"No One's Gay Round Here": The Street

The BBC is currently showing the second series of the series 'The Street'. Tonight's episode focused on the character of Charlie. The BBC summarises the programme as:

Charlie, a demolition man (Vincent Regan), is going to work away, leaving wife Roz at home with their teenage kids, Luke and Leah.

At the end of a gruelling day, Charlie retires to the room that he’s sharing with fellow worker, Tom (Will Mellor). Charlie is woken when Tom tries to get into bed with him. Affronted by Tom's actions, Charlie states that he’s straight.

The next day Charlie attempts to change hotel rooms, but it’s not an option, and so he’s stuck with Tom. That evening, Tom tries his luck again, and Charlie doesn't resist his advances. Will he be able to come to terms with what's happening to him?

The programme was significant TV for a number of reasons. It was the first time that a prime time UK TV series focused on a working class man confronting questions of sexuality. It did not seek to pigeon hole the character as gay/straight/bisexual. Instead, it sought to open up the question, raise of issues of how an individual comes to define their sexuality and as one might expect with the series, the question of class.

On numerous occasions, I've thought the series shows working class in way in a dramatic way that Coronation might still do if it was more like the original 1960s series. The series was perhaps too sweeping in its portrayal of working class views of sexuality but that said the character was not a 19 year old surrounded by his peers, but rather a 30 odd year old wondering who and "what" he is.

Incidentally, I'm fairly sure (though I wouldn't put big money on it!) that the toilets in which Charlie is assaulted is 'Hollywood' where a few of us ended up in Manchester during the field trip. The Manchester bar scenes were also interesting to see queer perfromativity in action. The character of Tom (played by the tattooed and seductive Will Mellor) undergoes a transformation between the scenes as builder on site, private bedroom and the gay bar itself.

Essentially the programme leaves the viewer with a central question: what is it to be non (hetero)sexual in the working class north today? It cuts beyond the politics driven agenda of the middle class campaign groups like Stonewall or the ideology driven activists and seeks to challenge those groups just as it does the working class viewers watching the series.

Transgender Day of Rememberance

Readers may be interested in the following announcement from FORGE:

In honor of the 2007 Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20, 2007), FORGE is pleased to announce the release of two new handouts individuals and organizations are invited to download and distribute: "Keeping Yourself Safe: Anti-trans Violence Awareness and Prevention," and "SOFFA Victims of Anti-Trans Violence.""Keeping Yourself Safe" acknowledges that while victims are never to be blamed for violence against them, there are tactics transgender and SOFFA (Significant Others, Friends, Family and Allies) individuals can use to keep themselves safer. The handout lists 12 safety tips, such as carrying a whistle and wearing clothes you can breathe and move easily in. "Keeping Yourself Safe" is available in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format at http://www.forge-forward.org/docs/KeepingYourselfSafe.pdf, or in web format at http://www.forge-forward.org/transviolence/safety.phpSOFFA Victims of Anti-Trans Violence" gives vignettes of eleven SOFFAs who were killed or seriously injured in anti-trans violence. All too often, Transgender Day of Remembrance events have acknowledged only trans victims of transphobia, even though many SOFFAs have also lost their lives due to transphobia. In some cases, SOFFAs were killed along with their trans loved ones but are no longer remembered nearly as well as their trans co-victim, such as Lisa Lambert and Philip DeVine, who were killed along with Brandon Teena. Other SOFFAs, like Pvt. Barry L. Winchell, were targeted specifically because of their connection with a trans person. Still other SOFFAs, like Willie Houston, were attacked because they were (erroneously) believed to be trans. "It's important that we recognize transphobia is dangerous to everyone, not just trans people," FORGE director michael munson said, "And this handout is designed to raise that awareness." The SOFFA Victims handout is available in PDF format at http://www.forge-forward.org/docs/SOFFAVictims.pdf or in web format at http://www.forge-forward.org/transviolence/SOFFAvictims.phpThe new handouts can also be accessed by clicking on the links at the upper right-hand side of the FORGE homepage, at www.forge-forward.org

Just a Bit of Fun - "Gay-o-Meter"

We are well into the assessment season and I'm sure you're in need for distraction. Well Channel 4 have a "gay - o- meter" to see just how gay you are. Remember this is just for fun folks. Apparently, I am 73% gay and the site says "careful! You're not a gay cliche yet, but are well on your way. Bet all the girlie girls just adore you!". Hmmmm....obviously this still has some bugs in it. lol.

Check out the "gay-o-meter" at: http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/G/gayometer/

Italian "anti homophobia" law

The AKI News Agency reports that the Italian Parliament is looking to pass a bill that would would mean: "homophobia will be punishable with a prison sentence of up to four years" and "the bill makes it a crime to express 'reservations' against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation."

Much more detail is needed- but I would be interested to know what constitutes "homophobia" - is it verbal (in which case repetitive, what measure for verbal insult) or physical? How on earth do you criminalise 'reservations'. It sounds all a little 1984 for me.

The Hockey Star and Legal Action

Interesting story from Canada about a Hockey star - Jiri Tlusty. The 19yr old star found himself at the centre of an Internet storm after pictures were posted off him innocently touching tongues with a mate. One blog that posted the pics suggested the star was gay and found itself receiving a firm letter from the Lawyers (which they then published - see: http://isthishappening.typepad.com/LAWLETTER.jpg). The star also found naked pictures (which he'd taken with a camera phone and sent to his girlfriend) posted. A bit of Internet searching still produces the pics. The Hockey player released a statement denying he was gay or bisexual and the fact that he made such a statement and reacted in the way he did has actually provided the story and moved it to an international level. Would someone take legal action for being straight? This is particularly interesting in English Law and defamation - whereby it has to be demonstrated that claims were "detrimental" to someones character- is being gay "detrimental". Whilst this was not a legal action it does still feed into that position that to be accused of being gay is damaging. Had he been accused of liking smelly cheese would the bloggers of such a post have had the same legal onslaught? Probably not. Conceptions of sexuality remain a vital element of defining our status and societal relationships. If boundaries are ever to be challenged and/or removed our conceptions of sexuality must also be challenged.

Read the full story at: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-6065.html

Stonewall Awards

The annual Stonewall awards took place last week and the winners were:

Publication of the Year The Guardian For supportive coverage of a wealth of lesbian and gay issues during the last 12 months across both its news and features sections

Politician of the Year Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Health, and Angela Eagle MP, Treasury Minister, joint winners. For their work on the 2007 Sexual Orientation Regulations

Writer of the Year Val McDermid For this year’s best-selling crime thriller Beneath the Bleeding. Her Wire in the Blood has been an award-winning ITV series

Sports Personality of the Year Nigel Owens Openly-gay international rugby referee who made his pioneering Rugby World Cup debut in France in October 2007

Bigot of the Year The Bishop of Hereford, Anthony Priddis An Employment Tribunal found in July that the Bishop unlawfully withdrew a job offer to a gay youth worker after subjecting him to humiliating personal questioning

Journalist of the Year Philip Hensher, The Independent Regularly features lesbian and gay issues objectively in a column that is compellingly forthright, insightful and acerbic

Broadcast of the Year Hollyoaks, Channel 4 For its sympathetic and convincing handling of the gritty and emotional storyline about the developing relationship between teenagers John Paul and Craig

Stonewall & Barclays Community Group of the Year London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard For providing unsung 24-hour support and advice to thousands of gay people. Winner of a £5000 cheque presented by Barclays group Vice Chairman Gary Hoffman

Entertainer of the Year Dan Gillespie Sells Openly-gay lead singer of the hugely successful band The Feeling, the most widely-played on UK radio in last 12 months

Hero of the Year Antony Grey Former Secretary of the Homosexual Law Reform Society, he spearheaded the campaign which resulted in the first partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967

Liverpool Queer Space

Interesting story in the latest Pink Paper regarding Liverpool. There are plans to create a new "queer quarter" but the cost - £500,000 is causing a bit of a stir. Interestingly, once you get into the story it is about pedestrianising a couple of streets and closing one street to traffic in evenings. This will be built around the existing "quarter". The aim is to create a more clearly defined area. Those who are advocating the scheme are doing so on the basis of "spending a penny to make a pound", or to put it another way, cashing in on the 'pink pound'. The wider socio-legal issues around "queer space" and the ghetto debate seem worryingly absent from this debate. Read the fulls tory at:

http://www.pinkpaper.com/pinkpaper/story.asp?aid=353

Malaysia Orgy Raid

The Guardian reports that 37 men have been arrested, including one Briton in Malaysia. The arrest follows a raid by Police who say they were acting on a public tip-off. Officers raided a fitness centre in northern Penang island on Sunday while a sex party was in progress. The men arrested were aged between 20 and 45. The Police Chief is reported as saying: "This is against our culture, our way of life." The offence of sodomy can result in punishable by up to 20 years in prison and whipping. Police cited the discovery of used condoms, seven tubes of lube, 20 gay magazines, four pornographic videos and six boxes of new condoms, as evidence of "unnatural sex acts".

We should hesitate to condemn the Police. After all the UK Government currently has plans before Parliament on the possession of extreme pornography which will criminalise a considerable amount of gay and S&M material whilst the continued enforcement of the Brown decision renders certain S&M sex acts illegal. Not forgetting the continued criminalisation (albeit to varying degrees)of cruising,cottaging and dogging. The acts criminalised in this Malaysian case were only fully legalised in 2003 in the UK (and the sodomy laws only changed 40years ago). We remain far from a beacon of sexual liberation ourselves!

Read the story at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/gayrights/story/0,,2206087,00.html

Magic Circle Gets a Little Pinker

The Pink Paper reports an interesting story from Magic Circle law firm - Clifford Chance. They were at the centre of a discrimination case earlier this year but have now set up a LGBT Staff Network. It's difficult to say much more about it as the news and press release pages of the CC website make no mention of the group. In 2006 the firm registered £1bn profits and remains the largest law firm in the world.

Read the PP Story at: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-5973.html

LGBT Network North East Newsletter

The latest edition of the LGBT Network North East Newsletter has been published. It can be viewed online at: http://www.lgbtnetworknortheast.co.uk/Newsletters/newsletter%2029.pdf