acts, likely due to the influence of extremist Shia religious parties that are calling for a moral cleansing of Iraq.

With extremist militias threatening all those known to support LGBT rights, including the 2006 raid of an Iraqi LGBT planning meeting in which five activists were arrested, there is little hope for Iraqis suffering under the new socio-political climate. Once the most liberal and secular of the Arab nations, nowadays a religious extremism has taken hold of the country to the detriment of its people.

Iraqi LGBT calls for immediate international action to prevent the further torture and execution of LGBT people in Iraq. More information and details on making donations to the safe houses effort can be found at the Iraqi LGBT blog http://iraqilgbtuk.blogspot.com.

Ali Hili is chair of Iraqi LGBT.

COMMENT: Hedonism, HIV and the importance of talking

Alex Hopkins — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:52:41 +0000

Everyone has had the odd lost night once in a while. The type when you find yourself stumbling on to the first tube in the morning or, heaven forbid, precariously negotiating your way through the rush hour commuters. There can be something refreshingly beautiful about the experience. At their best these nights can represent a moment of epiphany.

Gay men have a perhaps not underserved reputation for hedonism. After decades of closeted persecution, the 1970s became our moment of unadulterated freedom. Shame was no longer our default mechanism, but a wasted emotion. The lost nights all merged into one in a gloriously wild celebration of sexuality. We created new ways of exploring our bodies and minds and fathomed out a defiantly different, uncompromising lifestyle – the polar opposite of the society that had condemned us for so long.

The spell was broken with AIDS. A decimated community rebuilt itself from ground zero. Men who until then could have been accused of being shallow and living only for selfish pleasure came together to form a supportive family. There were no other choices – kinship was the only key to their survival.

In an age where we have perhaps lost that need for such an obvious political struggle we have also lost that need to care, communicate and support one another. I say we have lost the need for an obvious political struggle, yet conversely it is blatantly obvious to me what we need to struggle to achieve.

The drug abuse, the unsafe sex, the rise in HIV rates and the crushing loneliness I see on London’s gay scene are perfectly obvious – frighteningly so. Do we really have to wait for yet more new HIV infections to emerge before something is done? How many more GHB overdoses do we need to hear about? Is the elimination of all of this not reason enough to fight?

Just as it was in our darkest hour in the 1980s, communication is the key to addressing these issues. People need to come together and discuss how they feel. People’s behaviour needs to be challenged – the low self esteem that leads to this behaviour must be confronted. Opportunities and forums for this in today’s gay community are few and far in between.

There is something disarmingly faceless about gay London now. The need to conform to a macho stereotype is almost stifling. Difference is often ostracised, or even worse simply ignored. Talking is not fashionable. Look at the profiles on gay ‘dating’ websites with their ubiquitous body shots. Where are the faces?

The figures who dominate these sites are, not infrequently, the ‘Vauxhall Tribe.’ They will spend all week in the gym before hitting the same weekend clubs. Even if they didn’t take so many drugs that they could not remember the weekend’s shenanigans it would make no difference, simply because there is nothing different or worthwhile to remember anyway. It’s a learned pattern of behaviour based on purely visuals – the way they flex their muscles to catch the strobes, that over practised pose in the sauna every Sunday morning.

These lost nights represent nothing new or beautiful. Meaningful interaction and conversation is often non-existent. Yet slouched against the walls of the club or sauna, the unspoken cry for attention often betrays a crushing loneliness and desperation at the inability to find the right words to express numbed feelings.

Sex and drugs have always played a part in our culture and always will. In the past, however, we used them to explore exciting, fresh dimensions of our collective psyche. There was a bold sense of being in control. We used the self discovery they offered to show the straight world that we were as good as them and ten times more innovative – and most importantly, we did this as a more unified body. That pioneering spirit has gone. What’s left is a deadened march of purposeless zombies, as stale and bleak as any Tuesday comedown.

Feelings are not particularly fashionable in modern gay life. They are not commercial. They do not sell magazine copy like the Aussie Bum and Abercrombie and Fitch models. These are the people that we are told to emulate – it is these lives that the ‘Vauxhall Tribe’ strive to adopt with the ruthless gym and drug toil. In their minds the more they stick up their noses and swallow the closer they are to this Peter Pan fairy tale version of gay life.

The images that we are taught to consume as gay men help precipitate the feelings of loneliness, isolation and the subsequent playing out of self-destructive behaviour that is swamping and threatening to obliterate today’s gay scene.

Talking is the only way that an individual can build sustainable, meaningful relationships. It is the only way that we can analyse, deconstruct and make sense of our actions. It is the only way that we can create intimacy and grasp some semblance of solace. The further we move away from the ability to hold a conversation into the impersonality of the merely visual, the further we stray from reality. Everyone needs the escapism of the odd lost night, but when it becomes our only way of interacting, we surrender to an anaesthetized universe that is ultimately as dark and companionless as the depths of any railway arch.

Alex Hopkins is a writer and journalist. His blog can be found at http://alexhopkins.wordpress.com/

COMMENT: WHAT THE MURDER OF IAN BAYNHAM TELLS US ABOUT GAY LONDON

Alex Hopkins — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:00:41 +0000

The death last month of a man from a homophobic attack has sent shock-waves through London’s gay community today.

Ian Baynham, 62, was set upon by feral two teenage girls after a night out on 28 September. He spent the subsequent weeks in the Royal London Hospital until his life support machine was turned off.

The heinous nature of this crime will revolt any right thinking citizen. It was the top story on the Evening Standard website and was sprawled across all the papers. The online editorials were full of outraged comments and the so called ‘gay community’ are rightly reacting with incensed horror.

The question, however, is why did it take so long to provoke this reaction? Why, when the attack occurred back in September, did it not receive the coverage it deserved? I am not referring just to the mainstream press, but to our gay press.

I am talking, of course, about the gay press that is available to the largest audience – the scene magazines anyone can pick up in the bars and clubs. The magazines that are more concerned with peddling the intimidating body fascism, untapped hedonism and commercialism that reduces the gay experience to the relentless, topless posing of lost, drug addled nights.

I am referring to the pages dominated by the club promoters who hold themselves up as champions of the ‘gay community’, the same people who wheel GHB casualties out of the back door to avoid undesired publicity, their one concern being the fall of their own egotistical slice of Babylon.

The fact is that when attacks like this happen these kind of magazines are loath to surrender more than a few centimetres of their sex fuelled advertising space to one of the most pertinent and serious threats to gay Londoners’ safety and liberty in decades.

It was the responsibility of gay London to react to the assault on Ian Baynham when it happened back in September. Moreover, it was the responsibility of the free gay press to ensure it had the coverage that it so warranted. Their duty was to bring this lethal trend of homophobia to the forefront of our minds and to direct and galvanise our reactions to it.

That, however, is the function of a community press and there is little left of the gay community in London. It has been reduced to a twisted march of lust and greed. The marchers, of course, look beautiful in the latest D&G and Gucci, but have now spent so long oiling their perfectly buffed bodies and squeezing into their Aussie Bums that they have forgotten to carry their placards.

Nor are they walking together anymore. After all it’s pretty tough to co-ordinate body movements when you’re off your head on Ketamine. Instead they bump into each other once in a while, rarely speaking and often barely looking at each other. Why squander time doing that when you can just grope at what’s bulging through the trunks?

Today’s gay scene is quick, easy and devoid of consequences. There’s no need to think about feelings or care. It’s considered a waste of energy and, more to the point, it doesn’t sell. It is not fashionable to make feelings visible.
Why then has the care gone? In an age where gays enjoy unprecedented visibility and rights and where HIV can be treated with pills, the political fire is dying out. Complacency is becoming the watchword of our age. Why face up to the unpalatable realities which still exist when it is so much easier, and more fun to bask with reckless abandon in the triumphs that an earlier generation won for us?

Ian Baynham’s death reminds us that if we do not reignite this fire and fight to regain the courageous kinship of the past we risk extinction once more.

There are people in gay London who recognise this and are stirring us into action once more. A few weeks ago Half Way To Heaven, the pub in the street near where Ian Baynham was attacked, held a benefit for the Albert Kennedy Trust. It was in honour of the birthday of David Morley who was brutally murdered in a similar homophobic attack in 2004.

The camaraderie in the air was awe inspiring and the convergence of defiant spirit truly heartrending. For just a few hours in that crammed pub a sense of thoughtfulness, humanity and belonging had returned to gay London. As the proud punters sauntered up to the bar, their eyes rested on a notice about another recent homophobic attack in the same area. It emboldened them more still. The sad thing was that for many it was the first time they had been alerted to the senseless events that would leave the unnamed victim dead just weeks later.

Alex Hopkins is a writer and journalist. His blog can be found at http://alexhopkins.wordpress.com/

HOMOVISION REHAB with THE SWARMITE: SELF OBSESSION

Swarmite Parker — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:56:32 +0000

Yes it’s all about ME. Everywhere from street junkies to X Factor, MY dream, what I’VE always wanted, where I’M going, it’s all about ME. Take last Friday night in Soho, most gayers continued to sup ‘n’ stare in Old Compton Street while Trafalgar Square regaled community spirit in silent dignity and community action. The Vigil, though well attended should have been packed into side streets. Thinking of someone else for once is a no-go it seems and in my experience as a therapist, it’s still MY needs that count not OURS in many open gay relationships. It’s a bit of a clue why homo’s can’t commit, we’ve been left to our own de(vices) for too long. We have no instruction manual for homo purpose.

The core of all addiction is self obsession as anyone who has partnered an addict will know, and the gay industry has taken this mantra to it’s heart. Check out QX Tit Mag – are my pecs in it this week?, flick the whores pages, bigger, better – it’s madness innit. We were remembering the impact of HATE CRIME and murder in the square while many Soho regulars were hating politics (too boring . . !), their relationships (too controlling) and their stomach (not flat enough). BTW – hating the way you look in the mirror IS a Hate Crime as well as judging others for being being too camp or too old. Who needs chavs to bash us on the street when internalised homophobia is all around us. How many gayers can look in the mirror and say I LOVE YOU? It sounds cod but try it. Followed by “I love myself exactly as I am”. We can all improve our lives, our body shape and our intellect but if we don’t love ourselves enough into action then we will never be satisfied.

The answer to self obsession is to break away from your usual habits and serve others. This unfortunately involves not thinking about yourself, so it’s a bummer straight away. I wonder how many gayers consciously serve others with no expectation of reward? The Secret Millionaire on C4 highlights the advantages of looking beyond your own needs. We know the script by now, the change of clothes, the reality of other peoples lives, kindness bestowed beyond expectation and the gratitude of all concerned. In all cases people lives are transformed beyond a cheque with new found purpose, the “Millionaire” feels authentic and humbled again without the trappings of power, status and prestige while the cheque holders really do “live their dream”, but the difference is they never asked for it. This is the purpose of GIFTING. This has always been MY DREAM on X Factor is so contrived with the bed-ridden granny staying alive to see the votes come in, the winner just part of a corporate profit for shareholders and the inevitable world domination already styled out. It’s not real, and never will be. Simon always WINS. I know which show holds more humanity, hope and purpose, I never cried when Leona won.

Volunteering in Britain has dramatically increased in recent years. According to the volunteering website (do-it.org.uk) applications to volunteer has more than doubled in a year to over 60,000. Treatment Centres will tell you in no uncertain terms that serving others is the answer for self obsession because it takes you away from yourself, your problems and your jaggered view of the world. This is why recovering addicts help other addicts and recovering gamblers help other gamblers but only when they are asked. If the addict in any form does not reach out for themselves for help you are talking to a brick wall and all they thank you for is nagging. All you can do is put information out there and wait for them to pick it up. Naming & shaming serves no purpose any more than naming the bars who ignored the 2 min silence last Friday for HATE CRIME. You can’t shame the shameless. When another gay bar gets blown up they may get it.

Trying too much to fix the lives of others and being a compulsive helper is more about codependency than service. Codependents always have a hidden agenda but volunteering is simply that, a giving of time, energy and experience to others without thought of reward. So next time you stagger home late Sunday morning consider the people, including many gayers, who staff THE FOOD CHAIN every Sunday who have left or are just leaving their house to prepare food for those unable to do so, due to the impact of living with the HIV+ virus. If everything the health charities told us about HIV was true there would be no need for this service, but then again no one really believes X Factor is fixed either. There is always a rush to do something “noble” late December with Crisis at Christmas when needs need to be met every Sunday with those suffering from the side impact of medication, depression or active addiction. Consider yourself worthy enough to give of yourself, to those who could use your experience, humour and fortitude as well as driving cars and chopping carrots. You will find community there, who are likely to club and drug too, except they get involved as well as tops off. The gay male scene needs mentors, daddies, and twinks, anyone able to pick up a phone – trust me – it will take you away from everything you consider to be important, like the committee in your head that tannoys out ” not good enough ” and do I really HAVE to go to the gym. You know you always feel better after you have been.

So instead of logging into another dating profile site log into http://www.foodchain.org.uk/ or seek out more themed blogs on http://www.theswarmite.com or even the NEW HOMO REHAB FAN PAGE on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/HOMO-REHAB-with-The-Swarmite/198723290096?ref=ts

BRIGHTON PRIDE MAY DITCH DANCE TENTS

HOMOVISION — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:24:10 +0000

Brighton Pride’s £50,000 shortfull in funding for the 2009 event may mean that it’s famous dance-tents may be ditched in favour of a more community friendly event.

Although no decisions have been made yet, Pride’s Chief Executive Leslie Burn said: “By changing the format of the park event in favour of the ‘community heart of the park’ concept we want to bring the event back to who it’s for, trying to bring everyone back together in an entertainment area where people can sit down, have a picnic, listen to live music, cabaret or choirs alongside community stalls, talks etc.”

Other proposals include cutting scrapping the Winter Pride week and withdrawing funding from community groups. The consultation and questionnaire is available on the Brighton Pride website.

Yvonne Barker, Chair of Pride in Brighton & Hove said that despite raising more in sponsorship support than in previous years, a combination of the general economic downturn, increased costs to put on the event, rising office utility costs and lower donations on the day due to the appalling weather, has resulted in the need to launch a major fund raising drive. While many enjoy Pride as a free event, it costs us more than £300,000 to stage.”

“The message is clear,” she said, “if we are unable to raise sufficient funds to cover the expected shortfall, we will need to seriously scale back next year’s Pride festivities and reduce the support we are able to give to local LGBT community groups.”

SHARI’AH LAW MARCH IN LONDON THIS SATURDAY

HOMOVISION — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:19:33 +0000

A march is to take place in London on Saturday 31st October demanding Shari’ah law be implemented in Britain.

Organised by Islam4UK – an offshoot of the banned Al Muhajiroun group – the march will begin at Parliament, pass through Whitehall and end at Trafalgar Square.

According to the Islam4UK website, the group are demanding the full implementation of Shari’ah law into British legislature.

Shari’ah law forbids homosexuality and states that it is punishable by stoning to death. However, Anjem Choudary of Islam4UK and self-titled Judge of the Shari’ah Court of the UK and Principal lecturer at the London School of Shari’ah, states that he has never called for the stoning of any homosexual in the UK. He adds that the Muslim community in the UK live under a Covenant of Security, prohibiting the violation of the life and property of any individual, Muslim or non-Muslim.

Choudary claims that if any individual were to publicly aggress against any of the laws stipulated in the Shari’ah, under the UK Islamic State he would be subject to punishment following “appropriate court procedures”.

A spokesman for the Islamic Society of Britain said: “99.999 per cent of Muslims despise these people. This only serves to fuel racial tensions.”

PACE REVIEWS GAY MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

HOMOVISION — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:11:43 +0000

London LGBT mental health project, PACE, launched its national review of mental health support for LGBT people on August 17th. Commissioned by the National Mental Health Development Unit at the Department of Health the research will examine what is currently being done to promote better mental health for LGBT people in England. In partnership with Dr Elizabeth Peel at Aston University and Ergo Consulting, researchers at PACE will be contacting mental health services across the country and visiting mental health websites to find out how prepared they are to meet the needs of local LGBT populations. The project will be running throughout August and September.

The research project grew out of the fact that in 2008 the National Suicide Prevention Strategy was amended to include a specific goal to promote mental health amongst lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Subsequent efforts are being made to include trans people within this priority. The change followed the publication of a government report revealing the evidence of significantly increased risk of suicide among LGBT people. The report “Mental disorders, suicide and deliberate self-harm in lesbian, gay and bisexual people” highlighted that better awareness of mental health needs of sexual minorities should become a standard part of training for health and social care professionals. It also recommended that sexual orientation should be included in routine data collection.

Explaining why he thinks this review is necessary, Tim Franks, Chief Executive of PACE said: “At the time we were delighted with the recommendations of the report. I personally believe that the rates of attempted suicide in our community, particularly among young people, are of great concern. Over one year on from changing the national strategy we are keen to see what, if anything, has been done to implement these proposals. We want to identify those parts of the NHS and voluntary sector that have taken a lead in addressing this issue and can be used as examples of good practice for others. We also want to hear from LGBT people who have personal experience of struggling with suicidal thoughts about their views of what has helped them and what could be done to help further. To those people I would say: ‘Please help us, to help others by telling us about your experiences’.”

Keith Foster, the Suicide prevention Strategy Implementation Lead for England said: “Following the publication of the systematic review in February 2008 we now include LGB people as a specific group who have special needs under Goal Two of the Suicide Prevention Strategy. We now need to support those organisations working with LGB and trans people, including health and social care agencies, on actions that are required to enable us to reduce the risk of suicide in this group of people. This review will provide us with practical recommendations in policy and service provision leading to an improvement in the mental health and well-being of LGBT individuals”.

An online survey for LGBT people who have experienced suicidal thoughts is accessible from the PACE website. Anyone who is willing to share their experiences of support services can complete the form in a few minutes by going to www.pacehealth.org.uk/research.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the project or find out ways in which you can support the project should contact Tim Franks at PACE by emailing tim.franks@pacehealth.org.uk

Gaypedia launches new-look site

HOMOVISION — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:39:41 +0000

Gay travel and information website gaypedia have just unveiled their new-look site.

The site now makes it easier to become a member, search for content, connect with other members; add and discover information about destinations, events, and venues; and provide community updates through personal blogs. gaypedia has a cleaner, fresher look incorporating blogs, relevant news items, forums and special offers.

Users are able to obtain specific gay and lesbian related information on worldwide destinations, bars, restaurants and clubs all from one portal rather than trawling through search engines for relevant local information.

For those users who will be travelling, it is also possible to print out guides for destinations, venues and events that they can take with them on their travels. After the trip, each entry can be rated or amended by members to improve the quality of the information available for other members and users.

gaypedia has also introduced a Live Chat function to allow members to participate in open discussions or set up their own private chat (one-on-one) with other users.

“gaypedia is putting information in the hands of gays and lesbians across the world. By sharing our knowledge and personal experiences we can build an encyclopaedia of relevant location information for travellers and locals,” said Ryan Haynes, marketing manager. “gaypedia isn’t just about travel, but discovering more about the gay and lesbian world. People can now upload information and updates so it’s easier to search and discover what is actually going on in our community.”

The end of the end for The End

Simon McD — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:57:24 +0000

The End, one of central London’s most talked about clubs and former home to nights such as DTPM and Discotec, is to close its doors on January 24th 2009.

There’s no news as yet as to what it will be turned into. Our bets are on a Pizza Express. Either way though, it strikes another blow to the central London clubbing scene. What with talk of recession, all the bad weather we’re having and disco’s closing – is there anything going to be left in this town?

Here’s some quotes from their website:

“An opportunity arose that made us think even more deeply about what we wanted for The End in the future. Not just for today and tomorrow, but for several years moving forward. We discussed with the people that make the club what it is behind the scenes whether we wanted to carry the club on, and whether we could all continue to be as engaged as we had been. It was inevitable that people would eventually want to move on, and the chance to do this was in front of us.” – Zoe, Manager

“Well it wasn’t a purely financial decision – it was about beginning again for us. We felt that we’d done what we could do here, and we wouldn’t want to be in a position where we’re just repeating ourselves. So the choice we were faced with was either how to develop The End, or how to let go.

We’ve had offers for the club before, and yes, this was the best one. But I wouldn’t say that it’s so good that it makes this a purely financial issue – it’s a circumstantial issue, coupled with financial. If it was seven or eight years ago, an offer like this wouldn’t have been accepted. It’s a lot to do with the timing.” – Layo, DJ, manager.

Don’t send flowers.

Walk for Life 2008

HOMOVISION — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:12:13 +0000

June 1st sees Cruisaid’s Annual Walk for Life – Europe’s largest fundraising walk for HIV and AIDS – take place though the streets of London.

Last year 2,300 people took part, raising 375,000 British smackeroons for Charity.

We spoke to Simon Johnson, 26, who decided to ditch last week’s London Marathon and chaffing lycra leggings for something more butch yet slinky:

So why didn’t you do the Marathon?
I struggle with 45 minutes of spinning at my gym, I wouldn’t manage the marathon. Although there are other marathons to take part in, but they stay firmly in the bedroom!

Why are you getting involved with Walk for Life?
Crusaid’s Walk for Life is such a good cause. This year it starts at Potters Field Park right next to the Mayors Office, so a real opportunity for people to make their voice heard and raise funds for HIV and AIDS.

Why is it important for you to take part?
A few years ago none of my friends were diagnosed positive. Now, it’s more than a handful and sadly it’s growing every year. Thankfully organisations like Crusaid and the National AIDS Trust that make sure those living with HIV and AIDS get the support they need, if they need it.

What do you want to gain from it?
Well – apart from raising funds – firm legs, although the spinning keeps those in check! It’s a great feeling to finish the walk and have a smoothie afterwards, a real sense of achievement.

How can we sponsor you?
By logging on the Walk to Life website and searching for Simon Johnson. Or you can CLICK HERE.

Simon is usually found at Randall & Aubin, Profile Bar, The Box. He’s also not a major fan of clubbing but is loving Matinee right now. “It’s back to it’s glory!” he says. Oh yes. We do agree.

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