Lgbt history Month Gets Ready for Summer

Celebrating our Present

Creating our Future

LGBT History Month bulletin 73

Welcome to the 73^rd LGBT History Month Bulletin.

This bulletin covers mid-June to July 2010



LGBT History Month Gets Ready for Summer

In spite of the Bank Holiday weather, we had a fantastic time at Birmingham Pride. We’ll be back on July 3^rd in London. Rainbow will also by on the Pride Parade in Norwich on July 31^st, so look out for that too.

If you would like to walk, march or dance beside the bus on July 3^rd, contact Tony Fenwick on 01582 451424.


Schools OUT Outrage! Stonewall Sock it to The House

History was made in Oxford as Stonewall, Outrage and Schools OUT teamed up to debate at the Oxford Union against the motion that: "This House believes that gay rights have undermined family values".

Speaking against the motion were:

Peter Tatchell - High profile human rights activist Outrage member

Sue Sanders - Co-chair of Schools Out

Luke Tryl - Stonewall worker and Former Union President.

The team produced some deft arguments opposing the motion, which was lost by over 200 votes to 34. Sue challenged the limited definition of 'family' and wondered why it was so vulnerable that it needed to be protected from people like her.

The House team was a mixed bunch. Only Stephen Green was clear that gay rights were problematic and his arguments were poorly thought out.

Stephen Green - National Director of the evangelical pressure group Christian Voice

Michael Lucas - Gay pornographic actor and director

Alex Lau - Union Secretary CTTE.

The debate formed part of Oxford’s LGBT Pride celebrations.

Pride Games is an annual week long LGBT multi-sports & leisure festival. Pride Games is hosted by a number of accessible venues around Greater Manchester.

Pride Sport chair Lou Englefield said:

“Taking part is what matters most and there will be something to suit most tastes. Pride Games tries to challenge stereotypes and provide many and varied opportunities for participation in a way that suits you.

“Whether you join us as a volunteer, a sports club, an individual, as a spectator or as a sponsor - everyone is welcome!” Pride games come to a close on Sunday 13^th of June.

To find out more go to http://www.pridesports.org/

9-18 June 2010

June 2010 marks 40 years since Gay Pride Parades first burst onto the streets. Over the weekend of 27-28th June 1970, lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people took to the streets of New York , Los Angeles , San Francisco and Chicago to celebrate the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

To mark this milestone the 12 Star Gallery will host an exhibition that documents the 10,000 mile (16,000 km) PRIDE Solidarity Tour 2009 by British lesbian, Clare Dimyon as she "Pride-hopped" her way around the Gay Pride parades and other events, in a dozen major cities in Central & Eastern Europe.

Clare says: "This exhibition is part celebration, part tribute to LGBT people across Central and Eastern Europe who face unique challenges of “coming out” in countries still emerging and recovering from totalitarian occupation. The coincidence of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with the 40th anniversary of Stonewall reminds us that this message of liberation has a particular resonance for the LGBT people."

"Gay Pride Parades in Central & Eastern Europe have a significance beyond the struggle for the human rights of LGBT people. They also act as an exercise in democracy, in countries deprived of democratic processes for almost half a century. PRIDE Parades contribute to the strengthening of democratic values as these countries continue to emerge and recover their national and cultural identities in the post-Soviet era. Curiously, this process of emergence: the retrieving and piecing together of identity and culture shares many similarities with the process of "coming out" familiar to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people."

With the support from the European Parliament's Intergroup on LGBT Rights www.lgbt-ep.eu

http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/information/exhibitions/index_en.htm

The 12 Star Gallery, situated in the European Commission's offices at 8 Storey's Gate, London SW1, is the venue for regular exhibitions which celebrate the creativity and cultural diversity that is the hallmark of the European Union. All exhibitions are open to the public from 10am-6pm, Monday to Friday and entry is free.

Approximately ten Iraqi refugees were removed to Baghdad early on the 9^th of June on a deportation flight via Sweden. At least three people’s tickets were cancelled before the flight and were instead given tickets for another deportation next Wednesday, the 16th, at 22.45.

Those whose tickets were cancelled for the flight today were to be removed forcibly. We believe the people sent back today had signed voluntary return papers. Approximately fifty people who do not want to go back are currently held in immigration detention centres and have been given tickets for the 16th June flight. If today’s flight is successful and a deportation route to Baghdad is opened it will make it easier to deport people who do not want to go back in the future.

Ali Hill of Iraqi LGBT fears many are LGBT and that they face death on their return.

(born June 9, 1952) is a transwoman Turkish celebrity and popular singer of Ottoman classical music. Over the years, Ersoy has become a symbol for the increased tolerance for LGBT figures in Turkish media.

(July 10, 1981[1]) is a reputed Italian mafia figure. Gabriele, a member of the Camorra crime family, was billed as the first transgender mafia figure following an arrest by Naples police in February 2009

American bisexual dancer, singer and actress, born in St. Louis, Missouri as Freda Josephine McDonald. She lived most of her life in France. In 1937 she became French citizen.

(4 June 1955)

Scottish writer, born in Kirkcaldy as Valerie Lesley Campbell McDermid.
Sandra Bernhard

(6 June 1955)

American comedian and actress, born in Flint, Michigan. Bernhard gave birth to daughter Cicely Yasin on July 4th, 1998.
Fiona Shaw

(10 July 1958)

Irish actress, born in Cork as Fiona Mary Wilson. She studied at Cork University (Philosophy) and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Gay and bisexual men
Vikram Seth

(20 June 1952)

Indian bisexual poet and writer, born in Calcutta
Jimmy Somerville

(22 June 1961)

British singer, born in Glasgow, Scotland. Became famous with the bands Bronski Beat and The Communards (with Richard Coles). Later he started a solo career
Alan M. Turing

(23 June 1912 - 7 June 1954)

British Mathematician, philosopher and founder of computer-science. Alan Mathison Turing was born in Paddington, London. During World War II Turing developed the ‘Bombe’ which could decipher German Enigma code.
Labi Siffre

(25 June 1945)

British pop singer, songwriter, poet and playwright, born at Queen Charlotte's Hospital Hammersmith in London. Patron of LGBT History Month.

For events in Camberwell, click http://www.gaycamberwell.com/

Radical Records: Thirty years of lesbian and gay history (1957-1987) will be re-issued this year - the hardback and the ebook in July and the paperback in October. Further details from http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415591133/

Radical Records is a collection of personal stories about people's involvement in lesbian and gay politics between the publication of the Wolfenden Report in 1957 and the introduction of Section 28 in 1987. The polyphony of this anthology reflects much of the diversity and turbulence of the sexual politics in this thirty year period. The book remains one of the key texts about these significant but strangely under-researched developments. Radical Records was first published by Routledge in 1988 and is now being re-issued as part of the series of Routledge Revivals. It was edited by Bob Cant and Susan Hemmings.

With all kinds of cuts in educational budgets on the way and the very existence of libraries under threat, we hope that you will be able to place orders for this book before the axes fall as deeply as they are likely to do. The paperback version will, of course, be an ideal birthday gift for your nearest and dearest. http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415591133/

Volunteer says, "Broken Rainbow is currently looking for volunteers to help out at Nottingham Pride! We'd appreciate as much help as you can offer. If interested, please e-mail James Harrison (Trustee) prides2010@broken http://www.facebook.com/l/17f68;rainbow.org.uk for more information. Thanks!".

Homophobic and Transphobic Quotes
“Nobody would ever think a movie that deals with gay themes would come out of the Caribbean, but it did.”
Bahamian filmmaker Kareem Mortimer on Children of God, his latest film which deals with a gay relationship (culturewnyc 01-06-10)
‘A decade ago Uganda was at the forefront of a liberal renaissance sweeping Africa. Then, Angela, a Ugandan transvestite, led a dance troupe that regularly played to packed houses. Now she fears for her life. “This is the worst it has ever been; they say we are evil and blame us for everything,” she said.’
From an article that relates the trans/homophobia prevalent in Africa to influences from the US (NewsoDrome 06-06-10)
"There was an individual who was a school teacher in a regional area and he was subjected to ongoing homophobic abuse by students, and it led to physical abuse as well.

"He was quite distressed by this and ended up suffering from severe anxiety and depression to this day, and he was dismissed by the Department of Education as being unfit to serve as a teacher.