Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2024 i Attitude Magazine

Drew Blackwell PHOTOGRAPHER In December of 2019, my family and I went to Thailand for a vacation. Our first “hotel” was 30 minutes away from any kind of civilization. I ended up getting into a huge fight with my brother on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Day, we ate flavourless fried chicken and drank warm beer. My brother left the trip a week earlier than we were supposed to. My mum tried to intervene and cancel his plane ticket after he left, but she accidentally cancelled all our tickets… To make things even worse, I’m quite certain that I got an early case of Covid right before our 18-hour connecting flight home. It was a ho-ho-horrible Christmas. Markus Bidaux TRAVEL EDITOR Back in 2014 while I was working for an…

POCKET-SIZED POWERHOUSE If you’re of an age to remember the unwieldy family camcorder being hauled out for special occasions, you’ll appreciate the marvel of the new DJI Osmo Pocket 3 even more. This tiny yet powerful camera has a built-in gimbal to eradicate shuddering and give your clips a cinematic feel, while its motorised face-tracking tech follows your subject automatically for perfect framing. Whether you’re a serious content creator or just someone wanting to give your home movies the respect they deserve, this foolproof device is the simplest way to convince everyone you’ve hired a Spielberg or Cameron to shoot you blowing out the birthday candles. Available from £489. dji.com/uk STEP UP Dior Men’s creative director Kim Jones has blended several concepts and materials to create the new B57 sneakers.…

Devoting a significant part of my life to advocating for queer rights has equipped me with a new, no-nonsense attitude, particularly when it comes to tolerating negativity and bullshit. I used to be overly concerned about everyone’s opinions, prioritising their happiness over my own, allowing others to drag me down. But post-breakup, after navigating some difficult emotions, I’ve realised that my well-being is non-negotiable. In restructuring my life, I’ve adopted a new mantra: be where you’re happy, engage in uplifting conversations, and surround yourself with positive influences. So, how do you break up with a friend who makes you feel ‘less than’? Is ghosting acceptable? It’s a yes from me. Writing an article about it, even if the friend might read it, might seem less acceptable, but consider it a…

Three upcoming Star Wars shows for your 2024 diary Andor season 2 The first season of this critically acclaimed series wowed audiences as well as critics with many praising the show’s gritty story and sense of foreboding. Injecting the Star Wars franchise with a welcome dose of espionage, the series focuses on Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a nomad and soon-to-be spy for the Rebel Alliance, who is recruited to wreak havoc on the young Imperial Empire. Season 2 is said to traverse the time between season 1 and Rogue One, the film which first introduced us to the character of Andor. The Acolyte Continuing the mystery/thriller theme, The Acolyte will reportedly explore the High Republic era which preceded Episode I – The Phantom Menace. We’ve yet to see this epoch…

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If you’ve witnessed a parade in the UK in recent years, it’s likely that you’ve seen the handiwork of Patrick Bullock. The Brighton-based artist has become renowned for his hand-made carnival puppets, seen up and down the country from the London 2012 Olympics to Pride in Hull’s ‘50 Queers for 50 Years’ procession in 2017. But far from being a man of one talent, the multi-disciplined creator also specialises in illustration, painting, and just about any other form of art one could think of. This extends to theatrical design, including creating sets for Brighton’s Actually Gay Men’s Chorus, of which he’s also a member. As a freelance artist who’s fortunate enough to make a full-time living from his craft, Bullock has the luxury of being able to focus on projects…

As a third-generation Jamaican, born and raised in London, I have long considered homophobia part of my cultural inheritance. The Caribbean has never been on my must-see bucket list — not even my parents have visited. Jamaica’s cultural and legal allegiance to homophobia has been an enduring barrier between me and the region, my ancestral home. As a gay man, I always felt there were only two options with the Caribbean: staying in a resort, where it is safe and inauthentic — or not visiting at all. My trip to the island of Curaçao proves I was wrong. Activists in the Caribbean have made remarkable progress in challenging laws, institutions and attitudes that have left LGBTQ+ people vulnerable. From the overturning of Section 13 of Trinidad and Tobago’s Sexual Offences…

Syphilis: the forgotten STI Whenever I talk about STIs with my (nonmedical) friends, the discussion mainly centres around the ‘unholy trinity’: chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HIV. That’s understandable as we’ve made so much progress in detecting and treating, or preventing, these conditions. However, there’s one STI that everyone seems to forget: syphilis. Cases are on the rise across the world and increased use of PrEP and reduced reliance on condoms has inevitably contributed to this. If left untreated, it can lead to life-threatening consequences. “Untreated syphilis could lead to serious problems or even death” Here’s a reminder of everything you need to know. Syphilis is caused by bacteria that can be transmitted through oral, vaginal and anal sex. The infection presents itself in three stages: Primary syphilis: the first signs can…

80:20  Monthly, 9pm-4am  The Eagle,  349 Kennington Lane,  London SE11 5QY Sometimes it’s easy to look back and miss the old clubbing days, where nights were spent at the Astoria, the Joiner’s Arms or XXL. Back then, before social media and camera phones, strangers flirted across dirty dance floors, and people were in the moment and living for the music. The Eagle, Vauxhall’s stalwart, remains to preserve the clubbing experiences of the past. On a Saturday night, I return with a friend to explore one of their newest offerings: 80:20, which aims to provide a night of musical nostalgia that draws from four of the best decades in music. On arriving at the venue, it is clear that The Eagle still sits at the heart of the south London community.…

‘Supernatural’ The B-side to perky love song ‘Cherish’, ‘Supernatural’ offers a sexier, sultrier affair while still belonging to the Like a Prayer era, in which Madge is seduced by a seemingly paranormal mystery man. ‘Ray of Light’ William Orbit Liquid Mix Arguably Madonna’s greatest electronica track, this remix sees legendary music producer William Orbit take techno-pop to the next level. He picks apart the many layers of the original, reshaping it into eight minutes of a gradually building high that climaxes in operatic euphoria. ‘La Vie en Rose’ Described by Madonna as her favourite moment in the Rebel Heart tour, this acoustic cover of the classic love song, delivered in perfect French, reminds us that while the Queen of Pop is known for decadence and pizzazz, she can also deliver…

Dancer Sam Salter has always been very open about everything in his life, from his mental health and addiction struggles to his dance career and the lighter goings-on in his day-to-day life. So much so that when I call him for our interview, he informs me that he’s in the middle of having a wee. I’m speaking to him a few days after he sustained a devastating injury just hours before the opening night of Nutcracker, where he plays the lead, at the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club, a pop-up under London’s Royal Festival Hall. In true Sam Salter fashion, he didn’t cancel our catch-up; instead, he spoke to me to work through the heartbreak as well as to talk about how special this role is to him. Luckily, one month…

Whether it’s the result of meticulous planning, serendipitous synchronicity or just good old meaningful coincidence, our two lead interviews in this issue spotlight a subject that people don’t like to talk about too much: the death of a parent, and the impact it has on our lives. As LGBTQ+ people, we can have complicated relationships with our mothers and fathers. It might be that your coming out was mostly you waiting for your parents to find their own peace with your differing sexuality. Perhaps you’re largely estranged from them, apart from an annual birthday or Christmas card. You may not speak at all, which is unfortunate, but sometimes for the best to protect your mental wellbeing from the people who are supposed to put you first. Or you may be…

Jack Watson (he/him) Works in PR I’m very lucky that I haven’t been on the receiving end of a huge amount of danger abroad, but I do catch myself running a greater amount of internal risk assessments when I’m in other countries. I was fairly late to the party in coming out, and it was only in my early to mid-twenties that I was fully comfortable in being as expressive as I wanted to be — however, the clock is turned back when I go abroad. It’s basic things that make me feel uncomfortable. When packing for a trip to Hungary, a country that has had a bit of a thing for introducing discriminatory laws at pace over the past few years, my expressive and colourful items remained in the…

Over the years that I’ve been writing this column, I’ve avoided using it to ‘sell’ my career. But I’d like to make an exception this time to celebrate that my debut feature film, Layla, has just been invited to premiere at Sundance Film Festival in January. Allow me a moment to get my flowers, please. Making a film is a truly magical, and often nonsensical, process, and I want to describe just what an uphill struggle and occasionally bonkers process the whole thing is. I pitched the concept to Film4 at the end of 2017, and they agreed to finance the development of a treatment and script at the start of 2018. The script-writing continued into 2022 (yes, four and a half years). Our executives pushed and pushed for rewrites,…

i'm NOT EVEN MINUTES into my conversation with Jack Rooke about the return of his hit series Big Boys — about a young man grieving the death of his father — when I find myself opening up to him about my own life. Just days before our interview, I received the news that my grandpa, Dr Ronald Jones, had passed away after being taken to hospital with pneumonia just hours earlier. He was the man to whom I partially credit my love of theatre, and he was fiercely intelligent, wickedly funny and the paragon of a family man. The news didn’t really sink in until the next morning. I woke up and cried as I began to remember all the good times, the theatre trips, my grandpa’s filthy sense of…

Londoner Marc Thompson is a beacon of resilience and advocacy in the realm of HIV awareness and community empowerment. As the director of The Love Tank, a not-for-profit community interest company dedicated to promoting health and wellbeing among marginalised communities, Thompson channels his lived experience into transformative initiatives. Also cofounder of PrEPster, a group advocating for PrEP awareness in England, Thompson stands at the forefront of the fight against HIV. Having lived with HIV for almost 38 years, Thompson’s personal journey intertwines with his professional endeavours, creating a powerful synergy that’s propelling positive change in the community. To mark World AIDS day, here he shares his remarkable story and insights, shedding light on the evolving landscape of HIV prevention and the collective efforts needed to end transmissions by 2030. My…

Dame Inga Beale is a trailblazer for women and the LGBTQ+ community in business. As probably the most influential openly queer woman in the insurance industry, she forged an unconventional path to the upper echelons of this traditionally male-dominated field. Now advising at board level, she continues to leverage her platform to drive change. Here, Dame Inga shares how she went from rebellious schoolgirl to the first female CEO of Lloyd’s of London, discovering herself along the way. How was university life? My university life lasted about three months — I didn’t ever finish. I was a bit of a rebellious teenager, and I never really worked very hard at school. In fact, I was threatened by my head teacher when I was 16 that I couldn’t stay on and…

An hour outside busy Los Angeles, there’s a definite change of vibe as you enter the quieter streets of Newport Beach. The loud and congested highways melt away, replaced by pristine boulevards lined with towering palm trees and lush green vegetation. It’s clean, peaceful and delightfully suburban. Over five days, I was able to experience an array of delights to create a handy guide for your next trip Stateside. ACCOMMODATION Vea Newport Beach Vea, the first of Marriott’s new soft brands, is well situated for making the most of all Newport Beach has to offer. With 253 elegantly designed and stylish rooms decorated in soft greys and neutral tones, it is the perfect place to relax after a hard day’s exploring. Molton Brown toiletries add a sense of luxury. The…

What was the first book that inspired you? The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. It was the first novel that I read by myself and it introduced me to the world of Gothic horror. Which book have you re-read the most?  The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It’s poetic and lyrical yet devastating: a beautiful examination of the relationship between a father and a son. Which book helped shape your identity as an LGBTQ+ person?  Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin. It was fundamental to my coming out. It was given to me by a teacher at school during Section 28 who told me I’d get a lot out of it — but never explained why… What is your favourite detective novel? A Murder is Announced by…

Taxi Zum Klo Frank Ripploh’s breezy, blatantly horny autobiographical character study came out back in 1981, and still no film has topped it (so to speak) as a frank, relatable study of everyday casual gay sexuality. The filmmaker also plays his alter ego, Frank, a beloved Berlin primary school teacher by day, and a habitué of all the city’s busiest cruising spots by night. It’s a contrast that many films would play for lurid shock, but Ripploh matter-offactly treats these aspects as two healthy halves of a full, busy life. It’s fast, funny, gloriously sex-positive and still all too relevant at a time when LGBTQ+ identities are shamed, and there are silences in many schoolrooms. Available to watch on peccadillopod.com…

December 1999, Stephen Gately We’re still mourning Boyzone’s Stephen Gately, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 33. Almost exactly 10 years earlier, the boy bander appeared on our cover and described the process of coming out publicly. “Late at night before the story broke, sitting in the bedroom in a hotel, myself and Eloy were watching Sky News, and they said, ‘Let’s have a look at tomorrow’s papers,’ and there I was on the four front pages which was erm… quite a shock. I’m just a normal lad from Dublin. Why is this going all over the world? It was even in the New York Post.” It’s saddening to think coming out is still such a headline-generating act for public figures. Kit Connor, anyone? Elsewhere, we interviewed…

❌ January 2011 While hosting the Golden Globes, Gervais mocks Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor’s gay-themed film, I Love You Phillip Morris, which he says features “two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay, so the complete opposite of some famous Scientologists then.” We’re here for reads of straight actors playing gay, and of the Church of Scientology. But this is just clumsy. And mocking the closeted? Never funny. ✔ March 2014 Following the introduction of marriage equality in the UK, Gervais tweets: “Same-sex marriage isn’t just a victory for gay people. It’s a victory for all of us. ANYTHING that promotes equality, promotes progress.” Cute. ❌ January 2016 While again hosting the Golden Globes, Gervais deadnames Caitlyn Jenner, who had publicly transitioned the year before. “What a year she’s had!”…

The Boulet Brothers — Dracmorda and Swanthula — are the queens of darkness you never knew you needed. Now in its fifth season, their drag competition show The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula (available on Shudder) has become renowned for showcasing a side of the art form usually reserved for the fringes of the queer underworld. Think death and gore, rather than death-drops and glitter. Competing for the title of World’s Next Drag Supermonster, Dragula’s diverse cast of performers includes drag kings and queens from across the world — including Manchester’s own Anna Phylactic. Here, the real-life couple discuss the story behind their aesthetic, the importance of eyebrows, and why classic British sitcoms are prime ground for drag inspiration. What’s your favourite scary movie?  Dracmorda: Hellraiser — we both love classics.  Swanthula: For…

A YOUNG JOHN CONNOR defies the warning of his cyborg defender and orders the indestructible machine to help break his mother, Sarah, out of the asylum she’s been detained in for her belief that machines are going to take over the world. No prizes for knowing that this is a scene from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the 1991 blockbuster that’s earned in the region of $521m (£420 million) worldwide. What you probably won’t know is that the asylum in the film is based on a reallife mental institution called Atascadero State Hospital, in San Luis Obispo County, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. In 1949, Californian judges were given the option to brand homosexuals charged with sodomy or “oral copulation” — both illegal at the time — either as…

In her constituency office in Nottingham East, Nadia Whittome warmly greets me with the offer of a much-needed cup of tea. I’ve just legged it with her assistant through torrential rain under a cheap umbrella which unfortunately lost the battle with that day’s stormy weather. I make myself at home and warm up on the sofa while they go over business for the day. One of her caseworkers tells me there’s been a flurry of emails that week from concerned constituents wanting to know Labour’s stance on the ongoing Israel-Gaza war — Whittome has already publicly backed a ceasefire. During the day I spend with her, it becomes clear that no cause or project is too small for this incredibly present constituency MP. She offers bucket-loads of empathy, time and…

As a gay man with a passion for fitness, Matt Boyles, the founder and CEO of Fitter Confident You (FCY), identified a need among queer men for a personal trainer who understood them and had lived similar experiences. He was also a step ahead of everyone else when he decided to work as a personal trainer in the virtual sphere. Cue the pandemic, when everyone was suddenly forced to do everything at home, including keeping fit. Here, he discusses the origins of FCY, reveals why he decided to write a fitness book for LGBTQ+ men, and relives his time as a London DJ. What is FCY, and where did the idea come from? It’s a way for me to put my arms around our community and say “Whatever you want…

The Roundhouse in Camden, London, attracted the crème de le crème of the entertainment world and beyond for this year’s Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar. Back for its 12th instalment (where do the years go?!), our 2023 soiree proved bigger and better than ever, with countless A-list names in attendance, including an iconic Dame, a superstar Hollywood actor, and a social media sensation. The Awards were set up to celebrate the great and good of TV, music, film, theatre, fashion, sport, LGBTQ+ activism and more. Indeed, it wasn’t just million-selling pop stars, headline-generating comedians and sickening drag queens we honoured. The evening’s most emotive moment came courtesy of two everyday heroes who have moved the needle on LGBTQ+ equality through tireless campaigning — more on them later. Taking…

Here Again Now Okechukwu Nzelu/Dialogue Books This moving queer love story explores the theme of intersectional representation: what does it mean to love as a Black British person of colour? The author recently told Attitude: “It’s very much not an autobiographical novel, but the themes I explore through their story are really personal: what it means to grow up in a Nigerian family when you’re gay; what it means to be Black and British and to not necessarily feel like you have a place where you belong and you’re accepted completely. The men I have imagined are a vehicle for those ideas.” Out now Closer  Dennis Cooper/Serpent’s Tail Long considered a queer cult writer and often featured on banned book lists for his dark and graphic explorations of gay sex, Dennis…

Boy George’s early solo career in the late 80s suffered several false starts. The soul and new jack swing of early releases failed to set the charts alight, and he was struggling to shake off his colourful reputation. But with a new decade came a new sound — house — and a redirection of George’s focus when it came to his music. Rebirthing as Jesus Loves You, the short-lived rebrand enabled him to swerve some of the preconceived judgements attached to his name and divert the listener’s attention back to the music. The resulting body of work, 1991’s The Martyr Mantras, is a reflective listen. Album opener ‘Generations of Love’ is a hypnotic deep house track that sets the sonic and lyrical template for what is to come. “Hey, I…

Japanese brand Issey Miyake’s creations have always put technology and innovation at the forefront, playing with everything from pleats to geometry to create clothing with minimalist, clean lines. The humble triangle, used to great effect for the iconic Bao Bao bag, takes centre stage for the Homme Plissé Issey Miyake Autumn/Winter 23/24 collection. Titled ‘Upon a Simplex’, triangles and other geometric shapes have been used to create complex clothing as well as pieces with bold, contrasting prints. Harder geometry has been softened with looser, rounded silhouettes including ridge tucks that extend from around the neck towards the shoulders like raglan sleeves, giving a tubular shape to the clothing. The Bao Bao bag has been given a new metallic jewel-tone treatment in Issey Miyake’s CARAT-2 collection and comes in a metallic…