Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 508 i GAY TIMES

When I started my career as a journalist a decade ago, little did I expect one day to be reimagining a legacy LGBTQ+ print publication like GAY TIMES Magazine during a global pandemic. It’s been immensely challenging to say the least, but as the media landscape has sadly proven time and time again recently, you have to adapt or you will disappear. Since 1974, GAY TIMES Magazine has been a montly publication informing, inspiring and entertaining the LGBTQ+ community. Our place has adapted massively over the decades, but the core mission remains the same; Queer storytelling is the focus of everything we do. Much of that content you now consume online via our world-leading digital and social channels, and seeing the levels of engagement grow massively over the summer has…

While last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion in New York City, it is 2020 that marks the 50th anniversary of the Pride movement. It was in 1970 that LGBTQ+ advocacy groups began marching in cities across the United States to honour the uprising that had taken place just a year prior. Since then, Pride has grown into a powerful, visible and international movement, continuing to fight for queer liberation and LGBTQ+ equality for people everywhere. It was also in 1970 that the British arm of the Gay Liberation Front first formed in London, who would later march down Regent’s Street in what would be one of the earliest Pride events in the country. “We’re here to mark the 50th anniversary of the Gay Liberation Front which…

“I built up the confidence to try all these things, and I feel a lot better with my gender non-conforming self and my sexuality.” If I told you there’s an exciting new band from Glasgow with a gender non-conforming singer whose vocal sounds like it should be on The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack, they’ve named their new EP after vintage gay porn, and have a song inspired by both ABBA and Girls Aloud, your interest would be well and truly piqued, yes? Good. Then let me introduce you to Walt Disco. Their beginnings play out like a coming of age movie. They became friends at Glasgow University during Freshers Week, then later decided to form a band, entered a Battle of the Bands competition and won. From there they…

Jari Jones unapologetically exudes activism, beauty and purpose. She’s more than just a model. She acts as a voice for plus-size women, a voice for trans women and an aspirational role model to the Black LGBTQ+ community across the world. “Black Lives Lives Matter has been the cry out and mantra of my life,” she tells GAY TIMES, as she continues to blur the coloured lines and disrupt industry beauty standards. Jari was recently featured in the Calvin Klein 2020 Pride campaign, which went viral because of her beautiful distinction to other fashion campaigns that we’re accustomed to. “It was a win for queer folks, it was a win for Black people, it was a win for fat people,” she says. Jari is not wrong when she expresses the need…

When the biggest night in music was in full swing back in February, Orville Peck found himself surrounded by legends and icons at the 62nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Little did he expect that one of those titans of music would be making a beeline for him across the crowd calling out his name. “I looked and it was Shania Twain,” Orville tells me on the phone from Canada, where he’s currently in self isolation for two weeks. “She gave me a big hug, and she said ‘I’m a huge fan, I love the song you wrote for us, I can’t wait to work on it.’” The enigmatic country star had been waiting on a date to be locked in to record Legends Never Die with Shania; a song…

“There were so many layers to coming out to my family, and I guess I didn’t want to forget it,” he says of his decision to put his journey onto paper. Originally intended for his eyes only, the documentation eventually became a fully-fledged memoir - one he’s hoping can help other people in situations like his own. “So often when you read queer stories, in particular those from queer people of colour, you’re reading about heartache,” he explains, “and yes, there’s plenty of heartache in A Dutiful Boy, but there’s also plenty of lighter moments and I think that’s really important.” As he shares his inspiring story with the world, we spoke to Mohsin about his journey to acceptance, the damage that ‘conversion therapy’ causes to the LGBTQ+ community, and…

“I wanted to play on that persona and give whatever I’m writing this fictional character, even though it’s still me.” Elton John. Frank Ocean. Freddie Mercury. Dusty Springfield. There’s a strong tradition of LGBTQ+ music acts creating stage personas and going on to change the cultural landscape. Adopting a new moniker allows you to create a whole new identity, or simply present an enhanced version of the person you already are. For Gia Ford – who is known as Molly McCormick to her family and friends - it was very much the latter. “It was a really weird process, as I wanted to have a stage name because I wanted to have an elevated version of myself,” Gia tells us as she sits down for her interview as GAY TIMES…

Tears hit my cheeks in short sharp burning fragments like shrapnel, and I reel from what feels like the shock of a blow to the head. The pain churns my insides, my fists clenching as I buckle over. Urgh. My period is coming. Perhaps I was being a PMSing bitch to my girlfriend last week after all. My heart aches. This time it feels like it’s over. According to research from Dr Gary Gates, Research Director at UCLA’s Williams Institute, same-sex couples are twice as likely to be in interracial relationships than different-sex ones. I guess this makes sense. The pool for us queers is smaller and we tend to gravitate towards cities that are more ethnically diverse by nature. But how are we navigating this space of multiple intersections…

Given that Tinashe has made some of the most effortlessly sensual music of the past decade, from her stunning club banger 2 On to her stellar feature on Britney Spears’ sweetly suggestive Slumber Party (Remix), it’s surprising to hear her say she’s “really not that sexual as a person”. “Like, I am, but it’s not that important to me as a person,” she clarifies. “But in my art and my music, I like to be sexy. And in my performance, I really like to be sexy – I like to go on stage and be a badass bitch. When I turn it on, when I become the performer that I am, that is definitely gonna be sexy every time.” No one who’s been to a Tinashe gig – she’s balanced…

We may be in a global pandemic, but Heidi N Closet is feeling as soft, sssupple, blessed and highly favoured as ever. The self-described “dancing disco diva” sashayed away on the 12th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race earlier this year in sixth place, missing out on a position on the coveted top five, but her quick wit, bubbly personality and high-energy lip-syncs saw her become the franchise’s new fan-favourite. “Going into the competition, I was so nervous of how I would be received by fans,” Heidi tells GAY TIMES, “because we have seen time and time again that queens of colour, as well as pageant queens, are not as well received as others.” Thanks to her underdog storyline and no-holds-barred approach to her fellow contestants - “Fuck you, fuck you,…

Prepare to feel ancient, because it’s been - wait for it - six years since Brendan Jordan danced his way to fame with his now-iconic stank face on the local news, and attracted praise from queeroes such as Lady Gaga and RuPaul, as well as Pandora Boxx. Unlike other viral sensations, the 20-year-old has remained in the spotlight thanks to his infectious personality, fierce makeup skills and continuous LGBTQ+ activism. “I just want to change the world. Is that scary for me to say?” Brendan tells GAY TIMES over the phone. “I just want to make people feel like they’re special, like they matter. The more that we feel this way, the more that we can change the world, because changing the world isn’t always the job that one person…

Good morning campers. Hi, did you know that Gigi Goode is better than you? That was a reference to her opening line in the Droop commercial by the way, so don’t get mad. But statistically speaking… The 22-year-old performer, birth name Samuel Geggie, made history on the 12th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race earlier this year when she became the third performer to win four maxichallenges on a regular season after Sharon Needles and Shea Coulee. Although she didn’t take home the crown, Gigi cemented herself as one of the fiercest queens to ever sashay into the werkroom thanks to her high-fashion runways and unconventional style of comedy - take her bonkers impersonation of Maria the Robot, for example. (Fun fact: Gigi became the first queen to win Snatch Game,…