Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2025 i Attitude Magazine

Dale Fox JOURNALIST It’s a well-documented fact that gays love strong women — and coming of age in the late 1990s, the era of Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman, Madonna’s Ray of Light, Lori Petty in Tank Girl, and the Spice Girls, I was spoilt for choice. But the one I connected with most was a handdrawn cynic in combat boots: MTV animated series Daria’s namesake, Daria Morgendorffer. With her monotone delivery, constant side-eye, and refusal to play along with the mainstream, she taught a generation of outsiders like me how to elevate themselves above the masses in a world obsessed with conformity. Ever sceptical and gloriously unimpressed by the world’s nonsense, she became something of a muse. Daria didn’t try to inspire, and she didn’t ask to be liked. She just…

TAKING FLIGHT Air Anya, the new collection from accessories designer Dame Anya Hindmarch, will take you back to the 1970s, when flying with British Airways’ Concorde and Pan Am was the height of luxury. The range of leather travel accessories uses the two brands’ classic logos, as well as fun air-travel motifs that range from plane tickets to luggage labels. The offering includes a passport holder, a purse, a cardholder, two phone cases with lanyards, an amenity pouch for beauty essentials, and plenty of delightful charms. Get set for take-off. anyahindmarch.com HOLD ME CLOSER Intertwined is the fourth photo book from Berlin-based Greek photographer Spyros Rennt. The work sees the artist shift his focus from queer nightlife to more intimate moments of connection, presenting a series of diptychs that explore…

Ella Morgan (she/her) TV star Gay men can help women by more openly acknowledging that they owe their civil liberties to Black trans women and lesbians. Defend the rights of their queer siblings instead of pretending the T isn’t in LGBTQ. We don’t need to separate ourselves from LGB people. Gender identity is different from sexual orientation, but we’re still a minority facing similar struggles. Being trans in the 2020s is like being homosexual in the 1980s/90s. We’re one big queer community with one thing in common: the struggle to be accepted by those who aren’t queer. Gay men should be able to hold space with empathy rather than exclude and ostracise — they should be allies. Gay men can educate themselves, listen to us and and spread our stories…

Nobody was prepared for the arrival of Azealia Banks. Aged just 20 when she burst onto the scene in 2011 with breakout single ‘212’, she quickly carved a name for herself with her talent for rapping and her proclivity for becoming embroiled in nasty social media spats which have seen the artist spew venom at everyone from Perez Hilton to Grimes to Kanye to Madonna. Unfortunately, despite Banks being part of the LGBTQ+ community, various minority groups have frequently got caught in the crossfire of Banks’ feuds, much to the bemusement of her largely queer fanbase. Now, over a decade into her career, we’re still trying to get a handle on just where Banks sits on the LGBTQ+ ally to adversary matrix. ✅ Feb 2012 Banks tells The New York…

In 2006, when a News of the World photographer attempted to ambush George Michael while he walked around the notorious cruising area in London’s Hampstead Heath, the star famously shouted at the snapper: “Are you gay? No! This is my culture. Fuck off!” In doing so, he brought global attention to the already-established cruising zone. Hampstead Heath was used by cruisers long before the arrival of the pop superstar, and its popularity as a cruising destination continues long after his death. But the memory of his presence there is preserved by those who still frequent it in the hope of meeting a lover. Indeed, every year, a party — aptly titled the This Is My Culture Party — is thrown in Michael’s memory. It serves as a celebration of both…

WIG OUT From 26 May to 30 June, Queer Bath will see the history and collections of the city’s iconic venues reinterpreted through an LGBTQ+ lens. The Bath Arts Collective, alongside local museums and institutions, is partnering with the likes of local queer cabaret group WIG! (pictured) and Holburne Pride to produce this celebration. By honouring the rich tapestry of LGBTQ+ lives, stories and creativity associated with key buildings in the city, Queer Bath aims to enrich our understanding of the past and foster an environment of inclusivity for the future. The city’s most famous attraction will host one of the highlights, WIG!’s Pride NOT Prejudice Ball, which will take place in the Pump Rooms on 6 June. batharts.co.uk LIGHT ON YOUR FEET Travelling by air inevitably involves sitting still…

ASK THE AUTHOR Torrey Peters is arguably the world’s most famous trans novelist of our time. After publishing the award-winning Detransition, Baby in 2021, now she returns with a curious collection of novellas entitled Stag Dance, a series of four narratives that capture the breadth of the trans experience — in a dystopian future, a teen high-school dormitory, the deep forests of Old Vermont, and on the Las Vegas strip. Here, Attitude speaks to Peters about the struggles of trans writing, the pleasure of genre-bending, and living in America at a time of oppression. We also share our picks of our best recent reads, as well as our current favourite audiobook available on Audible. What was it like to be catapulted into the mainstream and onto prize lists with Detransition,…

At the turn of the millennium, teen pop was dominating the charts like never before. The sugary-sweet sounds of hits like Britney Spears’s ‘Oops!… I Did It Again’ and *NSYNC’s ‘Bye Bye Bye’ were in. It was bubblegum pop with added E numbers. Christina Aguilera’s 1999 self-titled debut was an example of this, launching the Disney alumnus onto the world stage with ‘Genie in a Bottle’ and ‘What a Girl Wants’. She established herself among the likes of Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore as a new teen idol, all of whom were being moulded to Britney’s girl-next-door image. It was these comparisons that made Aguilera want to break away from her contemporaries and showcase her true identity on Stripped. It was Aguilera’s fourth overall studio album, but second English-speaking, non-Christmas…

December 2018, JADE As the Brit Award winner’s solo career goes from strength to strength, now feels the perfect time to revisit Jade Thirlwall’s 2018 Attitude cover. (Her Little Mix bandmates Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock also got their cover girl moments, of course.) In their group interview, Jade summed up LGBTQ+ allyship like no one since: “I didn’t want to be that person who was like: ‘I love going to gay bars and I have a gay friend.’ I actually wanted to back that up as an ally. I wanted to educate myself and learn how to combat homophobia.” Elsewhere, pre-Bros Billy Eichner sounded off about Trump’s first term (“he’s such a con artist that he’s inspired outrage in me, as an LGBT+ person but also just…

Laganja Estranja is no stranger to the spotlight — or a death drop. Since her unforgettable stint on RuPaul’s Drag Race series six, she’s become a cultural force, known for her acrobatic performances and signature catchphrases. Now, she’s making her mark in a whole new way in Drag House Rules, a chaotic and camp-filled scripted reality series on OUTflix. Starring alongside drag icons including Jujubee, Manila Luzon and Tammie Brown, Laganja gets to flex her acting chops in a show that fuses the best (and worst) of reality TV with overthe-top drag theatrics. Here, she spills on everything from taking on RuPaul to wild backstage antics. So come on, Attitude — let’s get sickening. Okurrr! What’s the secret to the perfect death drop? Technique. Dance training skills take practice. And…

I was born in Sheffield in 1981, but my story truly begins in Iran. My parents had been living in the UK while they studied, but just six months after my birth, they returned home, driven by a newfound devotion to the Islamic Revolution. My father, once liberal in his views, became deeply religious, and by the time the Iran-Iraq war erupted, he had signed up to fight. My childhood was shaped by the echoes of war: sirens blaring, nights spent hiding under our dining table, the fear of bombs falling on our home. Life after the war didn’t bring relief. Instead, our house became a shrine to the Islamic Republic. Images of the Ayatollah adorned the walls, Qurans and prayer books filled every surface, and religion dictated every moment…

I love social media. It’s a great way to stay connected, find inspiration and even learn a thing or two. But I’m increasingly frustrated when I discover content that makes exaggerated medical claims. One of the latest trends to make my blood boil (and that of my friend who flagged it to me) is the so-called ‘P-Shot’. The P-what, you ask? The P-Shot — short for Priapus Shot, named after the Greek god of fertility — is being marketed as a revolutionary treatment for men’s sexual health. The premise is simple: it’s a nonsurgical, regenerative procedure that uses platelet-rich plasma (PRP) derived from a patient’s own blood. A small blood sample is collected, spun down in a centrifuge, and the PRP extracted. This is then injected into specific areas of…

FROM THE OUTSIDE looking in, you would be forgiven for assuming that Bowen Yang has been on top of the world these past few years. Since being promoted from the writing team to the on-air cast of Saturday Night Live in 2019, the comedian and actor’s career has gone from strength to strength. Yang fast became a fan favourite on the legendary live comedy hit and has been credited with bringing a new, decidedly queer flavour to it. Then, in 2021, he made history as the first cast member to land an Emmy nomination for his work on the show. Parallel to his SNL success, his weekly pop-culture podcast Las Culturistas with best friend and fellow comedian Matt Rogers grew exponentially in popularity. What began as something of a lark,…

I’m based in London, but I grew up in an ex-mining village on the outskirts of Newcastle upon Tyne. It was… OK. It was tough growing up queer in the ’90s. There was no visibility in the media — at least not in any real, affirming way — and there certainly wasn’t anyone openly queer in my small village. We didn’t have the internet yet, so there was no way to connect with people like me online or see ourselves reflected anywhere. It felt isolating. I used to hate my body growing up. We live in a deeply fatphobic society. There was so much misinformation around weight, health and fatness that spread throughout the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s that shaped how fat people were treated. I learnt from an…

Chris Glass has built a career on connection. Growing up in Georgia, he was shaped by a family deeply involved in community service. After moving to New York, he found his footing in the city’s queer nightlife scene before a chance opportunity led him to Germany. Now, as Soho House’s global director of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), he ensures that the brand remains a welcoming space for creatives worldwide. Here, he reflects on his 15 years with the company, and why cultivating belonging has always been at the heart of what he does. What was growing up like for you? I grew up in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, called Cordele. It was an idyllic childhood. I was the oldest of three. My mother worked for the state of…

Blake Little is an awardwinning, Los Angeles-based photographer who has shot the likes of Tom Cruise, Glenn Close and Jane Fonda. He is also known for his LGBTQ+ portrait series. Now, the first of these projects, which was carried out after Little completed his photography degree over 40 years ago, is being celebrated in a newly released book, CONSTRUCTION NUDES 1981-1985. In this interview, he explains how the images are a product of their time. Describe the inspiration behind your construction series. I’ve always been fascinated with architecture, construction sites and raw materials like concrete, rebar, steel and dirt. When I found these locations, I went there primarily to take pictures of the locations themselves as architectural pictures. But then I quickly realised I wanted to bring models there once…

What a Girl Wants by Roxy Bourdillon (Out now in hardback) Part memoir and part guide to queer life, this is the story of Roxy Bourdillon, the brilliant editor-inchief of the iconic Diva magazine, as she navigates modern life. Beginning in her grandmother’s kitchen and climaxing with meeting the love of her life, Bourdillon hits the beats of every facet of life for women from across the sexual and gender spectrum — coming out, sex, Pride, body image, working life and much more. Reading Bourdillon’s prose is like having a late-night chat with a close friend; it’s full of gossip, wit, heartache and charm, and amid the laughter and tears, much wisdom can be found too. The Gallopers by Jon Ransom (Out now in paperback) This year’s Polari prize winner…

Way back in 1996, long before sibling directing duo the Wachowskis became sisters, they made the most flagrantly queer film of their career with this deliciously tongue-in-cheek but sincerely sexy erotic noir. Each in the best form of their careers, Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly star as underworld lovers — an ex-con and a restless gangster’s moll, respectively — plotting to flee the mob with a big wad of Mafia money to boot. It’s tightly plotted and dizzily hot, fully immersed in mid-90s style but fresh as a daisy today: anyone who saw and loved Love Lies Bleeding last year but hasn’t seen this, get on it.…

LET THE SUN SHINE Step into a season of self-expression with Arnette’s new sunglasses collection. Combining athletic appeal with streetwear vibes and a nod to Y2K nostalgia, this range offers plenty of bold, creative styles. As well as making chic sunglasses, Arnette also champions sustainability by making them from bio-based materials, including nylon and rubber, so you can feel as good as you look. arnette.com KICK BACK A vintage-style trainer is a wardrobe staple this season, and Dsquared2 is racing ahead with the Sprinter, a new sneaker designed for both men and women. Its design blends vintage running shoe vibes with the brand’s bold, contemporary edge. Crafted from premium technical fabrics, nubuck calfskin and breathable nylon mesh, these trainers come in sleek monochrome tones as well as standout colour-blocked styles.…

SKINCARE IS SELF-CARE NARCYSS skincare was founded in Zürich in 2020 by Swedish brothers Gustaf Törling and Oscar Knaust. Blending their backgrounds of fashion and luxury, the brothers created an inclusive wellness brand that speaks to today’s modern individual. Crafted in small batches in boutique labs in Paris and Sweden, NARCYSS skincare uses adaptogens to protect and repair skin, promoting healthy ageing. Their best-selling AMPM face cream awakens tired, dull skin with antioxidant-rich ingredients of green tea extract and aloe vera. Attitude can attest that it’s lightweight, fast-absorbing and non-greasy, leaving skin dewy and hydrated with a fresh scent. narcyss.com REVIEW BUXTON CRESCENT ENSANA HEALTH SPA HOTEL I’ve never been much of a spa person. The idea of lying still while someone kneads me like a lump of dough always…

Has JK Rowling been on the rosé again? Although her latest anti-LGBTQIA+ attack is far away from that “clumsy and middle-aged moment” in 2018, when she liked a tweet that referred to trans women as ‘men in dresses’, she seems to have now moved beyond her anti-trans views to targeting others in the queer community. Taking to X on 6 April to project further judgement on anybody who doesn’t conform to her view of how another human being should identify, this time she took a stab at the asexual community. Already infamous for her anti-trans views, Joanne Kathleen Rowling seems to be picking her way through the LGBTQIA+ rainbow, one letter at a time. “Happy International Fake Oppression Day to everyone who wants complete strangers to know they don’t fancy…

‘Do you want to be happy?” I’m pretty sure every single one of us would answer yes if asked this question. In a heartbeat, surely. Happiness feels like the most coveted destination, the zenith we are all searching for. Countless books are sold in the name of it, wellness retreats are built as a shrine to it. We go out dancing, meet friends, see theatre, watch films, all in the hope of feeling, if only for a moment… happy. I think we all want to be happy. But actively choosing happiness is not so simple. In fact, choosing happiness can sometimes feel like the hardest thing of all. It’s odd when you think about it. If offered happiness, we’d all take it. But if asked to work for it… well,…

This article is upbeat, I promise… but my uncle just died. And at his funeral, the eulogy was rolling along with childhood stories, hobbies, the usual sentimental bits, when suddenly, I got a mention: “John enjoyed seeing his nephew James on Piers Morgan, even if he was coming out with a load of woke.” I nearly choked on my own grief. Trolling. Shade. A final read. From beyond the grave. The man had committed to his bit. Bravo, but also what the fucking fuck? Uncle John was a straight white man who drove a white van. Bit of a conspiracy theorist. Got in trouble with the law when I was a kid. We weren’t close. He always seemed trapped in his own confusion about the world, drinking to mask a…

The first time 24-year-old Jacob Alon felt like they were taken seriously was during a school talent contest. They were nine years old, and their mother had taught them how to play ‘Right Here Waiting’, the classic ’80s power ballad by Richard Marx, on the piano. After performing it, they came second in the competition. “I had this feeling that people had stopped and listened. It was electric,” they recall. “It also felt like I had a voice for all the things I was feeling but didn’t have the language to express.” Alon still feels this emotional release when they perform. As a singer-songwriter, they make devastating, wistful and indelibly queer folk music, delivered via Alon’s, quite frankly, astonishingly delicate voice, which sits somewhere between Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright,…

Behind the doors of a large, three-storey house in the gay epicentre of Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana, five blocks from the famous beach, lies a sexual playground. In the 700-square-metre Point 202 sauna, half-naked men walk around wearing only towels. On the first floor, sofas and tables and around 30 screens are arranged in front of a stage where drag queens and go-go boys perform for an audience of male locals and tourists. When owner Júnior Barbosa, 49, opened Point 202 sauna in 2002, his competitors were hostile. “At that time, the saunas in Copacabana didn’t want me to open here. I received several threats over the phone. I had to walk around with six bodyguards and [had] an armoured car,” recalls the muscular businessman when we meet at Point…

“I have been approached by Disney, Marvel, The National Gallery, and even films for prop-making” You may recognise Adam Johnson from his cracking run on the fourth series of Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down or the BBC’s Big Gay Wedding with Tom Allen, in which Johnson married his fiancé of 10 years and business partner Dan Mackey. Or you might have spotted him on the Attitude 101 2025 list as a trailblazer in the arts. In 2021, Johnson capitalised on his newfound fame and launched Adam Ceramic, offering his and Mackey’s clay creations to his fanbase. “We consciously made it so that we spend our days together working across all aspects of being self-employed artists, and our skill sets work in synchronicity,” reveals Johnson. “Most potters have quite…

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Jersey feels like a slice of the South of France, but with all the comforts of home. Its coastline is an influencer’s dream — golden beaches, dramatic cliffs and shimmering blue waters that could pass for the Med. Every turn reveals breathtaking viewpoints, hidden coves and picture-perfect spots begging to be captured. Beyond the shore, the island is effortlessly boujee, with rustic villages, quaint cafés and winding lanes leading to centuries-old churches. With Jersey being just a short hop from London and easily explored in a weekend, you’ll wonder why you didn’t discover this unique island sooner. WHAT TO DO Jersey Museum, Art Gallery & Victorian House in St. Helier traces the island’s story from its prehistoric beginnings to the present day, showcasing everything from Neolithic artefacts…

Pride Quarter, Liverpool  Stanley Street, Liverpool L1 ‘A bracadabra, amor-oo-na-na!” Lady Gaga’s war cry reverberates around ‘Abracadabra, the walls of The Lisbon in Liverpool, as the room vibrates with energy. Within days, these words will be as familiar and iconic as “Roma, roma-ma”, but on this typically chilly Friday up north, ‘Abracadabra’ is still box-fresh, like industrial bottled lightning spilled across the dancefloor. As Gaga’s best song in 16 years revitalises queer nightlife once more, a painting by Collette Collinge of Liverpool’s finest, The Vivienne, late star of Drag Race UK’s first series, takes pride of place behind the bar, watching over the mayhem. Like Viv themself, the bar and the city are friendly, fabulous and no frills. An early stop on an evening of barhopping in the city’s Pride Quarter,…

Playground by Richard Powers Powers has risen to fame for his thought-provoking eco-criticism with stories that explore the human relationship with nature and the environment. However, rather than through the persuasive medium of essays, in Playground he uses the narrative of a series of characters who each have a relationship with the ocean, including a Pacific islander, a deep-sea explorer, and an AI tech designer. Each person’s moving story is intertwined with their common love of or need for the sea. It is Powers’ electric description of the big blue and his ability to revitalise and bring to life one of the greatest wonders of the natural world that make this such an immersive read, producing a text that you want to dive deeply into and lose yourself in. And…

GRACE SANDS A veteran of the UK’s first deep house sound system — DiY Soundsystem — set up in late ’80s Nottingham, Grace began DJing as one half of Digs and Woosh, which would see them travel the world. As a solo DJ, Grace has been a mainstay of the NYC Downlow at Glastonbury and Adonis at The Cause, alongside a standout Boiler Room set and a party under her label name Sands of Time at The Lion & Lamb, east London. When Grace drops a record, you can’t help but dance. What can people expect from a Grace Sands set? I’m known for moving it around and taking you on a journey, so you won’t get bored. Expect deep house, some butch vogue and ballroom tracks, ’91 going on…

EMPOWERED BY BENTLEY In February, Attitude 101 2025, empowered by Bentley, took place at Rosewood London, celebrating 101 LGBTQ+ trailblazers making real change across the fields of culture, business, law, STEM and more. Topping the list was our Trailblazer of the Year, actress Nava Mau. Guests arrived in Bentleys, with a one-of-a-kind ‘Love is Love’ Flying Spur parked proudly outside. Inside, wines courtesy of M&S, chosen by their expert winemakers, and gorgeous M&S cocktails flowed as the community gathered for an afternoon of speeches, solidarity and celebration. It was a day to reflect and recognise the work being done across industries to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ lives in a period that has felt especially turbulent. Attitude publisher Darren Styles OBE kicked things off by thanking sponsors Bentley, Clifford Chance and…