Pink Sauce

The last time I mentioned Christmas and the Chorus, we had just started our series of performances at Selfridges. The Christmas season is now well and truely over (only for a short appearance on Sunday on LBC ). Selfridges, as usual, was fun: Unlike any other gig, you get to interact with the audience (albeit in a limited way simply by smiling and waving at them as the slide past on the escalators). This year we did not get a heckler but I did spot a few faces going quickly from a smile to a frown as their owners finally read our name. Most people are however please to hear and see us. We even caused a couple of lesbians to kiss, which was rather sweet. Celebrity spotting count: one half (no idea which) of Ant and Dec . Extract of Make the Yuletide Gay 2006, Christmas Medley (6:13) Wednesday 20th was the busiest day for the us, I think. After our last four short gigs at the store, those taking part had to rush to the Barbican to the tech rehearsal (some pictures available at the Chor...

I went to a friend's in Camden yesterday for Christmas lunch. We stuffed our faces with a very nice traditional meal (I can almost see why sprouts are considered a delicacy in this country now), sweets and a little alcohol. We watched some TV (including the Queen) and a couple of films. Since there is no public transport on Christmas day in London and rather than walk for an hour as I did last year, I had borrowed an old (as in antique) bike from Slightly. It was very enjoyable to cycle in an almost deserted London. On the way back I took the scenic route through Soho, Trafalagar Square and Whitehall. All more or less completely deserted as shown in the picture above. Merry Christmas, y'all! Tags: London , Christmas .

As advertised in a previous post, The London Gay Men's Chorus' Christmas season is now in full swing. We had our first too short gigs in a bar in Islington on Sunday in support of the Terrence Higgins Trust. That went ok, if you don't take into account the noisy environment, the lack of a director and the boosing between the two sets. Yesterday, we started the three day schlep at Selfridges in Oxford Street. This is the third year running that we are doing it (and I am taking part) and it is always good fun. The first set was as usual crap. It's more like a technical rehearsal than a proper performance. We need to get used to the location and figure out how we sound. Good job the Monday morning at 12 are not that busy. After four sets and a whole afternoon of almost uninterupted singing, I would have loved to go home and... die. Not so, however. We all trudged our way to lovely Camden for a dress rehearsal of wednesday's big concert at the Barbican. Another three ho...

As I mentioned before , yesterday was a landmark in broadcasting history with the airing of the Civil Partnership of the characters of Adam and Ian in the BBC Radio4 soap The Archers. I had a meeting so I could not listen to the episode as it was broadcast but I have just listened to it. On the whole a rather underwhelming affair. Not as moving as when Ian proposed to Adam. What really got my goat, however, was the last scene of the episode. The piece was about the "wedding", as everyone is calling it and how the fathers of both grooms finally decide to attend the ceremony. What was billed as Adam and Ian's big day by the network, a recognition and celebration of gay lives in its own little way, was, at the eleventh hour, highjacked. The producers and writers of the show decided that it would be good to bring things back to "normal" I suppose by having two other characters (a straight couple) become engaged publicly during the after ceremony party. While I can ...

If you feel you want to do something in support of the proposed new legislation but are not sure how to, here is the copy of an email from journalist and gay activist Simon Fanshawe including the template of a letter to Ruth Kelly (the minister in charge of the regulations). Feel free to use it and to let your contacts know. The Christians fundies are being very active against the new regulastions and we need to do just as well. Previous posts on the subject: * Anti-Gay Christians Strike Again * Anti-Gay Christians Strike Again - part 2 * Sexual Orientation Regulations - The Saga Continues See also Thanks ------ Forwarded Message From: Simon Fanshawe Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2006 09:42:53 +0000 To: " " Dear All Apologies for a round robin but I am sure that you will want to make your views known on this. It will affect the lives of many of your friends. The Government has proposed, as part of their commitment to equal treatment for all citizens,legisl...

Another bout of shameless (self) promotion. As of Sunday, I will be on a roll to Christmas, performing all over London with the Chorus. Here is the bill of fare for you enjoyment. Busy! Sunday 17 December Carols @ The Green , Islington, London - 4:30pm and 6:00pm In support of the Terrence Higgins Trust . 18, 19 and 20 December Carols @ Selfridges - Oxford Street, London Monday: 12:00, 1:45, 3:30 and 5:15 Tuesday: 12:00, 1:45, 3:30 and 5:15 Wednesday: 10:30, 11:45, 1:00 and 2:15 Wednesday 20 December SOLD OUT Make the Yuletide Gay 2006 , Barbican Hall, London - 7.30pm Great music, both traditional and modern - plus a generous sprinkling of laughter and glitter. This year the emphasis is on jazz and swing and the party is bigger than ever. We welcome as our celebrity host, the brilliant Sandi Toksvig . Start your Christmas in spectacular fashion. Reserve your seats now before they all go! Book online or by phone on 020 7638 8891 Friday 22 December Fun, Laughs, Good Time , Club XXL...

Tony Cameron, since his accession to the forefront, has been busy weaving a clearner, friendlier and more liberal image to his party. This has included support for the Civil Partnership Act and a call for more involvment of gay people in political life (see previous post on this). For a while people seemed to be taken by this although there are signs that this might not be quite the case any more. It is certain however that the new official stance of the party has angered some of its more orthodox members. In reaction to both these facts, it seems the party is about to make yet another u-turn with a call to a return to " Victorian Values . That would be hypocrisy, then. The victorian being renowned for keeping up appearances while they went about their secret lives. The Guardian article referred to by the previous link also alludes to a recent declaration by Ian Duncan Smith (the previous incarnation of Tony Cameron) in today's Sunday Telegraph regarding Gay couples: Duncan S...

I seem to have managed to upgrade this blog to the new version of Blogger with too many glitches. This actually went fairly smoothly. From now, you will notice at the bottom of each post things called "Labels". They work as categories by which to sort the posts on this blog for your enhanced viewing pleasure. All labels relevant to this blog are listed on the side bar. Those labels are quite self-explanatory but I would to particularly attract your attention towards the "Crème" label, which is a (non-exhaustive) selection of what I think are my better posts. "F-arty" highlights my attempts at artistic expression and "Stuff" gathers orphan posts and other unclassifiables... I have also taken the opportunity to get rid of some of the stuff that was clogging up the side bar... I hope you like. Some people seem to be finding the process a little more stressful. Looks like I am going to have to do a tutorial on the phone! What a great Friday evening ...

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has launched an investigation into an advert from Christian groups in The Times newspaper last month which described new gay equality laws as an attack on “conscience. An ASA spokesperson said that there have been 38 complaints. The investigation will take around 6 weeks. I, myself, submitted a complaint to the ASA about the advert, mostly based on the content of this post . I received a letter telling that they would keep me inform of further development. Watch this space. In the meantime, Ruth Kelly (a staunch Catholic and the Cabinet minister responsible for equality (sic!)) is reported to be at odds with Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary, for his early introduction of the new law in Northern Ireland without any exceptions. Ms Kelly is now reported as wanting to introduce restrictions on religous ground. And Christians fundies still get the wrong end of the stick . The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship have commissioned an independent...

His street on his day Today, St Nicholas' Day , I found myself completely by chance on the relevant street, somewhere in deepest New Cross, "Sarf" London. Fading St Nicholas Street sign Tags: London , history , gay , LGBT , GLBT , lesbian , bisexual , transgender , homophobia , gay rights .

Today, 6th December, according the catholic calendar anyway, marks Saint Nicolas ' Day (this is also apparently the celebration of Diana 's birth, no, not THAT Diana, you poof!). St Nicolas is actually quite an important saint. He is the origin of Santa Claus, the patron saint of children, sailors, fishermen, the falsely accused, pawnbrokers, thieves and many cities too. Traditionally, he is represented with three children in a barrel (his legend says that he resurected them after they had been slaughtered and put there to cure by a butcher). As such this is my Name Day since I am called after him (and my paternal great-grandfather, I think) "Victory of the Peoples" (Νικόλαος, Nikelaos, Nicolas). In all catholic countries, this is the occasion for some sort of celebration. France's version is quite tame and is limited to sending a greeting card simply wishing "bonne fête" to the person concerned. The picture in this post (which I shot) represents the re...

Minister for Equality, Meg Munn calls it one of the most significant pieces of legislation introduced by the Blair government. The Civil Partnership Act was one yesterday, although the first ceremonies only took place on 19th (Nothern Ireland), 20th (Scotland) and 21st (England) December 2005. Since then just over 15,000 partnerships have taken place, a figure that overtakes the government's expectations by several years. There were 14,084 partnerships in England, 537 in Wales, 942 in Scotland and 109 in Northern Ireland. Read the full report from the Office for National Statistics here . The interesting thing about this, apart from the obvious demand for and success of the law, is that society hasn't collapsed, as all good religious wingnuts would want people to believe. However, as I mentioned before , while we have more or less won the legal, there is still a lot of work to be done to make people and society realise that we are not that different from them and therefore sho...

Christmas is upon us (more or less). If like me, you see in this a reason to be depressed rather than overjoyed, you may want to check those upcoming events to take yourself away from the grim consumerist reality and to more surreal plains: * Santa Claus Pub Crawl - organised by London Business School Students Association. No date yet. * Santa Lash 2006 - Starts at Temple Walkabout, on 16 December at 6pm. If you are feeling more energetic and health conscious, however, I would recommend the first London Santa Run . It will take place in Battersea Park, Wandsworth on Saturday 9 December from 9:30am. Tags: London , Santa , surreal , Christmas , madness .

In a special broadcast on MTV to mark World AIDS Day, Tony Blair said he thought it would be better "if all the churches and religious organisations were facing up to reality. [...] If we have a sort of blanket ban coming from religious hierarchy saying it's wrong to use contraception], then you discourage people from doing it in circumstances where they need to protect their own lives," Tony Blair was completely right to tell religious leaders to become more responsible regarding the use of condoms. Not only is the Catholic Chruch against the use of condom, it actually claims that condoms do not work. This was mentioned in the Guardian by Polly Toynbee at the time of John Paul II's death: "Refusing support to all who offer condoms, spreading the lie that the Aids virus passes easily through microscopic holes in condoms - this irresponsibility is beyond all comprehension." On Any Questions tonight, there was a question about this and we heard Matthew Parri...

Legible version of the advert. Found on the Christian Institute's website. Read part one here . Now that I have been able to see the advert, the full extend of the signatories' delusion becomes apparent. Not only is this law not about sex (as I mention in part one) but it will not force people to do things (like teaching school children about Civil Partnerships, which they probably should do anyway as part of telling about the country's institutions) but solely prevent them from being as maliciously intolerant as they reveal themselves to be in this episode. They clearly seem ready to turn away gay orphans simply for who they are, forgetting, as they so often do their own doctrine of hating the sin while loving the sinner: They very clearly hate the "sinners". Thus proving the need for such regulations. The advert is full of lies and shows how hysterical those people are about this subject. As I said, the law will not force school to teach certain things, neither ...

Smoking will be banned in all workplaces and enclosed public spaces in England from July 1 next year, Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt announced on Friday. The ban includes all offices, factories, shops, pubs, restaurants, public transport and work vehicles used by more than one person. Indoor smoking rooms, common in many workplaces, will also have to close and smokers will have to go outside. Smoking in public will also be banned in Wales and Northern Ireland from next April. source Some of my previous on the subject: * Smoookin! * Pink Smoke * Stubbi * At last! Tags: London , England , smoking , smoking ban .

On Tuesday this week an advert appeared in the Times paid for (a full page advert in the Times is abou £25,000.00, if I remember well) by group of Christian calling themselves "Coherent and Cohesive Voice". This to protest against the upcoming Sexual Orientation (Goods and Services) Regulations (pdf file) (the SOR) which will make it illegal for anyone who provides goods, services, facilities, premises, education or public functions to someone else, to discriminate against that person on the grounds of their sexual orientation i.e. whether they are homosexual, heterosexual or bisexual. The regulations also make harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation - and not simply overt victimisation - illegal. A consultation was launched by the government in March this year, which received, I think, one of the largest number of response ever for this type of exercise (over 2000). The responses were divided between LGBT people and moderate Christians supporting the proposed law a...

Bristol-Myers Squibb have set up a website with the US National AIDS Fund ( financial profile )and have pledged to donate $1 to AIDS research every time someone goes to there and "lights" a candle. Bristol-Myers Squibb is one of the large drug manufacturers with its hand in AIDS treatment medication. The cost of the necessary medications can be out of reach for many (or most) people who need them. It is so expensive that recent articles indicate the cost of these drugs to be as high as 6% of Botswana's national budget. It is time that those companies who benefit from this terrible epidemic start helping find a real way to assist those who suffer. Please forward this to your family, friends and contacts. It only takes a second to raise a dollar but millions are needed. Use the link below: www.lighttounite.org Tags: AIDS , donation , gay , LGBT , GLBT , World AIDS Day , National AIDS Fund , Bristol-Myers Squibb .

For some reason, Saturday, Sunday and Monday have seen several people (including myself) using a wide range of words to describe moi. For some reason, I was so receptive to this that I got inspired to turn this experience into what I will pompously call a work of art. And because I spend way too much time with Slightly, this has taken a typographic form. My typographic consultant (!) however tells me that, although it is an interesting idea, what I have just posted above is not finished. That it is a starting point and that I should "play with it" more. I am not sure what he means and I am not sure I can be bothered but who knows? As ever, watch this space... Tags: arty , self portrait , words , typography , art .

In a month's time exactly, it will be Christmas, that time of tack and excess. To get in the mood and make yourself jolly, you can come and see me with 150 of my closest gay friends onstage at the Barbican Hall. Prospective audience members could book online or by phone on 020 7638 8891 but it is now apparently sold out. Other opportunities to see the London Gay Men's Chorus perform (for free) include: Friday 1 December World AIDS Day - St Pancras Church, in aid of Cara . - 1.15 to 1.45pm 18, 19 and 20 December Carols @ Selfridges - Oxford Street, London - throughout the day www.lgmc.org.uk Tags: carol , London Gay Men's Chorus , gay , LGBT , GLBT , Christmas , Sandi Toksvig , Barbican , choral , singing .

Earlier today, I received a reminder email for an event at Waterstones on Oxford Street, tonight. It was the launch of the latest edition of Chroma ("an international queer literary and arts journal". It is published twice a year). Since I have nothing to do, I decided to go along. Four of the authors published in the current issue read extracts of their stuff. One of them turns out to be a blogger (now included to my blogroll), and I managed to track the following piece which he read and I really liked. It was definitely the highlight of the evening. ah, sweet pain! Eyes-to-the-skies it. Glance-at-the-walls it. Four weeks of loving him, of watching him, of being loved and watched by him. Holding him. His hands and fingers. Fingertips. Onto him. Onto his gaze. Into his gaze. Into his any-little-bit-of-him. To hold that. To have that. To have and to hold that. To have that to hold. Having that to hold on to. Having that. Doing that. Pin him down. Play pin him down. Play down....

Here is the second installment of Sir Ian's little speech for the launch of LGBT History Month 2007 at the TUC on Monday. The first part of this was posted yesterday , together with a short report on the event. Clip courtesy of Slightly www.LGBTHistoryMonth.org.uk Tags: London , history , gay , LGBT , GLBT , lesbian , bisexual , transgender , homophobia , gay rights , Ian McKellen , TUC , LGBT History Month .

Although, yesterday was Monday, I didn't attend Chorus rehearsal last night. Instead, I played truant and stuffed Slightly in one of my pockets and went to the "pre-launch" of LGBT History Month 2007 at the TUC's headquarters: Congress House, off Tottenham Court Road. I remember attending the first of those events, three years ago in the cinema of Tate Modern and the one last year at the Met's Empress Building in West London. Every year, a series of speakers are invited who make very interesting contributions. The highlights for me, this year, (out of the 10 speakers present last night) were the interventions by "Dame Ian McGandalf" (aka Sir Ian Mckellen), Allan Horsefall, Ann Marriott and Stella Duffy. Paul Patrick (one of the organisers), who was hosting the event, is also always good fun to listen to. Apart from being the major screen star that he is, Ian McKellen has been a gay activist for many years and he knows what he is (eloquently) talking a...

Last Wednesday, I became a piece of art for a while. Tags: London , Tate Modern . Being Art

Slightly had told me before I had a weird accent. I just thought he was taking the piss. It's true though... In February last year, I attended a recording of the BBC Radio4 programme Any Questions? Although I had come prepared, my question had not been selected to be read on air. Tonight however, in the rather grand Treasurer Office's Hall of London's Honourable Society of The Inner Temple , having study a bit more how successful questions are usually phrased on the programme, I was amongt the 10 people from the audience who were asked to come and sit in the front row. The panel brought together: * Lord Falconer : The Lord Chancellor * Ann Widdecombe MP : Former Home Office Minister * Martin Narey : Chief Executive of Barnardos * Patience Wheatcroft : Editor of The Sunday Telegraph I was number 6 and, in the event, the last to get a chance to read out his question. It ran as follows: Despite the positive image "Tony Cameron" is trying to spin for his party, ar...

"Seriously [sic], the whole of creation testifies to the genius of god's creative theory"... even, and especially, bananas... I don't even know where to start with this, another example of some Christian's lack of sense. Thanks Tags: banana , religion , Christianity , nutter , youtube , humour , sad but true .

Tonight marks the 15000th episode of the Archers ; Radio4's long running soap about the inhabitants of Ambridge, an imaginary village in the English countryside. I don't follow the show as such but since I listen a lot to Radio 4, I can't help but stumbling on it from time to time and I therefore have a good idea of what goes on. In March 2004, the series featured its first gay kiss . Since then, Adam and Ian's relationship has been developing nicely. They now live together and have been accepted by the community. In march this year, a report by Stonewall criticised the BBC for the way it represented gay and lesbian people but I have to say that they are doing very well with this one. Although all soaps have now had gay characters, they do not tend to last very long and are most of the time quite stereotypical (as in Coronation Street at the moment). By contrast, Adam and Ian give a positive and atypical representation of gay men. Of course say don't seem to have ...

Following this episode and after hearing nothing from the publishers, I visited Little Brown's website (Little Brown is Virago's mother company) and sent an email of complaint to all the directors and head of departments whom I thought could have anything to do with this. In response, I have received the following email: I am writing to introduce myself as Group Marketing Director of Little, Brown Book Group, a job that encompasses the marketing, publicity and design departments. I was shocked by the contents of your email and can only apologise that you received such correspondence from our company. You are right to regard this as poor business practice; it is highly unprofessional and in no way reflects the high standards of business conduct that we seek to achieve. I must further apologise that I am at a loss to explain the circumstance of the email since the person in question left our employment on Friday 29 September. I would like to stress three points: (1) that Clara...

Following up on this post a few weeks ago, the Advertising Standards Agency has ruled that a Gay Police Association ad breached advertising rules An ad placed by The Gay Police Association in the Independent, that used an image of the Bible next to a pool of blood to highlight homophobic attacks, breached decency, truthfulness and substantiation clauses of the advertising code and must never be used again, The ASA ruled this week. [...] Among the 553 complaints to the ad, headlined ‘in the name of the father’, was that it was ‘offensive and derogatory towards Christians’, could ‘incite violence towards people of faith and fuel prejudice, particularly against Christians’ and ‘implied the teachings of the Bible and Christianity were responsible for and condoned violence against homosexuals’. [...] They accepted that the imagery and headline used were primarily Christian, but argued that accompanying text made clear the issues referred to were not exclusive to Christianity. They said i...

The following post is part of the biggest blog in history (an initiative of the British Library) where it was originally posted . 'One Day in History' is a one off opportunity for you to join in a mass blog for the national record. We want as many people as possible to record a 'blog' diary which will be stored by the British Library as a historical record of our national life. Write your diary here reflecting on how history itself impacted on your day - whether it just commuting through an historic environment, discussing family history or watching repeats on TV. More details at History Matters . Today marked another episode of what seem to be the running theme of this week: getting frustrating by other people’s incompetence. First thing on Monday morning, I had to walk into town (about 30min’s walk) to get to the Charing Cross branch of HSBC to try and get back my Debit Card. For some reason, the traffic was very bad and the buses were jammed. My card had been swall...