Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Attitude Magazine

Alex Hambis, Attitude, art director My secondary school science teacher brought his actual new-born baby into an impromptu sex education class, plonked the little tot on the wooden bench and thoroughly detailed the process that led to him becoming a father. At the time I thought he was a visionary, but in hindsight his babysitter was probably off sick… Markus Bidaux, Attitude, travel editor & staff photographer In a lesson about sexuality, I made the mistake of shouting, “I’m not gay” at a bully before he even had a chance to have a go at me — I very much was a little homo. In the same class, another student said all gays should be put on a separate island and he wasn’t even told to go to the principal’s…

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It is 2pm on a Thursday in late August and I am sitting at a sunset bar in Sant Antoni de Portmany, Ibiza – but it isn’t the horizon I’m watching, it’s the people. A group of public schoolboys just out of sixth form baulk at the cost of the tapas and leg it before they have to pay for their cervezas. The slightly older, taut, muscular men look like they belong on Love Island and are accompanied by their girlfriends. Hanging over a balcony, a woman languidly smokes a cigarette, watching the sunrise through her phone screen as she records it, most likely for Instagram. Behind me, two lovers have a tiff about patatas bravas. I’ve come here for my partner’s work; he’s reviewing two hotels, but we have…

What is the most rewarding thing about playing the wonderful and defiantly odd Lily? It’s a rare, gorgeous thing that not only do I love her, but she’s so inspiring to me. I want to take pieces of her and have them in my own life. Do you identify with Lily in any way? I really do – particularly in this season – because she battles with feeling self-conscious for the first time, or the first time that we’ve seen, and feeling like everyone’s looking at her and laughing at her. To film those scenes was hard because I just – I’ve felt very much like that. I don’t know, there was a lot of myself in her, because she is going through the anxiety of feeling really aware of…

As a creative from the Caribbean, seeing Rihanna’s journey and growth is so admirable. My favourite song has to be the OG ‘Pon De Replay’. I was in secondary school in the Caribbean at the time and it was such a vibe. I also have a soft spot for ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’, it has such a boss energy and it’s one of my faves of hers to perform to — there’s a power that comes with it. My favourite album would be Loud, as it was my jam when I first fell in love, so it has sentimental value. Plus, we all love the red-hair era of Rihanna. ‘Sexuality’ is an unreleased track I recently discovered that I’m very keen on adding to my set — it’s…

We may be in the grip of a global pandemic, but Dino Fetscher looks well. Very well. Sitting in a sun-filled room overlooking the Thames, he positively crackles with energy as he enthuses about his current project. He’s on a lunch break from rehearsing The Normal Heart, a play by Larry Kramer that was first staged in New York City in 1985, at the height of the HIV/Aids crisis. For Fetscher, a former Mr Gay UK, to find himself on stage at the National Theatre is the realisation of a lifelong ambition – but it hasn’t always been an easy path. “I’ve wanted to be an actor since I was about six,” he says. “I’ve had a funny journey [towards] it. I acted until I was 15, then I had…

Declan Doyle’s sexuality has been central to his mental health. It’s something he’s more at peace with now, but his has been a tumultuous journey. “I grew up having girlfriends. I even had a kid and settled down with a woman. But I knew there was an attraction towards men. Where I grew up, being gay wasn’t accepted. I struggled with being myself, so I put it to the back of my mind for a long time. I didn’t act on it and thought it would go away.” We can all imagine why that would be the case: societal attitudes, depictions of gay men on TV and in films and so on. The usual suspects. “It wasn’t until I had my daughter that I realised I wasn’t fully being who…

Becky Hill and Uzo ‘MNEK’ Emenike have no trouble serving up a memory that captures the beginning of their friendship. In fact, it proves to be a piece of cake. Specifically, a bland, shop-bought one, as Becky reminisces about attending Uzo’s messy 18th-birthday bash, having only recently moved to the “arse-end of London” from her small hometown of Bewdley following her appearance on The Voice UK in 2012. “He was my only friend down here,” recalls the chart-topping singer. “Anyway, I turn up on my own at this party with a fucking whole Angel cake in my hand – and this place was carnage. I saw Uzo’s cousin, and he was, like, ‘Oh, you’re looking for him?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve got cake.’ He was, like, ‘Right…’ and he leads…

Despite never having watched a season of Drag Race before auditioning for the show, Carmen Farala shantayed into the werk room snatched for the gods and full of Andalusian flavour. She won three maxi and four mini challenges and deep-throated a banana before being crowned Spain’s first drag superstar. What are Seville’s must-dos? The Santa Cruz neighbourhood is traditionally Andalusian and an obligatory part of any trip to Seville. A more alternative, more modern area that I personally love is La Alameda de Hércules. What dish do we have to try in the city? You cannot go to Seville without trying our famous pescaíto frito, or fried fish — it’s so good! There are different kinds of fried fish, including the famous Sevillian adobo — dogfish marinated in sherry…

It’s impossible to quote exact figures to show how many people in the UK have addiction problems. But we do know that LGBTQ+ people are significantly more likely to present with this and other mental health issues. There are several reasons for this including: discrimination, shame, homophobia, internalised homophobia, rejection, and lack of support. Despite advances in equality for LGBTQ+ communities in some parts of the world, it is well documented that we remain a minority — and a vulnerable one at that. Recent reports on increased violence towards the trans community highlight how serious the problem is. Embracing difference remains a real challenge for some people from socially normative backgrounds, but also within our own community. We are not as united as we should be and that is isolating…

LA-LA LAND It’s a Sin-inspired t-shirts raise over £500k for the Terrence Higgins Trust SCONE GIRL Victoria Scone is the first cis female queen in Drag Race herstory — we’re bready for it MUSIC QUEEROS New music from Kim Petras, Kacey Musgraves, Troye Sivan & Lil Nas X. Could September be any gayer? ONLY… MESSING OnlyFans pulls the plug on millions of users making them millions of pounds. Then backtracks! Obvs DRAGGED-OUT RACE How can we miss you if you won’t go away? MICRO AGGRESSIONS As office life returns, we forgot the joy of sharing a microwave at work CHILDHOOD PHOTOS We can’t help but wonder… where did it all go fucking wrong?! HOPE FADES The world turns its backs on Afghanistan, and LGBTQ+ people and women will suffer most…

SCHOOL? EH? WHAT YOU ON ABOUT?! Oh, repression, you’ve been such a loyal friend over the years, but it’s time to lift the lid of that Pandora’s box… *drops to knees and screams at the sky* ASK YOURSELF WHY you want to go in the first place, be it for cathartic closure or sweet revenge (washing the pig’s blood outta your hair was a real bitch, and you still kinda smell like black pudding). DO SOME DETECTIVE WORK. Facebook, Twitter, Insta… find out what everybody has been up to. It’s also worth double-checking who is still alive and kicking, otherwise that could be a real conversation killer. BE THE BEST (FAKE) YOU. Get your hair done/perfect that comb over. Top up the Botox. Pop a Xanax. Slap a pained smile…

What were your rejected drag names? Barbra Babybatter was my original name. Describe yourself in three emojis. Describe your drag style in five words. Tragic waste of my degree. Best pick-up line someone has said to you? “Are you going to eat that piece of carrot cake, or can I have it?” What keeps you awake at night? YouTube. I really need to learn how cats communicate at 4am. Worst thing someone could say to you in bed? “Is that poo?” How would (or does) your Grindr profile read? “XL masc 4 masc.” Biggest turn-on? A decent fee. And turn-off? Tories. What is your safe word? I have no limits. If you could be any inanimate object in the world, what would you be? I would be a piano. Then…

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Take us back to the initial inspiration for the show. The idea was brought to me through the production company, and it basically was: what would happen if we put a teenage sex therapist on a school campus? As I continued to develop the series, it became clear that this was going to be a way to have conversations about sex and relationships with teenagers and look at some of the wrongs that are done at school through bad sex education. What was your experience of sex education at school? It was pretty atrocious. It was usually taught by a substitute teacher, someone who didn’t really have training in how to talk about sensitive subject matters. LGBTQ sex was not mentioned at all; consent – I never heard the word…

What can we expect for Ola this season? We find Ola, after the summer holidays, pretty heated up with Lily. They’ve been spending a lot of time exploring each other and building a relationship, then we see them having a real relationship which, you know, it’s not totally perfect and [is] full of misunderstandings. They’re both trying to love each other, but yeah, it’s interesting… Do you share any similarities with Ola? She’s quite headstrong and passionate and fiery, and I think I have all of these elements – although she’s like a bullet, quite an intense little package. I’m maybe, hopefully, that, but in small doses [laughs]. I was a bit naughty at school, I was always talking… [whereas] she likes to do everything by the book. How do…

The first time I saw Britney it was breathtaking — seeing your idol really go for it is like getting to the end of a rainbow: magical. But if you really love them, you stick with them through the tough times; I mean, Britney Jean was a rough record! Her music is the ultimate 2000s sound; it really changed the face of pop. ‘Slave 4 U’ is probably the greatest VMAs performance ever — apart from Madonna’s ‘Vogue’. It was an iconic outfit and dance routine. Sink The Pink once got me a real snake and I recreated [Britney’s VMA show] and people literally passed out in the front row. It was so major. People say Blackout was her best album, but I think In the Zone has the biggest…

Beyoncé carries herself with power, elegance, strength and eternal beauty. She knows she’s the baddest bitch when she enters a room, and so do I. She and many other Black women of today and yesterday inspire me to be a goddess. Queen B is a consistent hitmaker but, for me, her best song is a tie between ‘Diva’ and ‘Partition’. Those two are defining moments where she grabbed me and made me feel like I could conquer the world. And can we just talk about how sick the beats to both of those tunes are? Any time she goes into one of these tracks while performing, you know it’s gonna go OFF. Her best album is the self-titled Beyoncé, when she truly turned the dial up on the legendometer…

“I changed from being carefree into someone who was extremely guarded. I became increasingly paranoid” My favourite scene in 2018’s Love, Simon is where Simon and his mum discuss his coming out. His mum tells him he can “exhale now” after keeping his secret inside for so long. For me, that perfectly captured what it was like coming out. It was the same when I began to open up about my mental health. From the later years of school up until 2018, I experienced a steady build-up of anxiety. Through therapy, I discovered that it was deeply rooted in the rejection I faced at school as well as a fear of further rejection, which partly related to not being out (at the time) and being scared to let my carefully…

Patrick Jeffries has had depression on and off for about 10 years. An actor who also works in digital sales, he was first diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety in 2011, at 25. A toxic environment meant he was no longer the lively, charismatic and bold person he once was. “I wasn’t sleeping, I was having really bad nightmares. I was anxious all the time. I lost any kind of zest for life. My boyfriend at the time (a doctor) asked if I’d done the mental health checklist. I hadn’t, so I did and basically checked every single box. I went to the doctor’s and went onto anti-depressants.” After moving to London, Patrick’s troubles worsened when he began to succumb to addiction. Financial issues added further strain: “I decided that…

I was diagnosed with stage four cancer in 2010; it was non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a blood cancer. It was heartbreaking news; I was there with my partner, now of 21 years, and we both cried our eyes out. But that’s how it is. As a gay man, I did wonder whether or not the cancer was caused by my lifestyle; all of the clubbing and partying and fun that I had, not looking after myself properly. But I was assured by the doctors all the time that it was not because of who I am; this is just something that I have got. The first person I told was my brother, but I didn’t tell my mum or dad right away. Then I told a couple of very close…

Three queens stand before me: the fierce finalists of season one of Drag Race España, each representing one of Spain’s most captivating cities. We asked the winner Carmen Farala, Sagittaria and Killer Queen why their hometown’s charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent eclipses the rest. Now, all you need to do is hightail it to Barcelona, Madrid or Seville.…

The body queen from Barcelona is giving Trinity the Tuck a run for her money with her fashion-forward lewks and gag-worthy tucking skills. But Sagittaria isn’t all scanty outfits and duct tape: she also served a crema Catalana so tasty and a Snatch Game so ratchet, they won her a well-deserved spot in the grand finale. What are the top attractions in Barcelona? I guess I’d have to say La Sagrada Família, and the other buildings designed by Antoni Gaudí, like Casa Batlló and Casa Milà…. And then, of course, there’s the cruising area in Montjuïc Park. A local hidden gem? Plaça de Sant Felip Neri is a beautiful square where you can see shrapnel holes from a bomb that exploded there during the Spanish Civil War. This square is…

What’s your fitness schedule? By this, I don’t simply mean, how many days do you go to the gym per week, but do you have a training programme that’s based around what you want to achieve? Do you know how much you should be improving each week? Which days should you dedicate to which body parts? Planning is the key to most workout success stories. For instance, if I know I want to look like the next Arnold Schwarzenegger (clearly, a mammoth task), I must work backwards from when I want to achieve that target and divide that training timeframe into six to eight-week blocks. I then need to break those down into weeks, so that each day I can see what I need to do to work towards my…

HUMOUR CAN COVER UP THINGS, BUT IT SHOWS A SENSE OF MINDFULNESS AND I THINK IT’S BRILLIANT. THAT’S THE WAY I LIVE A LOT OF MY LIFE, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF I’M HAVING A BREAKDOWN, I’LL STILL FIND THE HUMOUR IN IT. I detest arrogant classism. I’ve been around a lot of people — because I went to very posh schools — who were repulsive, repellent human beings. I can’t bear it, because what comes with any sense of arrogant classism is narrow-mindedness, and then I don’t feel safe as a gay man. The first person I came out to was my friend Andrew when I was 15. I remember I was wearing an Emporio Armani shirt — what a spoilt brat — and I was sweating profusely. I was…

Steps back in time Did I tell you about the time I douched on a train? It’s surprising what a gay and a sports bottle can do… In case you’re wondering, I only douche with Fiji Water. Steps’ new era makes me want to bottom (yes, for all of them). ‘Take Me for a Ride’ (!) is the gaslight bop we never knew we needed; “Don’t tell me that I’ve lost my mind and use it as an alibi” is Ivor Novello award-worthy song-writing for sure. Their latest album features 10 unheard songs including a magnificent reworking of ’80s huns Five Star’s hit, ‘The Slightest Touch’. Plus, after the success of their Melodifestivalen cover ‘Something in Your Eyes’, What The Future Holds Part 2 treats us to TWO more songs…

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My sex education at school happened over two rather rubbish experiences. The first saw the girls taken into a room and told about making babies, while the boys went on an extended lunch break to go kick a ball around the playground. A couple of years later, in secondary school, the boys were shown a functional image on a slide projector of male and female anatomies, while a red-faced biology teacher explained what each should be used for. It was a Roman Catholic secondary school, so obviously this was conducted under the shadow of marriage, procreating, and eternal damnation if the path to ejaculation ever strayed from a one-way ticket to conception. I was born into a Greek Orthodox family (I don’t know how my parents blagged me into St…

What track are you loving right now? Hyperballad (Revisited) by Tedd Patterson. This classic Björk rework feels like a huge euphoric hug from NYC’s house master. Which song introduced you to dance music? Most likely On a Ragga Tip by SL2. Being a child in the late ’80s and early ’90s meant rave culture seeped through our radios and TV screens and turned a generation into baby ravers. My best mate’s brother had decks and we would sneak into his room and play Prodigy and Shut Up and Dance while looking through his porn mags! Which dance record changed your life? Felix Da Housecat’s Kittenz and Thee Glitz incorporated that early 2000s Detroit electro, techno, house with punk on top; super queer and it just made everything technicolour. The few…

I admire any camp, outrageous woman in the media, but Cyndi is definitely one of the more courageous. She’s unedited and raw, and her image is emblazoned onto our minds — a true pop-rock chick! My all-time greatest hit of hers is ‘Time After Time’, mostly because it reminds me of that fabulous scene in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, where they do the interpretive dance, but also because it’s a belter! But it’s hard to pick just one of her records… I mean, who doesn’t love flinging their handbag around to ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’? Or tossing their hair to ‘I Drove All Night’? Or sobbing into your pillow to ‘True Colours’? We’ve all been there! Her best album is Merry Christmas… Have A Nice Life!. I…

Dusty is a British music legend, I see her as one of the first true pop stars. From the distinctive hair, makeup and personal style to her never-ending catalogue of iconic tunes and distinctive movements, she was a truly well-rounded entertainer, performer and the embodiment of high camp. As a child, I remember listening to my mum belting out several Dusty tracks in the car, including ‘You Don't Own Me’, ‘The Look of Love’ and ‘Son of a Preacher Man’. She has so many classics. Everybody loves ‘Piece of My Heart’, it’s a perfect karaoke banger, great for screaming while drunk. There is a lot of girl power in her music — although so much of it is romantic and about love, there’s still a sense of power. I remember…

“My struggle with anxiety is a constant feature in my life. I’ve accepted it will never go away, and it will come in waves. I just have to think, this is just a moment in time. That’s how I’ve been approaching the past couple of years.” This reflection comes at the end of my chat with the former magazine writer-turned-cabaret star-turned-consultant (he can’t tell me what in) James Egan. He also admits, with a smile, that it’s not always easy to maintain that mindset. During our conversation, James seems to be in a good place, but this was not always the case. James’ mental health struggles began after the death of his father when he was seven. “That left me with quite bad abandonment issues. Around that time, I was…

“It was probably the best thing for me,” is not something you’ll find many people saying about the last year and a half. As an actor and performer in the theatre, Nick Collier was among those whose industry closed practically overnight. But he’s used the time productively, and the results may be about to pay off. I’m speaking to Nick the day after he, or rather his alter ego Ella Vaday, has been announced as one of 12 queens who will appear on the third series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK on BBC Three. “A national lockdown and a worldwide pandemic is probably the hardest time you could possibly decide to do one of the biggest competitions in the country,” Nick muses. “It was also hard to get ready with…

Buying and selling property should be an easy and comfortable process for everyone, according to Thomas Avery, managing director of Rhubarb Property, which he founded after acquiring experience elsewhere in the industry. As well as selling and letting properties, the agency offers services including interior design and property managment. Here, Avery tells us how he set up the business in the middle of a financial crisis, how he’s adapted to the pandemic, and he talks about casual homophobia at work. Why the name Rhubarb? When I set up the business in 2008, I was working for an agent and decided to give it a shot on my own, which probably wasn’t the best idea, but it turned out to be quite a good time to move. I was in the…

Emergency room doctor by day, drag diva by night, Killer Queen has more tricks up her sleeve than Harry Potter. Between a riotous Snatch Game as conservative Spanish politician Isabel Díaz Ayuso and some razor-sharp wit in the Roast of the Judges, she left us in no doubt as to who the comedy queen of the season was. What are the best sights to see in Madrid? Madrid is a city where you can walk around for days, stopping for tapas and beers. I’d recommend getting lost in the old town (also known as Madrid de los Austrias), and don’t forget to hire a boat in El Retiro Park and visit the Prado museum. Does Madrid have a signature dish? The most classic dish from Madrid is cocido Madrileño, a…

I’ve recently become single and have started hooking up with guys. My friends all think I should be on PrEP, but I’m really not sure about it. Will it cause me any side effects if I take it? Lucas, York Your friends are just looking out for your best interests and want you to enjoy your sexuality as safely as possible – it’s great that they care about your wellbeing. But any medical intervention or treatment should only be undertaken when you know all the facts and understand any possible risks. As most of us will know, PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a simple and very effective way of reducing your chances of contracting HIV through sex — and unprotected sex, in particular. It is an antiretroviral medication (the same treatment…

Order books online at gaystheword.co.uk BOOK OF THE MONTH Minority report The uncomfortable truth about the treatment of trans people in the UK THE TRANSGENDER ISSUE: AN ARGUMENT FOR JUSTICE Shon Faye/Allen Lane A myth-busting antidote to the current media hysteria and misrepresentation of trans issues. Trans and non-binary people in Britain today are often presented as being part of a culture war. Despite forming less than one per cent of the population, they are the subjects of a toxic and increasingly vociferous discussion which generates reliable controversy for newspapers and talk shows. This frenzy often is not about their needs or the challenges they face, but the ways in which cis people perceive and deride them. In this evaluative and refreshing new book, Shon Faye reclaims the idea of…

…piece of advice? “Get the money up front” — by Nicole Paige Brooks. She told me that a long time ago …POSSESSION? My dog. He is such an asshole to me, but I could use it. He keeps me in check; it’s humbling that I have to beg him for attention …DATE SPOT? The bed …BOOK? I don’t read books; I only read people, but if I had to pick, it would be Open Heart, Open Mind. It is a self-help book and it simplified things in life to help me think and do better …LGBTQ+ ICON? Madonna was the voice for the community at a time when people were scared to even come out, and she continues to stand up and speak… and, I mean, she turned Jesus Black!…