Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 499 i GAY TIMES

A new wave is taking over. A generation of queer identifying people are occupying mainstream spaces and using it to tell their unqiue story – often without limitations. And in this digital world, that equals power. From that, it develops into people like us having immediate access to content inclusive of entertainment shows, first-hand stories without your horrible corporate filer, and it be varied viewpoint. The types of stories that our friends have, but so often don’t tell. Stories that we all know exist but are hungry for more of. These stories that dive deeper into our collective history and existence to be available for everyone – and for mainstream platforms to be embracing the content on an unparalleled level – is a clear indication of progression. In this 499th…

I officially discovered that I’m intersex when I was 21 years old. Why use the word officially, you might ask? Because even though the process started when I was 18, no one used the word intersex to describe my body’s natural hormonal variations or the differing function of my internal reproductive structure even though these things make me officially intersex. With all the misconceptions and misrepresentations there are about the intersex experience, I assumed that intersex people were sat down by their doctor and told: “You are intersex.” Or, more likely, “I’m so sorry, but unfortunately you are intersex.” Intersex people are viewed as a biological fluke, a mistake. Certainly not an identity to be celebrated – which is why most intersex people are never told that we’re intersex. Admitting…

“Stay calm.” That’s Jonathon Van Ness’s advice. Of course, as someone so globally adored for giving advice he has more to say than “stay calm” – but this is what seems to stick out in his mind. At least this is where our conversation ends, one which has been fast-paced, one which has bounced everywhere from gossiping hairdressers to Olympic ice-skating routines, from coming out as gender non-conforming to his smokey relationship with Queer Eye co-star Antoni Porowski (more on that later). “Growing up for me, I was very triggered and fearful,” Jonathan recalls. “Triggered and fearful about living my truth and living my truth authentically, and I think that I had good reason to be. Because, you know, I did grow up in a city, and in a culture…

Where is it? Miami Beach up the top bit. No, up a bit further. Right on the beach, obvs. Why so lovely? Well, it’s an Ian Schrager. Shall we just leave it at that? Well, he is the world-beating hotelier with the touch of touches meaning that it’s stand-out, glamorous and sexy, even in a place as glamorous and sexy as Miami Beach. First impressions? Walking into the huge lobby with golden columns that seem to go right through the ceiling, the first thing that strikes you is foliage, jungle-like and everywhere with cunning lighting, bouncing leaf-shaped shadows on the ceiling. The space is large and golden and modern and gorgeous. And the accommodations? You can have your room in any colour you like as long as it’s white. On…

Why go to a hotel on an island when you can go to a private island? Not a reason in the world we can think of. Petit St. Vincent, tucked in at the bottom of the Grenadines (which you thought was something they put in cocktails) is such a thing. And because it’s small and lovely, they call it boutique. And because it’s boutique and private, it means you won’t have to put up with people up in your grill the whole time. With just 22 cottages and beach villas spread over 115 acres of fluffy green island, this really is getting away from it all. And when we say ‘cottage’, we’re just saying what they’re saying. We wouldn’t call them cottages, not in the Miss Marple sense of the…

With his narco-fabulous name, thousands of glittering sequins, and a delicious dose of sexual satire, pioneering London-based designer Ashish has redefined glamour since he started his eponymous label almost two decades ago. Originally from Delhi, India, he completed a degree in fine art before moving to London for an MA in fashion design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. As a creative activist, his work considers politically-charged messages and social landscapes via hand embroidery and artisan traditions. Now, he opens the doors to his archive alongside a cast of queer creatives who echo his message of love, liberalism, and joy. Starring Ms. Carrie Stacks, Duane Nasis, Finn Buchanan, Firpal Jawanda, Gareth William, Jake Grewal, Leo Kalyan, Maxim Magnus, Reece King, Sam Jamieson, Samuel Hohls, Santiago Joaquin, Shareef…

LANA DEL REY: NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL (album out 30 August) Lana Del Rey pretty much invented the ‘sad pop’ genre with her still-brilliant debut album Born To Die, and since then she’s provided the soundtrack to years of broken hearts and daddy issues with a string of broody records. Things took a turn with 2017’s Lust For Life, which offered a more hopeful outlook on life and even saw Lana smile on an album cover for the first time. Now, two years later, her sixth studio album Norman Fucking Rockwell aims to continue that trend, and may be her most uplifting release yet. Venice Bitch - at over nine minutes long - remains gloriously self-indulgent, the wistfully nostalgic How To Disappear will no doubt become an instant fan favourite, and…

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines, because the official cast for the highly-anticipated debut season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is H-E-R-E, here! This October, ten sickening queens will sashay down the runway and compete for the title of the UK’s first Drag Race Superstar on BBC Three. RuPaul will return as host and main judge alongside best squirrel friend Michelle Visage, as well as newcomers - and British icons - Alan Carr and Graham Norton. “Oh my goodness, when they see this show, they are going to flip,” RuPaul said in a statement. “And I predict that we will be doing this English edition of Drag Race for many years to come. I think also, audiences around the world are going to start to require the English version, because…

Pfft. Who needs an Emmy Award-winning reality competition to be a legend in the drag community? Lucy Stoole? Absolutely not. The self-described “loud, outspoken sex-positive” performer has been a staple in the Chicago drag scene for the past 12 years and is notable for turning drag “on its head” with their unique brand of gender-fuckery. “I would be considered the motherly figure of Chicago drag right now,” they tell us. As a bearded queen, Lucy has received their fair share of stigma, but they tell us it helped them discover their non-binary and gender nonconforming identity: “It opened up the doors for me in so many ways to not only have myself see things from a different standpoint, but to also help other people look at gender differently.” Here, Lucy…

“The Queen just knocked on the door during the renovations and asked if she could have a nosy,” says someone very important at The Fife Arms, which in one glorious, tartan-flavoured swoop has become one of the world’s most dazzling hotels. “I didn’t quite know how to ask her to wear a hard-hat.” The Fife Arms, sitting there all majestically in the tiny town of Braemar on the edge of Scotland’s glittering Highlands, is Her Maj’s local, if a handful of miles in a Land Rover counts as local, but when your second home is Balmoral and your backyard is thousands of acres of fells and forests and gushing rivers where grouse plod and stags roam, it turns the nearest town of Braemar into the be all and end all.…

‘After all these years, it still takes my breath away,’ says Cher on a bit of the guest book from legendary hotel Eden Roc that’s been ripped out, framed and hung on the wall along one of the corridors on the way to the suites. There are others; Tom Hardy. Boy George. Orlando Bloom. They’ve all dipped their toes into the myth – and the pools - of the most famous, most high-society of all the hotels on the original and best Riviera, the French one. Staying at Eden Roc’s sister property, the Château Saint-Martin & Spa where the everyday spa treatments are done with hundreds of pounds worth of La Prairie products, things are less out-there glammy, more low-key and all done with such casual friendliness it makes the…

Inverness. Often called the capital of the Scottish Highlands, Inverness is an inevitable port of call when venturing to the most Northern parts of Scotland. Meaning ‘Mouth of the Ness’, Inverness straddles a nexus of railroads, firths, glens and lochs, most notably Loch Ness. A 20-minute drive south of the city will take you to the home of the legendary Loch Ness Monster, known locally as Nessie. Though the city itself has few appealing sights, it acts as a springboard to provide access to some of the UK’s most incredible landscapes, appealing to those who live and breathe the great outdoors. Hiring a car is advised if you wish to reach some of Scotland’s most isolated terrains; vast peat bogs, isolated crofting villages, snow-capped peaks and a rugged coastline surround…

SMART LIGHTING. If you’d told us ten years ago that one of the more exciting pieces of modern tech would include a lightbulb, we more than certainly wouldn’t have believed you. But then came along the Philips Hue; a range of smart light bulbs that are stylishly brightening up homes all over the globe. The first appeal of a smart light bulb, of course, is the ability to remotely control the lighting in your home with the tap of a few buttons (or even using your voice) on your smartphone. The Philips Hue system is easy to set up through your WiFi network, and in moments you have the ability to set the mood lighting for various occasions, whether it’s a movie night, dinner party, or relaxing evening on the…

“I love my disgusting rodent and rat infested mess” says the coffee mug at Chase Street Accessories. It’s a reference to one of Tr*mp’s recent Twitter tantrums that described Baltimore, home of queer film director John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Serial Mom) and his muse, trans actress/singer Divine, in such terms. It was something to do with someone not giving Tr*mp what he wanted or saying something less than flattering: does anyone really take any notice of the tantrums anymore? John Waters gave it back to Tr*mp (‘Come on over to the neighbourhood and see if you have the nerve to say it in person!’) but we kind of wanted to see the famous “rat infested mess” located in Maryland, a state which is down a bit from New York, for…

Zipcar A to B Flex to Terminal 5. You’ve treated yourself to a flight on BA and can’t wait to get to Terminal 5 at Heathrow because they have a Wagamama and everything, but you don’t want to schlep your bags on a tube (how long does that take!) and don’t want to fork out for a taxi… Take advantage of Zipcar’s excellent new A to B Flex service, where you can pick up a car from near you and drop it off at Terminal 5. It comes in at £12 an hour – and you can get back the exact same way. zipcar.co.uk Solaires, Byredo. Gender neutral and handcrafted in Japanese titanium, Byredo’s just-launched range of sunglasses might just be the prettiest things ever to grace your peepers. Coming…

Most of us are familiar with the holiday destinations in Europe that are famous for appealing to LGBTQ travellers. However, we teamed up with James Villa Holidays for a new travel series exploring local communities in locations where LGBTQ visibility isn’t always apparent upon arrival. Tapping into these communities offers an interesting and unique way of accessing new destinations and experiences across Europe. We started in the Algarve in Portugal, stopping by the Laundry Lounge in Sagres to speak to the owner of this inclusive social space. The owner, Julie, has created an environment where everyone is welcome – from both the local community and holidaymakers – placing laundry machines at the centre of the concept. “I thought, ‘Oh why is a laundry place always so boring – can we…