Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2023 i Attitude Magazine

Alastair James SENIOR WRITER I only broke my festival virginity in 2022 when I went to Mighty Hoopla for the first time. Festivals never appealed growing up, but that’s changed recently. Mighty Hoopla was great fun because it’s two days of bangers from the mainstage to the smaller tents. Between Steps, Jessie Ware and the Sugababes, it was a pretty gay couple of days. I’ve never heard so many people belt “I’LL BE STRONGER,” from Anastacia’s ‘I’m Outta Love’ before. Living next to London’s Brockwell Park at the time also helped with the stagger home! Jake Wright WRITER I was lucky enough to be at Kylie Minogue’s Sunday Legends slot at Glastonbury in 2019. It was such a special moment to see her perform at the festival especially after she…

BAGS OF STYLE British luggage makers Globe-Trotter have partnered with fictional megastars such as James Bond, Mickey Mouse and Snoopy in recent years and now they have created their first destination-inspired capsule collection with gay mecca Greater Palm Springs. Launched during Palm Springs Modernism Week in February, the handmade cases boast a fresh colour scheme that screams holiday, with an ivory case (made of patented Vulcanised Fibreboard) paired with cobalt blue and yellow leather accents. The interiors are lined with olive-green cotton in a starburst pattern inspired by mid-century Sputnik chandeliers. Choose from two four-wheeled suitcases, an attaché, plus two luggage tags and a leather Palm Springs sticker. Take these on a trip to California’s desert oasis and you will look every bit the classic Hollywood star on vacay. globe-trotter.com…

Georgia Dimdore-Miles (she/her) DIVA editorial assistant Recently, I watched Georgia Oakley’s debut film, the critically acclaimed Blue Jean, which deftly navigates Thatcherite Britain on the brink of Section 28. The personal becomes political and if there is any way of demonstrating this it is Rosy McEwen’s portrayal of a lesbian P.E. teacher trapped between worlds; not heteronormative enough to fit in with her colleagues, family and neighbours, but not boldly queer enough to join the local, co-op dwelling, jobless dykes. What struck me about the film was how delighted I felt to be watching an entire feature about authentic lesbian sacrifices, sex, shame and the very real histories that have impacted a generation today. The film unapologetically centres on our visibility, and struggle to be visible, and this felt rare.…

PRINT Don’t miss an issue of the brilliant, new-look Attitude magazine. Our exclusive print subscription offer sees our luxe format mailed directly to your door six times a year and saves you almost 15% on the published cover price. ONE YEAR, 6 ISSUES £36 HALF-YEAR, 3 ISSUES £18 DIGITAL Have Attitude at your fingertips 24/7, wherever you go, when you subscribe to our digital edition, in slick mobile-friendly format or configured to best suit your tablet, laptop or PC. Don’t miss anything! One year, six issues £24.99 ATTITUDE.IMBMSUBSCRIPTIONS.COM SCAN TO SUBSCRIBE…

“Gay rugby drama is a scrum of sexual tension and toxic masculinity,” read the headline of Attitude’s review of last year’s In from the Side, the most talked-about movie at BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. It explored, with acute fascination, the explosive and adulterous affair between two members of an inclusive rugby team, in the vein of The London Stags RFC. Like Firebird before it, the movie’s journey has been staggering: a cinema release followed last October, as did an audience across the pond after the film received warm reviews in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. Now In from the Side is available to stream everywhere, from Amazon Prime UK and Netflix to Rakuten. Not bad for a modest queer indie made for less than £50k.…

Original version: ‘the lakes’ Swift’s songwriting prowess was historically overlooked. However, the original production of bonus track ‘the lakes’ reveals her poetic, romantic influences in this epic, melodramatic number with its swooping strings and moody acoustics. Feature track: ‘Renegade’ Indie folk band Big Red Machine featured Swift on this 2021 record — their first UK single. Only reaching number 73 in the charts, this upbeat acoustic track sees Swift calling out the misdemeanours of her lover, coolly lamenting that he needs to “get [his] shit together”. Live track: ‘The Man’ ‘The Man’ is often considered Swift’s feminist anthem. This live version, recorded in Paris, reveals just how loved the track is, with fans singing along loudly as Swift proclaims that life would be easier had she been born male and…

By the light of the moon Bored Gay Werewolf Tony Santorella/Atlantic Books From the ingenious premise to its irresistible climax, Bored Gay Werewolf is an ungodly joy from start to finish. Brian is struggling to get his shit together. After dropping out of college, he just about manages to keep the wolf from the door working double shifts at the local diner. He may be rubbish at cleaning his studio apartment or getting round to doing the laundry, but at least that leaves more time to hang out with his best friends Nik and Darby. Sure, the whole gay thing wasn’t exactly music to the ears of his suburban Christian parents, but it is one thing occasionally waking up hungover next to a guy whose name you can’t remember but…

Move over, Brokeback Mountain, in 2006, we also went big on new queer movie Shortbus — about a diverse group of sexually connected friends in 00s NYC — which featured a variety of unsimulated gay sex scenes. The movie made headlines at the time and once again in 2022, when Indiewire reported that Amazon had rejected the title from its streamer “multiple times” because its “captions are out of sync” and because it includes “offensive content”. Go figure. Director John Cameron Mitchell — known for directing, writing and starring in 2001 cult classic Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and more recently for his role in Netflix super-hit The Sandman — told us of the film: “I’d never seen sex in a positive way before. Either it was just porn or…

September 2017 In a Good Morning Britain discussion on so-called LGBTQ+ ‘conversion therapy’ — the scientifically debunked practice of trying to change a person’s sexuality and/or gender — Morgan passionately challenges a doctor’s claims that people aren’t born gay and that it’s reversible. He even calls him, indirectly, a “horrible little bigot”. Which is great. But why invite the doc on in the first place? November 2017 In an interview for Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, Morgan repeatedly asks Caitlin Jenner about her genitals. (Five years later, they “clear the air” and Jenner grants him another two interviews for TalkTV. Go figure.) May 2019 On Good Morning Britain, Morgan takes to task a teacher who is against the LGBTQ+-inclusive school curriculum, opining that parents protesting outside school gates are “driven by…

Describe yourself in three emojis… What would your autobiography be called? Bitch, You Know the Rest! Who would play you in a film of your life? Mary J. Blige, just to shake it up. Which queen would you haunt from the afterlife? Bob the Drag Queen and Bianca Del Rio. I’d rather haunt them then have them haunt me! They’d turn it into material, set up cameras. Did you ever hear from Madonna about your ‘Music’ lip-sync? No. Not as far as I know. I don’t know how much interaction she’s had with Drag Race in general, at least publicly. Privately, I know she’s very close with one of the queens. What’s your biggest vice? My dentist would say candy — and I would agree!  How did you end up…

Coming to a screen near you: three fantasy and sci-fi series we can’t wait to see Foundation A second season of the futuristic Foundation is expected later this year and with it comes, according to the trailer, “a second crisis”. Based on Isaac Asimov’s award-winning novels of the same name, the Apple TV+ series follows a group of exiles as they attempt to rebuild civilisation after the fall of their Galactic Empire. Lee Pace returns as Cleon, the emperor, alongside Jared Harris, Lou Llobell and Leah Harvey. After the first season was generally well received, we await more info on what looks to be a dramatic follow-up. The Witcher Season three of Netflix’s The Witcher is due to be with us this summer. This will see Henry Cavill in the…

MATTHEW CAMP ISN’T YOUR AVERAGE ADULT MOVIE STAR. The former go-go dancer never fails to deliver the content that his fanbase craves, whether that’s his 675,000 Instagram followers or his legion of OnlyFans subscribers. Although there may be plenty of people making money online from their image, what sets Camp apart is that he’s consistently shown the world that his interest goes deeper than appearances. An avid thinker, he has become a key voice in the sex-positive movement, which aims to quell the stigma and bring down the rigid pillars that often surround the topic of queer sex. And, in the same vein as other adult performers like François Sagat, Camp’s work has often veered towards more art-house projects. Two years ago, he paid the price for his unapologetic attitude…

“There’s never an ordinary day here,” Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans explains when we first meet in Portcullis House in Westminster so that I can witness him at work. As it’s Commonwealth Day (13 March), there’s even more going on with several high commissioners and foreign ministers from Commonwealth nations visiting. The rest of the day is a blur. After gathering his team in his fragranced office (Fleur d’Oranger by La Mamounia) to discuss the day’s agenda as well as correspondence, Evans hosts a meeting on decarbonisation with coach operators. Later, he drops by a gathering of The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, before heading off to meet the Italian ambassador as part of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Italy. Then he takes his place in the Commons Chamber…

Hey Mary Last Friday of the month, 9pm-2am Mary’s, 89 St Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1DW If queer bars are meant to be safe spaces, then Mary’s in Cardiff is the epitome of that. The club’s monthly Hey Mary event is billed as “Cardiff’s only alternative, inclusive LGBTQ+ and friends party celebrating fresh and exciting drag acts from the local scene and across the UK.” A fab night out, it sees a group of drag queen regulars and the odd special guest stun the crowd with their cabaret. When Attitude turns up for the February celebration — which also marks Hey Mary’s seventh birthday — there’s a keen throng of Hey Mary loyalists already waiting for the doors to open at nine o’clock. We start as we mean to go…

JOSH CAFFÉ The founder of queer club night Lovechild is back with ‘Meine Lederjeans’, a killer electro-funk single featuring Al White, with long-time collaborators Paranoid London on the remix. A hedonistic slow jam of Prince-infused grooves, the track celebrates and subverts queer tropes in double measures. We catch up with the man behind this soulful, sensual masterpiece, British-Ugandan DJ Josh Caffé How would you describe your sound? Sleazy, acidic twisters with a sprinkle of all sorts in between. I grew up listening to various genres of music and this has heavily influenced my DJ sets. You play some pretty edgy queer club nights. Which ones have excited you the most? There are some amazing queer club nights emerging and thriving, especially in London. Adonis, IsBurning, Maricas, Big Dyke Energy and…

SCENT OF A MAN The duality of flowers and wood has always been an important component in Givenchy Beauty’s perfumes, lending the scents a beautiful blend of the sweet and the suave. With its aroma of wild narcissus flowers crossed by a deep woody accord, the new Givenchy Gentleman Society fragrance, created by Maïa Lernout and Karine Dubreuil-Sereni, honours the house mantra of all things natural. By contrast, its beautiful monochrome and metallic bottle adds a contemporary twist.  Gentleman Society, 60ml, by Givenchy Beauty, from £101.95, available at Boots nationwide CREAM OF THE CROP Sometimes you can improve on a classic, as sought-after skin range La Mer have proved with their revamped Moisturizing Soft Cream. Boasting an enhanced formula with multi-sized moisture spheres that give it a gorgeously smooth…

The morning before we went to print on this issue, I woke up to the sad news that Paul O’Grady had passed away, aged 67. His death was entirely unexpected, and he had only just finished the Edinburgh run of a UK tour of Annie, in which he played Miss Hannigan. As a young teen, I was first introduced to O’Grady when he hosted The Big Breakfast as Lily Savage on Channel 4 during the 90s. Here, on national television while I tucked into my Coco Pops before school, was an undiluted example of drag culture direct from the stage of the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in south London, which I was then too young to experience in person. I was captivated by his acerbic wit — not to mention that OTT…

I have just returned from a weekend in Berlin. My big take-home from the experience? Golden showers are back. (Maybe they never went away?) I’ve always been intrigued by ‘piss play’, but swore it wasn’t for me. When I was 21, a guy tempted me back to his house after Brighton Pride. He told me we’d have to sleep in the bathtub as his friends were staying. He pissed on me. My friends laughed all weekend, and after that I washed my body like Lady Macbeth’s hands. I also once dated a guy that was really into it. I was so confused. I’d always viewed it as a degradation kink: why would he want to do that to someone he loved? Fast-forward to today and “water sports” are in Sam…

Bretman Rock is a proud multihyphenate. So much so, he can barely keep track. Author is the latest addition to his ever-growing list of titles that includes influencer, entrepreneur, model, beauty guru, Gen-Z trailblazer, gamer, actor, activist, YouTuber and, most importantly, that bitch. If you have been on the internet at all in the past decade, I can almost guarantee you will recognise Bretman ‘Da Baddest’ Rock. If not the name, you will know the face. Rock shot into the halls of internet fame in 2016 when a video of him swatting his sister for interrupting his choreography to Beyoncé’s ‘7/11’ (“Are you fucking serious?”) proved prime meme material. Rock saw the opportunity and glided into the social media space like a duck to water. His golden essence of comedic…

Collecting more than 100 works focused on men’s bodies, A Hard Man is Good to Find! — the latest exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery in London — offers a remarkable insight into gay life in the capital from the early 30s through to the 90s. Under the Obscene Publications Act 1857, the creation or distribution of nude male imagery was made illegal; any depiction of male nudity that might suggest homosexuality became a criminal offence. The law effectively forced overt homosexuality underground, making it invisible in the mainstream. (Indeed, Attitude magazine would never have found its way to your local newsagent’s shelves back then and owes its existence to the early pioneers of 20th-century queer photography!) Undeterred by the UK’s Victorian laws, some gay men continued to seek out male…

As the Coca-Cola Company’s global director of brand strategy for Adult Sparkling, Kris Robbens has a hand in household favourite beverages such as Schweppes. After starting out at Coca-Cola as a nightlife and festival manager, Robbens moved into marketing before taking up his current role. Here, he talks to Attitude about his 17-plus years at the company, making big decisions, and his go-to Coca-Cola Company drink. What got you into marketing? My initial interest was human behaviour, so I decided to study psychology. I changed to sociology when I realised I was more interested in how society influences individual behaviour. I wanted to apply this in business. I started at Unilever, on one of their apprenticeships, and have never looked back. Have you always been business-minded? Yes, although I studied…

No sweat “You got what?!” That’s the response I get from my friends when I tell them I have had my armpits injected with Botox. You’re probably thinking the same, but hear me out. I have a condition called hyperhidrosis, which means I sweat excessively from my hands, feet and armpits. Although it affects sufferers differently, it can be extremely embarrassing. My biggest fear is shaking hands with someone, as I find myself apologising for my clammy palms. Working on screen means I’m especially wary of sweaty pits (never a good look), not to mention the damage it does to clothes. You’d think it would calm down during winter, but layering up means I’m probably just as sweaty as during the summer. It’s a year-round nightmare. “Botox blocks the nerves…

A few albums require no introduction and Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is one of them. When it was released half a century ago in October 1973, Elton was already on a meteoric rise. With six US top 10 albums under his belt, the Rocket Man’s seventh studio album propelled him into the stratosphere. Sounding ng more like a greatest hits collection, the 17-track epic sold 30 million copies and is considered the singer’s magnum opus. The album’s Wizard of Oz-referencing title is a perfect tease for what is to come: a camp, funny, sad escapade that culminates in the realisation that not everything is as it seems. Kicking off with the 11-minute prog rock masterpiece ‘Funeral for a Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding’, it’s Elton and long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin…

When Gideön founded Homo-Centric Records, his manifesto was passionate, definitive and powerful. He wanted to “re-establish the lines of queer musical tradition at the heart of house music lost to Aids and the recent capitalist desecration of dance music”. That heritage celebrates the original LGBTQIA+ legends of the past and present, from Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan to The Carry Nation and Honey Dijon. Central to the label is one fundamental: house music is the language of queer freedom, self-expression, love and diversity. Growing up in south London, Gideon Berger — also known as Gideön — became obsessed with pirate radio stations and the diverse sounds that they were representing, from African and Caribbean music to house, disco and UK hardcore. In the 90s, at the age of 13, he…

FLOWER POWER The second wave of Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama has dropped, utilising the Japanese artist’s chaotic, fever-dream works of art which include everything from flowers, faces and pumpkins to infinity dots and nets. Delicate embroidery, hyper printing, leather intarsias and intricate, psychedelic designs feature on Louis Vuitton clothing and accessories, giving a nod to Kusama’s hallucinatory world while adding a bright pop to the pieces. The infamous LV monogram, which has often been remixed, has this time been adorned with playfully chaotic faces that add a light-hearted element to the Neverfull, Onthego, Hobo Cruiser, Keepall, Speedy and Alma bags, as well as bucket hats, bum bags, backpacks, bandanas, beach towels and even footwear. There is plenty of fun to be had with this collection, so tap into your…

STOCKISTS A Acne Studios acnestudios.com Alexander McQueen alexandermcqueen.com AMI at MATCHESFASHION matchesfashion.com Ami Paris amiparis.com Augustinus Bader at Browns brownsfashion.com B Bottega Veneta bottegaveneta.com C Celine Homme celine.com Charlotte Tilbury charlottetilbury.com Coach coach.com D Dior Men dior.com Dsquared2 dsquared2.com E Emporio Armani armani.com F Fiorucci fiorucci.com G Givenchy Beauty givenchybeauty.com Givenchy givenchy.com Gucci gucci.com I Isamaya Beauty isamaya.co.uk J J. Crew at MR PORTER mrporter.com Jessie Western jessiewestern.com Jo Malone jomalone.co.uk L La Mer cremedelamer.co.uk Levi’s levi.com Louis Vuitton louisvuitton.com L’Oréal Paris Men Expert loreal.com M Mr. P at MR PORTER mrporter.com MATCHESFASHION matchesfashion.com Miu Miu miumiu.com Moschino moschino.com N Nanushka nanushka.com O Onitsuka Tiger onitsukatiger.com P Paul Smith paulsmith.com Prada prada.com Primark primark.com R Roja Dove rojaparfums.com Rubinacci at MR PORTER mrporter.com Rufskin rufskin.com S Simone Rocha simonerocha.com Surratt at…