Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2024 i Attitude Magazine

Sophie Porter SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER In the early 90s, gay indie-punk royalty Bob Mould made a subtle statement about his sexuality in the Sugar music video for ‘If I Can’t Change Your Mind’. The video showcases different relationships — both queer and straight — and, as he flicks through Polaroids, he holds one up to show a note he’d scribbled on the back: “This is not your parents’ world.” The video and statement connected with the community at that time and, in 2024, I’ve been thinking a lot about those words. For this year’s Pride, I think it’s a sentiment we should embrace; we should feel hopeful in the knowledge that this is not our parents’ world. As we continue to take steps forwards (and, in some cases, backwards), it’s…

LOVING YOU “We want to make love to you,” that’s the motto of the new loyalty programme from Axel Hotels. Because after more than 20 years of guests making it in all of their hotels, now the brand wants to show us the love with Axel and You, the loyalty club that keeps the flame of its relationship with each guest burning bright. Just as the chain advocates for free love, it knows how to reward its regular customers, with free benefits ranging from a welcome bottle of wine in your room to a massage and spa treatment, or a surprise on your birthday — and more. What’s not to love? axelhotels.com/en/axel-and-you.html PUPPY POWER Heritage footwear brand Hush Puppies is championing the artistic talents of those living with complex neuro-diverse…

After not speaking for a long time, my mother and I decided to meet up to hash out decades of turmoil. She had long held a deep aversion to my sexuality and my being a drag queen, and home life was tumultuous and devastating. In my late twenties, after years of minimal contact, I finally confronted my mother about her severe reactions to my sexuality and gender transgressions. What she confessed blew me away: “Do you know what I have had to suffer because I am a woman? Being a woman is hell. And you, my special Amoura, with your special brain, choose to dress like a woman, even though you are lucky enough to be a man? I don’t understand it.” I had forever perceived her rejection of me…

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It is 2 May 1727, and the atmosphere on Catherine Street, just off the Strand, is tense. An event is about to take place that is a significant milestone in gay history, yet it’s been all but forgotten. A man in his early fifties is brought to the pillory; his hands and neck are locked into the wooden framework, his back bent forwards, while constables stand around him in anticipation of a riot. Something highly unusual is taking place. Not the pillory itself; these are commonplace across London. Prisoners prosecuted for minor crimes are often punished with a few hours in the stocks, where they are subjected to whatever the mob throws at them — excrement, rocks, dead animals and more. It’s a humiliating test of any convict’s endurance, but…

ADELE ROBERTS HAS faced many challenges in her life. But in the face of adversity, the DJ and broadcaster remains as positive and sunny as ever. Growing up mixed-race in a “chaotic but loving” working-class family in the northwest of England in the 1980s, Adele always felt like she stood out. “I knew I was a little bit different, and I didn’t really know what that meant or why I felt that way,” she recalls. It wasn’t until the age of 15 that she realised she might be gay. “I remember thinking, ‘Oh gosh, not me. Why? Why am I gay? I don’t want to be gay.’” But, thanks to the example set by her parents, Adele found strength and pride in her identity. “Because I grew up in a…

“The immediacy touched people, but also disturbed people” PAPER OVERTURNED LIKE a teardrop. Ink swirling across a purple glow. A fly perched atop cracked-open crustaceans, insides shining like treasure. These are just three soul-stirring shots by photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, whose portraits of pop stars, LGBTQ+ club-goers and scantily clad lovers often lead conversations about his work. But more than half of his portfolio explores other subjects. “When you see exhibitions of mine, the variety of what’s there is often not captured by a conversation,” says Tillmans. Such is the breadth of his oeuvre that the Museum of Modern Art dedicated 11 rooms to its 2022 exhibition, Wolfgang Tillmans: To look without fear. It was named, Tillmans says, after “an interview where I speak about wanting to encourage the viewer, but…

IT WAS 1975 when a nervous 20-year-old Mike Parish found himself sitting on a sofa surrounded by strangers at a Gay Icebreakers tea party in London. He’d spotted the group’s number by chance on a sticker while travelling down a Tube station escalator and, after calling them, mustered up the courage to attend in the hope of discovering more about himself. Little did he know then how fateful that decision would be. “Sitting at the other end of the sofa was somebody who leaned forward to pick his coffee up at the same time as me, and he smiled at me, and I smiled back. That was my future husband. That was my lovely, wonderful Tom,” reminisces Mike. From that fortuitous beginning, Mike and Tom embarked on an extraordinary 47-year…

Geoffrey Williams has lived many lives. After leaving the prestigious BRIT School and picking up a bachelor’s degree in media management, he spent a brief period looking after recording artists before pivoting into talent and development, and then diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). He’s now Burberry’s global vice president of DE&I, while also juggling family life with a husband and son. Here, he takes us through his epic journey to the heights of a British powerhouse, while citing his dyslexia as the main driving force that keeps him pushing himself even further. Can you tell us about your early years? I’m a west Londoner, born and raised, from a big Caribbean family. I was raised Rastafarian in the 80s, which meant I was vegan when it wasn’t cool, but I…

THE PRINTED WORLD Stefan Arestis and Sebastien Chaneac are the Nomadic Boys, a couple who have spent the past 11 years crafting one of the most successful LGBTQ+ travel websites. Having traversed the globe, they now plan to take on the publishing sector with their book, Out in the World. Unlike typical guidebooks, its pages are filled with personal stories and LGBTQ+-specific travel tips for visiting the 30 countries they have travelled to. Arestis told Attitude, “Our goal is to inspire gay travellers, but also to provide practical safety tips to have a fun and safe trip. The more important thing is what we’ve found generally around the world is a lack of visibility of our community. You go outside of our rainbow bubble of western Europe and North America,…

PROSUMER From DJ sets at legendary clubs around the world, be it as a resident at the renowned Panorama Bar at Berghain in Berlin to The NYC Downlow at Glastonbury, through to his own productions with regular collaborators like Tama Sumo and Murat Tepeli for esteemed labels such as Ostgut Ton and Playhouse, Prosumer is a talent to be reckoned with in house and techno music What can people expect from a Prosumer set? Not just a climax, but some foreplay and a lot of making out in between. Some tracks will be pumping, some soulful. Sweaty and tender, filthy and sweet.  Which track are you loving right now? I woke up with GIDEÖN’s ‘Hector’s Revenge’ in my head and have a lot of fun playing his stuff. The latest,…

Which childhood book shaped your love of writing? A visit to see the statue of Oscar Wilde in Dublin led me to his children’s stories, like The Happy Prince, in the library at school. It was the first time that I’d heard of an Irish gay person being admired and loved. A social commentary that inspired you? NW by Zadie Smith. She observes the emotional intricacies of human relationships so sensitively, set against compellingly thoughtful reflections of broader society. Who is your favourite working-class character in literature? Elena Ferrante of the Neapolitan Quartet. The four-part series begins in 1950s Italy and charts the rags-to-riches ascent of a working-class woman from Naples into cosmopolitan society.  Which is your favourite novel about summer? Mrs. S by Kay Patrick. It’s a very sexy…

Gabrielle, the iconic British singer known for hit songs including ‘Dreams’ and ‘Out of Reach’, is set to return to Brighton & Hove Pride this summer at FABULOSO in the Park. With a career spanning more than three decades, the supremely talented Hackney native has won audiences worldwide, but she has always maintained a strong connection with the LGBTQ+ community. As she prepares for her performance at the UK’s most prominent Pride celebration, in this exclusive chat with Attitude, the diva and LGBTQ+ ally reflects on the unique atmosphere that makes these performances so memorable, as well as her favourite places to visit in Brighton and Hove. What are you looking forward to most at Brighton Pride this year? Every time I do Pride, the audience is electrifying. The electricity that’s…

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Outwardly, to the world, Pride is about showing that shame has no place in our lives. We take to the streets to march, calling for equality, social acceptance, and the right to live without fear. For over five decades, at Pride we have protested against the unequal age of consent, for the right to marry, to do our jobs without discrimination, and so many other common rights. Pride is our opportunity to show the world we will not be silenced. It’s another chance to protest against an oppressive government that seeks to strip trans people of their humanity, to erase LGBTQ+ people from visibility in education, and that continues to support so-called ‘conversion therapy’. It is horrific how far we have regressed. We have endured eight years of infighting from…

Mufseen Miah (he/him) LGBTQ+ podcast producer and host It’s difficult to pick one big issue for the next election because there is a lot to address, but we should scrutinise all policies on issues impacting trans lives, migrant lives, and the climate crisis, which unequivocally affects us all. Adopting an insular attitude on these issues has only led to a failing economy and a government that prioritises the wrong things. We need politicians to take the climate crisis seriously and to think beyond a single election cycle — to take action now. Research has shown that LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately impacted by social factors such as poverty and access to healthcare. If a politician can be bold about standing up for the entire LGBTQ+ community and protecting trans lives, then…

As a bisexual advocate, I’ve grown accustomed to our community often taking a back seat. It’s baffling, considering we make up a solid 52 per cent of the LGBTQ+ community, and those numbers are only climbing. Yet we are overlooked. Bisexuals often receive minimal attention from LGBTQ+ organisations and charities, and I’d like to know where their money goes. I’d like to see legislation brought in that would require queer organisations to report how their money is spent on each of the LGBTQ+ subcategories. For context, something similar is done in the US, where organisation Funders for LGBTQ Issues has found that over the past 60 years, only around 1 per cent of funding has been spent on bisexuality. In 2022, the group found that more cash flowed to LGBTQ+…

This was what a friend exclaimed at a recent event when I told them how great they were looking. And the news was no surprise. Over the past year or so, more and more people have been hailing the seemingly miraculous weight-loss effects of Ozempic. It’s a Hollywood favourite, with everyone from Sharon Osbourne to Oprah Winfrey saying that they have used it, or similar medications, to achieve their slimmer figures. But every medicine has a side effect, so at what cost? Ozempic (or semaglutide) belongs to a group of drugs called GLP-1 analogues. They mimic the actions of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1. They work by slowing the speed at which the stomach empties (so you stay fuller for longer), reducing appetite (so you eat less), and boosting the…

“I PROBABLY SHOULDN’T HAVE JUST PULLED THAT OUT OF MY ASS” LAUGHS JOEL KIM BOOSTER after sharing that some of the new material he’s touring includes a bit about wanting to fuck a horse. He hastily adds, “There’s a lot of context to that one.” I should hope so! A lot of his comedy, as it always has been, is taken from real life. “It’s pulling from my relationship (with games producer John Michael-Sudsina), things like that. But it also includes my feud with crows.” Booster was born on the South Korean island of Jeju in 1988 and was adopted by a white American family that was both conservative and religious. Growing up in Plainfield, Illinois, he was aware of comedians such as Paula Poundstone and Dane Cook. It wasn’t…

IT’S 10AM LOCAL TIME for Jinkx Monsoon when we catch up via Zoom. “Sorry my camera’s off — I had a late show last night,” the star explains of the blank space before me. Though I always prefer to see someone’s face when I talk to them online, I smile when I realise it confirms the point I wanted to make during our chat — that Jinkx’s career is thriving. Indeed, she’s taking the entertainment world by, well, monsoon. Over the past decade, Jinkx Monsoon has become one of the most celebrated and multi-faceted performers to emerge from the illustrious ranks of RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni. Since being crowned the winner of season five in 2013 (and of All Stars in 2022), she has lit up the entertainment world, tearing…

We’re delighted to partner with Attitude for this year’s Pride Awards. Having previously collaborated with Attitude, we’ve seen first-hand how humbling it is to celebrate the work of LGBTQ+ campaigners and the wider community across Europe, and we’re honoured to be a part of these Awards. We know that the LGBTQ+ community all over the world faces adversity every day. Our partnership with Attitude is part of our wider commitment to stand up and support a fantastic community, show our pride, and celebrate our shared passions of creativity, innovation and self-expression. At PEUGEOT, we are all about pride. Proud of the vehicles we produce, but also taking pride in our ethics and our actions. The PEUGEOT Attitude Pride Awards, the start of a year-long partnership, are built on these shared…

BISI ALIMI HAS UNFINISHED business in Nigeria. The British-Nigerian activist set up his self-named Foundation in 2015 in response to the passing of Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act in 2013. That law was influenced by Bisi’s historic coming-out on Nigerian TV in 2004 when he was a soap actor. After his experiences with Rainbow Intersection, the Kaleidoscope Trust, the Naz Project London, and The Initiative for Equal Rights, Bisi realised he could help accelerate change in his home country. Bit by bit, the PEUGEOT Attitude Pride Award-winner is getting there. Growing up in Lagos was a mixture of “the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between,” says Bisi, who hails from a religious home with a Muslim father and an evangelical Christian mother. While he describes his…

THE STORY OF Adam Imber and Ali Najjar is one of love, understanding and acceptance. Three things this chaotic world could do with more of. Adam, 34, is a financial services recruiter from Ilford in east London. Ali, 43, is a local authorities manager from north London. Adam is Jewish and Ali is Muslim. In the context of current world events, their relationship demonstrates how love can supersede all else. Both men come from large families. Adam remembers a “fairly normal” childhood living in a hectic household with his parents and four sisters. He says his upbringing was traditional, rather than religious, although his attendance at Jewish schools meant Adam developed a strong connection to the Jewish faith. In his case, this made him “more religious” than his parents. When…

WIFE-AND-WIFE Whitney and Megan Bacon-Evans have been sharing their love story online for almost 15 years. What started as a blog to document their initial long-distance relationship between Hawaii and the UK has blossomed into something much bigger, where they’re now using their considerable platform to fight discrimination against same-sex couples seeking fertility treatment on the NHS. It is in recognition of this sterling work that they have won a PEUGEOT Attitude Pride Award. After setting up home in the UK, in 2020 Whitney and Megan began their journey to parenthood. But they were shocked to discover the barriers that female same-sex couples looking to conceive with IVF face compared to their heterosexual counterparts. According to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, women under 40 should be…

It’s rare to be able to combine your passions through a business venture. But fine food, music, and — above all — fun form the basis of the DJ Supper Club, set up last year by Daniel Adams and Joel Mignott. The paths of Joel — a Made in Chelsea alum, DJ and model — and Daniel — a chef who formerly worked in Michelin-starred establishments Marcus and Fat Duck — crossed on a fateful night out in London. Bonding over their mutual love of creating fine food, the pair made plans to share that with the community in an inventive way. “We called it DJ Supper Club because it’s ‘Daniel and Joel’,” Joel explains, although their events also feature a live DJ who plays to their ticketed gatherings of…

Margate Arts Club 276 Northdown Rd, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 2PT ‘The queer community feels small enough here that I can fit my arms around them and hug them,” says a friendly partygoer at Margate Arts Club of the tightknit group of LGBTQ+s who call the seaside town home. It’s Saturday night and the venue is at capacity. Dubbed Shoreditch-on-Sea, Margate has long been hip on a cellular level, thanks in part to the influence of its most famous resident, anarchic artist Tracey Emin, and the enduring appeal of the delightfully retro Dreamland amusement park, which comes complete with roller disco and rickety, 100-year-old rollercoaster. But since Sink the Pink co-founder Amy Zing and her partner Luke (Pompom) Vandenberg upped sticks and moved here from London several years ago and bought…

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne (Available in hardback) The cosy genre takes the bold conventions of familiar storytelling and reimagines them in worlds that are hopeful, warming and optimistic. Thorne’s Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is a cosy fantasy love story about Kianthe (a warlock) and Reyna (the queen’s guard), who decide to turn away from their lives as warriors and open a bookshop. However, don’t let the title fool you! Their disobedience of the queen leads to many rip-roaring encounters with dragons, assassins and magic. Kianthe and Reyna are two punchy, powerful females whose adventures should be enjoyed with a nice cuppa. The Betrayal of Thomas True by A.J. West (Available in hardback from 4 July) Sometimes you find a novel that is electric. A.J. West’s…

Any foolproof tips for getting in a good mood? [Watching] classic comfort shows. The Office, Parks and Recreation. It doesn’t matter how often I’ve watched those. I give myself a hard time sometimes about rewatching. And then I’m like, ‘It’s fine.’ Bridgerton has some of the biggest rewatch figures. If people get comfort out of it, it’s such a privilege.  It’s Ab Fab for us. 4/5 Of all the characters in your filmography, whose wardrobe do you most want to raid?. Maggie [in Big Mood] has some great looks. She wears one of my T-shirts. It says: “Kiss me, I’m Irish and vaccinated”. If I was dressed as Penelope Featherington, people would be like: “Is that girl OK? Is she some sort of Regency LARPer?!” We want Jonathan Bailey’s ruffles!…

Summer 2014, Ben Hardy Exactly 10 years ago, EastEnders’ heartthrob Ben Hardy helped us step into summer with a swimwear-inspired cover shoot. “I don’t think of it, like: ‘Oh, I’m doing Attitude, I must tell my gay friends,’” said the modest star. “Next time I see them, I might mention it.” A decade later, he might also tell them that he’s starring in one of the LGBTQ+-themed films of the year: Unicorns. In it, Hardy plays a mechanic and single father whose identity is turned upside down when he meets drag queen Ayesha, played by Jason Patel. “When only eight per cent of actors are in work, you can’t really afford to turn anything down, but if I could have anything I wanted, I would love to do a film,”…

CONSERVATIVES ❌2020 The UK government ditches plans to allow trans people to self identify, two years after launching a public consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act (GRA). ❌2022 The Tories spectacularly break a promise made in 2018 to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’. First, it’s leaked that plans are being dropped, before they’re picked back up, then trans people are excluded, followed by further delays. We’re still waiting. ❌2023 After Scotland passes legislation to make transitioning easier, the UK government blocks it, citing concerns for UK-wide equality legislation. ❌2023 The UK government finally publishes delayed guidance for schools about dealing with trans pupils. It places a big emphasis on biological sex and says schools “should not” grant all requests for kids to socially transition. ❌2024 Before Parliament is dissolved ahead…

Describe yourself in one sentence. Marina Summers is the ultimate Filipino diva. Who’s the nicest Ru Girl? Hanna Conda. She’s the sweetest and most bubbly and gayest person I’ve ever met. Even during our hard choreography challenges on UK vs the World, she was all smiles and like “Hey, I’m happy to be here!” And the shadiest? Minty Fresh from Drag Race Philippines. She has this cold personality and I love it about her. Who’s your drag crush? Aquaria. We went on a tour together in Canada, and we shared a dressing room, so it was like my crush fantasy fulfilled. Who would win a fight between Michelle Visage and a badger? Michelle. Even if you put a tiger or lion in front of Michelle, Michelle would win. Nobody’s beating…

RYLAN HAS BEEN a ubiquitous presence on TV and radio since 2012, when the six-foot-four giant first burst onto our screens on The X Factor, an excitable blur of blond highlights and fake tan. After coming in fifth, he went on to win Celebrity Big Brother in 2013. In the time between then and now, he’s presented This Morning and The One Show, has his own weekly show on BBC Radio 2 and, more recently, he’s appeared with Rob Rinder on Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour, among many, many more. He’s always been something of a Marmite celebrity: you either love him or you don’t. It’s something Rylan recognises himself. For as many followers as he has and the love he gets from them, there are also those who call…

I knew I was gay from an early age. Like many other gay men, I could just tell I was different from the other boys, from not having any interest in football to an innate sense of being ‘other’. While the rest of the boys played their games, I’d walk around the playground on my lonesome singing ‘Reflection’ from Mulan or, if I was in a spicier mood, the entirety of the Come On Over album by Shania Twain. I knew that before I knew my times tables. She was, is, and always will be, an icon to me. Never was my ‘other-ness’ clearer to me than during a computer session in year two. A boy had not long joined our class, and he and I were paired up to…

FRENCH DRAG SENSATION La Grande Dame has captivated the world with her impeccable style, quiet confidence and undeniable talent. However, behind the glamour lies a story that underscores the vital role of chosen family in the lives of queer individuals facing adversity, as well as relying on yourself as a source of strength. Growing up in Nice, La Grande Dame confronted hostility as a young queer person amid the tumultuous climate surrounding the marriage equality debate. “I grew up having a good time pretty much up until my 14th birthday, when same-sex marriage was happening,” she shares. The toxic atmosphere made it increasingly difficult for her to speak out and be herself, ultimately leading to her decision to leave home shortly after. “I left home at 14 before even coming…

FOR THE ARTIST Juano Diaz, life has come full circle. Born in Glasgow in 1977, his childhood, he tells Attitude, was “wracked in chaos and poverty”. His mother was a sex worker and an alcoholic. “One of my earliest memories is when she took me to a dam, a local beauty spot where people went swimming. She and her partner, Ronnie, were drunk, and he drowned in front of us. I was four years old.” Juano remembers his mother screaming, and Ronnie being pulled out of the water. “I don’t know why I wasn’t separated from her then,” he wonders aloud. He was eventually taken into care, but life in a children’s home wasn’t that different from the “hell” he had endured beforehand. At the under-funded and poorly staffed home,…

‘I ALWAYS STRUGGLE,” says Caroline Litman after being asked to describe what her daughter, Alice, was like. “She was lovely,” Caroline settles on. “She never caused a moment’s trouble. She got on with everybody. And everybody loved her,” she adds. Alice’s older sister, Kate (pictured opposite, left), remembers Alice’s oversized jumper, her “tiny” hot pants and her love of dance. Alice took her own life on 26 May 2022. She was 20. She had been waiting for more than 1,000 days for an appointment with the now-defunct gender clinic at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust. She had been referred there in 2019 after attempting suicide and was also referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). In 2020, Alice, then 18, was transferred to adult mental health services, but…

AS A TEENAGER in the 1980s, Paul Sinha attended a public school where he was acutely aware of his sexuality but felt unable to express it. “It was generally understood that nobody ever came out of the closet at public school for fear of disgrace and expulsion,” he recalls. “I had no one to speak to. I had no family to speak to. I had no friends to speak to. I was very much alone with my thoughts.” It wasn’t until he left school that Paul began to come out to close friends, and later, while attending medical school, he found the courage to embrace his identity. “Alcohol proved very much the lubrication to me becoming some semblance of the human being that I wanted to become, comfortable in my…

Fitness apparel giant Gymshark has shown its Pride by joining forces with the Attitude Magazine Foundation (AMF) for the second year in a row. Following the resounding success of last year’s collaboration, which saw all profits from the sale of a limited-edition Pride T-shirt donated to the AMF, Gymshark stepped up again to support the LGBTQ+ community in 2024 with a brand-new design and a range of Priderelated initiatives that aim to celebrate inclusivity and diversity in fitness. This year’s T-shirt, designed by the Sydney-based artist Kris Andrew Small, features a powerful message: “Together we are stronger”. The limited-edition T-shirt is available for purchase throughout the whole of June, exclusively at Gymshark’s flagship store on London’s Regent Street, providing customers with a unique opportunity to show their support and stand…

I’m looking out across the view of the old town from the sea-facing balcony of our room at the Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, and I suddenly realise I’ve missed the memo on one vital fact. “Is this King’s Landing?” I ask my partner as I then spot the 16th-century Fort Lovrijenac directly ahead of us, which looks suspiciously like the Red Keep from Game of Thrones. Dubrovnik is indeed where key scenes of the hit series were shot, forever putting the city on the pop culture map when filming moved there in 2012. Me? I came here to explore the historical city that is proudly one of the oldest republics in the world. As a latecomer to Game of Thrones mania (I binged the entire series just ahead of the final…

I’m not saying that a comedy show about experiencing domestic violence should make me immune from protect me from bad reviews. Far from it. I want to be as a comedian, for my comedy, for my art, and for how criticism or judged I tell my story. Yet since announcing my new show at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and ‘coming out’ as a victim (or survivor), I’ve had messages suggesting that I deserved to be beaten. People have told me not to use the word ‘victim’ or ‘survivor’ unless my experience was so extreme that I ended up in hospital. I even had a message saying my poster is rubbish because I have my hand touching my hair like it’s the 90s. Can you just buy a ticket and shut the…

It feels very apt to revisit Bronski Beat’s debut album, The Age of Consent. The record, released in 1984, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Lead single ‘Smalltown Boy’ is also having a moment after being given the ultimate seal of approval from Gen Z by becoming a viral hit on TikTok. Bronski Beat’s debut record is a genredefining entry in early 80s pop. The only one to be released with founding lead vocalist Jimmy Somerville, the 10-track LP is a political record filled with hi-NRG and synth-pop bangers. Its title was a response to the UK’s then-resistance to lowering the legal age for homosexual acts, and the album explores Somerville’s personal experiences as a gay Scotsman. The narrative of being a young gay man during this tumultuous time permeates each…

ORLANDO by Virginia Woolf Almost 100 years after it was first published, one of Virginia Woolf’s finest works — Orlando — has made its debut on Audible. Although nearly a century may have passed, never has this seminal work felt more prescient and relevant. Originally presented as a biography inspired by the aristocratic heritage of Woolf’s lover, Vita Sackville-West, it charts the rise of the eponymous nobleman before taking a fantastical twist. At the age of 30, Orlando wakes up as a woman who seems to never age. The novel was bold in its portrayal of gender and has been considered an early reflection on transgenderism. Woolf’s story takes Orlando through 300 years of oppression of both women and gender-different people — from the Elizabethan age to the 1920s —…

Louis Vuitton’s menswear creative director (and multiple Grammy award-winner) Pharrell Williams has been pulled by the gravitational force of the moon for the maison’s first-ever pre-fall 2024 menswear show. The ocean’s tides and currents are heavily influenced by the moon, so Williams has looked to surfing and the stars for inspiration. The collection travels from “Hawaii to Hong Kong and everywhere in between” through fabric, fit and intricate details. Ten new prints have been created, spanning from surfing and tropical Hawaiian plants to the celestial, with Neptune, Roman God of the seas, and freshwater being incorporated into the designs. Various forms of nautical travel have been explored through the cuts and materials used, with the dandy silhouette of the sailor’s uniform present in the form of hats and peacoats, as…