Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2022 i GAY TIMES

It’s been a very busy and exciting few months at GAY TIMES as we prepare to hold our sixth annual celebration of LGBTQ+ community and culture. GAY TIMES Honours 2022 will recognise 10 LGBTQ+ individuals who have had a profound impact across TV, sport, music, drag, activism and fashion over the past 12 months. It’s a moment for us to reflect on the positivity that can too often go overlooked in our community; acknowledge those who are working towards a better future; and revel in the joy of queer culture and community. Throughout 2022 we have been reflecting on the past 50 years since the very first Pride event took place in the UK. But for GAY TIMES Honours 2022, we wanted to look forward. For this year’s event held…

“My community is whoever forms the cluster of stars that brightens the world and makes it easier to navigate.” Every word that Kai-Isaiah Jamal shares lands with a spellbinding resonance; a true wordsmith, it seems that they can’t help but captivate through language. This is the trait that makes their work as a poet inevitable. Their poetry scintillates. Traversing themes of selfhood, identity and society it is unafraid. It is honest and it is necessary. Kai began sharing their words on Instagram as a way to clear their mind. “I used to write for me, it was free therapy,” they reveal in their first GAY TIMES Magazine cover story. But, as their skill for weaving personal reflections with social and political commentary garnered acclaim, their audience soon grew. Realising the…

As soon as Grag Queen introduced audiences to her signature scat vocals for a rendition of Amy Winehouse’s Rehab on the first season of Queen of the Universe, we - and viewers - knew she was set for worldwide superstardom. The Brazilian drag queen was one of 14 entertainers to vie for the inaugural title on the World of Wonder series, which boasts Graham Norton as the host and “pop diva panellists” Michelle Visage, Leona Lewis, Trixie Mattel and Vanessa Williams. Following lauded performances of classics from Ella Fitzgerald, Cyndi Lauper and Andra Day, Grag emerged victorious, becoming the first [title theme incoming] QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE! and the recipient of $250,000 (which converts to just under 1.4 million Brazilian Real) - the highest-ever prize for a drag competition series.…

“I think that me and Mik just get each other,” says Violet Chachki of longtime collaborator and friend, Gottmik. “I don't feel like I’ve really related to other drag queens in the same way.” Despite never competing on the same season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the show where they both found fame six years apart, the two have partnered on a podcast, tours and simply being gorge. Their world domination is far from over, as the two are showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. “I've had, of course, previous friends that have been on Drag Race and everything,” Violet continues, “but I just think me and Mik, like, business wise, think the same way and expect the same things.” Their latest venture saw them host GAY TIMES Honours…

Fiorucci x Napapjiri Silver Puffer Jacket £265 The second capsule collection from Napapijri x Fiorucci transforms the spectacular outdoors into a dazzling disco dance floor to spark a Winter of fun and high-spirited energy. Following a drop earlier this year, the two brands rooted in deep Italian heritage who thrive from constant exploration have come together again for a collaboration inspired by the journey of an intrepid explorer. Imagine finding yourself in the middle of a kaleidoscope of lights tucked inside one of Italy’s most breathtaking summits. From the snow-capped mountain tops, you will discover an electrifying playground filled with bright lights, neon logos, metallic fabrics and graphic patches. The range introduces a disco-ball inspired silver iridescent padded puffer jacket with custom patches, which is sure to keep you stylish…

There hasn’t been a bigger British music breakthrough success story in 2022 than Cat Burns. The singer-songwriter continued to build upon her TikTok popularity and springboard into the UK Official Charts, peaking at No. 2 with her sing-along anthem Go. The track had impressive staying power, hanging around the top for months and months. It got to the stage where she was even challenging Harry Styles for the No.1 spot. The continued success resulted in the single being certified platinum in the UK, and also climbing charts internationally. “I haven't properly acknowledged everything because it’s happened so quickly,” she told GAY TIMES earlier this year, when she covered our special A New Generation of Pride edition. Cementing her status as the UK’s next big thing, Cat had the best of…

In 2012, London-based organisation Iraqi LGBT estimated that 750 LGBTQ+ people in Iraq had been killed since 2003. And noting many accounts of persecution – including so-called “honour killings” by the militia and family members, as well as extortion, torture, and extra-judicial killings by the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) – a 2012 report from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees advised that “LGBTI individuals are likely to be in need of international refugee protection.” Following the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq by a United States-led coalition, the situation for queer Iraqis had deteriorated exponentially. As LGBTQ+ people – or even “effeminate men” perceived to be LGBTQ+ – were driven out of their homes with nowhere to hide, the Western-backed government not only turned a blind eye, but apparently played…

To any readers out there considering journalism as a career choice: go! for! it! One day, you might spend a balmy Thursday afternoon with a Swedish pop sensation chatting about music, love and her metallic corset and fully-erect golden dildo-assisted trip through the Nevada desert. Get! Into! Journalism! “It’s Wonder Woman with big dick energy,” aforementioned Swedish pop sensation Tove Lo says of the instantly iconic ensemble in the music video for her pulsating club banger 2 Die 4. (Watch it now). It was the “perfect pop bitch moment” says the singer, who released her fifth studio album Dirt Femme in October to rave reviews with fans hailing the pop assassin as “ahead of her time” in her Whitaker-Malem pegging harness and “space babe” couture. “I always want to do…

As 1.5 billion people across the world tuned into the Commonwealth Games 2022 Opening Ceremony this past summer, they were witness to LGBTQ+ history being made. As Tom Daley jogged into the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham as part of the Queen’s Baton Relay, he was flanked by four flag bearers waving the Intersex-incluisve Progress Pride Flag to huge cheers from the tens of thousands packed into the stands. Those flag bearers were made up of LGBTQ+ activists from across the Commonwealth, walking in solidarity with LGBTQ+ people globally who continue to have their very existence challenged on a daily basis. “It wasn't the easiest thing to get across the line because initially they were quite resistant about having it take such a prominent part in the ceremony,” Tom told us…

No one could’ve predicted the unprecedented impact of Heartstopper when the LGBTQ+ teen drama premiered earlier this year. Based on Alice Oseman’s acclaimed webcomic of the same name, Netflix’s coming-of-age series follows the blossoming romance between high schoolers Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), while also exploring the lives of their close-knit circle Tao (William Gao), Elle (Yasmin Finney), Tara (Corinna Brown) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell). Upon release, Heartstopper received universal critical acclaim (100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes to be exact) for its vibrant and positive depiction of young queer love and its normalisation of the trans experience with Finney’s trailblazing character. While Heartstopper doesn’t shy away from bullying, harassment and homophobia, what sets this series apart from other queer media is its unflinching focus on…