UK asylum seekers ‘told to prove they are gay’ – BBC News website today (11.10.13).
Gay and lesbian people seeking asylum in the UK from persecution abroad are being ordered to “prove” their sexuality, MPs have said.
In extreme cases claimants had handed over photographic and video evidence of “highly personal sexual activity” in an effort to persuade officials, the Home Affairs Committee found.
The Sapphormation Festival, Manchester – Lesbian, bisexual or a gay woman? Fed up of the gay scene or never found it met your needs? Ever wonder about the other 3million of us in the UK? Want to talk about the things that really matter to you, amongst like-minded people? Enjoy music, art, food, debate, socialising? Then look no further
Queering ESOL – This seminar series, which runs over two years at the IOE, King’s College, London and the University of Leeds is called Queering ESOL: towards a cultural politics of LGBT issues in the ESOL classroom and aims to bring together policy makers, teachers, members of professional and campaigning organisations focused on LGBT rights, migration and asylum, along with researchers and a range of international scholars. ESOL, as many of you know refers to English for Speakers of Other Languages and the immediate context for the seminar series is the climate created by the 2010 Equality Act and the challenges and the opportunities this presents for adult education.
As part of the celebration of Black History Month, join Southwark’s Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual and Trans Network for a night of discussion and performance to celebrate and explore the Afro-Caribbean LGBT diaspora
Happy Coming OUT Day. Every year on National Coming Out Day, we celebrate coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or as an ally. On Oct. 11, 2013, we mark the 25th anniversary of National Coming Out Day. This year’s theme is “Coming Out Still Matters.”
LGBT HM offers our best wishes and support to everyone who is coming out, thinking of coming out, or knows someone who is. Be OUT, be Proud.
Vote for the PinkNews Community Group of the Year!
Seven equally deserving LGBT community groups, including Schools OUT UK/LGBT History Month are up for this award.
The presentation evening is on Wednesday 23rd October, which doesn’t give you long, so get clicking!
Saturday October 12th sees a day of films exploring the theme of love and marriage in the context of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) cinema. It is put together by Camden LGBT Forum and The British Museum and all are welcome! At the end of each film one or two objects from the collections will be discussed with reference to the screening. And don’t miss the Q and A with Curator Richard Parkinson
Justin Sayre, Chairman of the International Order of the Sodomites; at a recent edition of The Meeting —the group’s monthly gathering that’s executed in the form of a comedy/variety show (naturally) and dedicated to a different gay icon/cultural touchstone each time, delivered a deliciously icy rebuke of modern gay taste and discourse (pegged to the MTV VMAs). This interview was conducted by www.theslate.com as a follow up.
Galop’s Celebration of Voice fundraising event – Friday, 11th October
Those of you in/near London will know the invaluable work that Galop has been doing, “policing the police”, for LGBT people.
In the last year, some of Galop’s work, for instance on “Operation nutmeg”, has directly benefitted areas all over the country.
Like many LGBT charities they are suffering terribly during the recession, but one unpaid worker has been organising a benefit event taking place this Friday.
USA – conservative grgoups are accusing LGBT organisations of “sexual assault on our children” through public schools’ recognition of LGBT History Month (this month). They accuse schools of teaching “sex and murder”, following the inclusion of the ‘trans panic’ story of teenager Gwen Araujo on the curriculum.
