Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2023 i GAY TIMES

When I first joined GAY TIMES back in January 2017, it was a very different media company. Primarily focused on the experience of gay and bi men, it spoke to a particular segment of our community. It’s been one of the greatest joys of my professional career so far to be part of a team that has helped transform it into a platform that celebrates and uplifts a much broader demographic that is inclusive of the entire LGBTQ+ community. It’s made our content tenfold more rich in perspective and more accessible to those who, for too long, were underrepresented in LGBTQ+ media more broadly. I know that that work is far from done. GAY TIMES continues to build on how we can better represent the vast array of experiences and…

Life’s brevity is an inescapable, undeniable truth that breeds a universal human desire to leave a lasting impact on the world. We grapple with life, knowing our time to make a difference is limited—a notion that takes greater significance for those from marginalized communities. By living within structures whose purposes are to shorten the lives of those who lie at the bottom of socially-constructed hierarchies, many of us are made aware of our mortality long before reaching adulthood. For people of colour within the LGBTQIA+ community, this is compounded by the fact that generations before us had multiple restrictions placed upon them, further limiting their ability to cement their work in a way that benefits future generations. Section 28, the ostracization from the white gay community, and limited access to…

It’s late afternoon and Bella Latham is leading us through the basement corridors of Universal Music’s maze-like building. The star’s new alt-pop flecked release ‘Dream Girl’ is doing well and the musician is bringing us up to speed since we last spoke. As we cut through industry-washed hallways and, later, settle into a recording studio, playfully horrified, she recalls when she burned her torso eagerly trying to steam her favourite Baby Queen-esque t-shirt. This familiar quickness and comedy is inherently Latham’s style. Lounging on the black couch, the singer is no stranger to quick fixes, the mania of a recording room or cramming in press chats between buzzing new releases. There’s a lot on the cards for the ‘Want Me’ singer. Last year was quite the experience for Latham. The…

Malibu X Aries Capsule Collection Everyone’s favourite cult streetwear brand Aries partners up with Malibu for an exciting collaboration, coded in luxe A.I. The collection is soaked in sun and style with the AI generated campaign assets, both stills and animated graphics, created by Aries’ in-house design and graphics team and AI powerhouse, Omar Karim. Taking tensions faced around the unknown of AI and blending them with the uninhibited rendering of reality, the assets tell the story of a collection which moves between beach to street and lampoons the silliness of a world which takes itself too seriously. Therefore, embracing the power of what happens when you shake off reality and do whatever tastes good. The collection, which includes mesh tank tops, graphic tees and bomber jackets, evokes feelings of…

Queer Asia, a network and collective of queer-identifying scholars, academics, activists and creatives, has been spotlighting issues affecting LGBTQIA+ people - or those belonging to other non-normative sexualities and gender identities - in Asia or Asian diasporas. Set up in 2016, Queer Asia began as a platform to encourage cultural dialogues, research and collaboration by Aapurv Jain, Allan C. Simpson, J. Daniel ‘Danny’ Luther and How Wee Ng, a group of academics and activists specialising in queer culture from different regions in Asia. Initially making its mark as an academia-centred collective, Queer Asia has since expanded its scope and prioritised accessibility. From film festivals to art exhibitions, the collective’s bases in London and Berlin are showcasing vibrant communities of culture and proudly showcasing solidarity for queer Asian people. We sat…

Mawaan Rizwan wants you to get acquainted with the unconventional. Yes, really. Known for his viral internet skits and on-stage antics, the London-based comic began his days as a self-made YouTuber. Here, online, you’re never too far from a bootleg zany parody or satirical spoof. Nowadays, however, Rizwan is known for his gigs on the telly and acrobatic reinvention of creativity. Whether he’s scripting a jingle about mangos or quipping about his amusing relationship with his South Asian parents, you can bet the London-based actor is imagining a wacky new idea. Right now, Rizwan is settling down at Edinburgh Fringe Festival (it’s his tenth year at the staple event); a place where he comes to test the waters and absorb the genius splattered across stages. Each return, for Rizwan, is…