25 or under?
Would you like your voice to be heard?
Would you be prepared to talk about the experiences you’ve had?

FILL IN AN ONLINE SURVEY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN £50!!!

Solutions are conducting some research in association with Q:alliance and could really do with your input. Results from this survey will help improve the services young LGBT people get from a variety of agencies and help us all to get a better understanding of what life is like for young LGBT people in the city.

Complete our short online survey to be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win £50 of CMK shopping vouchers.

http://www.survey.gabba.net/people_mk_survey
OR
http://tinyurl.com/YoungLGBT

PLEASE DOWNLOAD THIS POSTER AND DISPLAY IT IN APPROPRIATE PLACES TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD

To celebrate International Women’s Day a ‘Festival of Womanhood’ will be held on Saturday 6th March from 11-3pm at Radcliffe School, Wolverton. The focus for the event will be celebrating womanhood and what women share as daughters, wives, mothers and grandmothers, crossing over different nationalities and cultures.

We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to our event and hope that you would be interested in supporting or contributing to the day. We are looking for anything that will help us celebrate being Women, such as taster exercise sessions, information stalls, health and advice, cultural stalls, hair, beauty and therapy, fashion, crafts.

If you know of anybody or can help yourself  or if you have any ideas and would like to join us please get in touch with Mrs M Tumulty at Radcliffe School on 01908 682 208 or Tracy Whitmore, MKCVO Community Mobiliser on 07738 405378.

We want to make this an Annual celebration that women will talk about for years to come!

We look forward to hearing from you

Festival of Womanhood Committee

Many organisations are interested in the LGBT community. Who is offering what? What is out there? How can you participate in what already exists?

The objective is to bring together all those who are interested in the LGBT community in the area and facilitate communication. If you are interested in the LGBT community or in finding out what there is; whether you are lesbian, gay, bi- or trans, or whether you are interested, concerned or related to someone who is, come and join us for the day.

The day will include presentations by over twenty organisations that are organising or offering services, events or activities to the LGBT community.

During the day, you will have the opportunity to circulate, listen to the presentations which you believe may be of interest to you, and meet people.

Of particular interest will be a debate with questions and answers between local parliamentary candidates from the three main national parties and a projection of Olivia Humphreys “Latecomers” about older people coming out.

For more information, please contact PeterJLeeson {at} hotmail(.)com

This meeting is provided free of charge to all participants, no financial assistance to the costs of the day can be provided to the groups making presentations. It is recommended that participants bring a packed lunch. Coffee and tea will be available on site; doughnuts will be on sale for £1.00 each. Contributions towards the cost of organising are welcome.

Public Transport:

Free Rainbow Bus to pickup participants from  The Point, CMK at 9:30am.

Public Transport: MK Metro bus 7A from City Centre to Dulverton Drive.

Over the next few weeks theres a wide range of events, including social opportunities, walking groups, HIV Quicktesting, pub nights, counselling, meals out, the LGBT General Assembly (which is going to be HUGE – click here for details), International Day Against Homophobia in Football and a fantastic event looking at the life of Alan Turing at Bletchley Park in honour of LGBT History Month – check the calendar for details. If you have, or know of, an event that should be listed here, please email us at website {at} qalliance.org(.)uk.

Please note that try to provide accurate listings, but always get in contact with the event organiser to double check. Not all social groups are listed on the calendar, for a full list of groups that we know of in the area click here. Unless otherwise noted, the events are not run by Q:alliance.

In addition to the events listed, Pink Punters, the local LGBT club, is open Thurs-Sun from 9pm. For more details on Pink Punters visit www.pinkpunters.com.

A date for your calendars. On Saturday January 30th, the LGBT General Assembly 2010 (North Buckinghamshire) will be held at the Ridgeway Community Centre in Milton Keynes (map link). The objective is to bring together all those who are interested in the LGBT community in the area.

Whether you organise events or activities, or are interested in attending them, this is the opportunity. The day will consist of:

• Brief presentations by the various organisations as to what they do and offer
• Discussion as to what people would like to see as events
• Discussion on what is the LGBT community itself
• Public viewing of Olivia Humphreys’ film “Late-Comers” about “older” people coming out.

Topics to be covered include support, healthcare, sports, social evenings and more.

Tell us what you do, tell us what you want.

To be kept informed or to mark your interest, please get in contact with Peter Leeson – PeterJLeeson {at} hotmail(.)com or 01908 501426.

• People at my sixth form are so opinionated about gays, they make me feel like an outsider

• Was once told…. By a guy who threatened me…. Apparently it’s different for a boy to hit a lesbian than it is for a boy to hit a straight girl

• Family Values – My stepdad finds its impossible to have a gay friend, also believes my sexuality is a phase. My mother accepts but he thinks it’s unnatural. Because of this I felt obligated to hide my sexuality and go out with boys when I was younger.

• When walking through the city holding my ex’s hand I was jeered at and followed by a group of younger lads. They shouted names and were actually really intimidating despite being a lot younger.

• Lesbians and gays do get picked on. Homophobes exist (I used to be one I should know).

• I get really fed up and angry when people take the mick out of me for being gay and wearing makeup.

• When I was attacked at school the school took it seriously, but the police would only take it as an offence if there was a physical reason (not homophobia) to prosecute. I was 15 at the time. I suffered a broken rib and a fractured skull. Once I took it to court I received £150 compensation and the attacked received 6 months supervision order and a record of GBH.

Continue Reading

• We’re all human, we all deserve our rights
  We all want to be happy, feel safe, and live in harmony
  Homophobia does happen and it needs to stop
  No life should be let down for who they love
  Everyone needs to live together

• Like paper you can rip me apart
  With words from a cruel heart
  Now my patience has worn thin
  So noose be my friend?
  Don’t deny my escape
  (homophobia, it exists)

• My sister hasn’t spoken to me for 2 years because I am gay. All I wanted was to love you.

• Someone said it was disgusting to like someone of the same gender.

• Being called greedy all the time by people I don’t know. Called a slag for 4 years in school. I was 15 when I decided I was bisexual but didn’t come out until I was 16 because I was scared of being bullied or teased about it. Being judged by my sexuality. I tried to kill myself when I was 15 because of the bullying.

• When I was in year 8 my best friend started to bully me. I left the school due to that and I wasn’t in the catchment area. I started speaking to her again 4 years later. I told her I was gay and she was fine with it. However, a few days later she kept ringing me and shouting homophobic abuse down the phone. I told her to grow up and to never talk to me again and I haven’t heard anything since, almost a year later.

• Bein called a tramp for wearin ripped jeans and dressing different, which is what homosexuals are, it’s a different community that discriminated for being different.

• There was a group of ‘chavs’ in my street. I wouldn’t leave or enter the garden without them shouting abuse.

• Cyber bullying and threat phone calls – My experience is having abuse and prank phone calls and threats hurled at me. Trying to turn people against me by making up rumours. Intimidating glances.

• “I was fifteen years old, I was with my old best friend walking down a redway in Bradwell Common. Approximately twenty large females approached me. They started to shout at me for no apparent reason, I then said ‘sorry for anything I had done’ but they didn’t listen and told me that they were going to hit me and beat me up. I was very frightened and attempted to walk away but they wouldn’t let me. Eventually they told me to go away and I walked off with my best friend to her house. As soon as I entered the house I burst into tears as I didn’t understand why such a thing would happen. I wasn’t able to walk home after so I got a lift back and stayed away from Bradwell Common ever since. I sometimes have to walk through the estate but I make sure I am with people at all times to prevent the same from happening again.”

I’m organising walks in and around Milton Keynes for lesbian and bisexual women. We usually meet once a month on a Sunday for a 4-6mile walk at 11am. Please bring a packed lunch – we have a drink in a pub after the walk.

There are usually between 5 and 12 women on a walk. We are a very friendly group and ‘new walkers’ are most welcome. My border collie also looks forward to have another dog companion on a walk.

If you want to join us, please send us your email address to danielabrumm {at} googlemail(.)com and I’ll send you the details of the forthcoming walk.

Hope you’ll get those dusty boots out and join us!

Take care and bye for now

Daniela

Sounds great – do get in touch with Daniela if you’re interested.

Courage MK

A Christian lesbian couple are exploring the possibilities of holding fellowship meetings in Milton Keynes for LGBT Christians.  The group would be for  LGBT Christians who are seeking a safe place of friendship in which to reconcile their faith and sexuality and grow towards Christian maturity as well as their partners and friends, parents and other family members. There would also be resources for churches and for LGBT people without a faith who are seeking answers to life’s questions.

The group will hold two initial monthly meetings as social events to meet LGBT Christians who would be interested in attending MK Courage. These meetings are to be held on Wednesday 4th November and Wednesday 2nd December 2009 in Milton Keynes. In addition, they will be holding a Sunday worship meeting on 22nd November 2009.

For further information on the time and venue, you can email Jane at info {at} just-church.org(.)uk.

Courage MK is affiliated to the national organisation Courage, an evangelical Christian organisation, founded in 1988. Further details of the national organisation can be found at www.courage.org.uk.

The Planet

Meets on the second Sunday of the month at The Stables Bar, The Bull Hotel, 64 High Street, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, MK11 1AQ From 7 -10.30pm. £3 admission on the door. For further information please email gezzigirl {at} aol(.)com, alternatively call or text on 07889 179596. The evening is all about meeting people, relaxing and listening to good music from Heartbeat Disco. There will be a licensed bar with the option of coffee, cocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails.

Vibe@The Springfield

A friendly, welcoming and relaxed LGBT social gathering based in Milton Keynes and serving MK and the surrounding areas and meeting every Wednesday from 8pm at The Springfield pub. They have a Facebook page here, or you can email vibemk {at} sky(.)com or call Bex on 07596 702160 for more information.

Please note that these groups are not run by Q:alliance, but we fully support them! A complete list of groups we know about, including The Gay Outdoor Club, The Lesbian Social Groups and the Secklow 100 group, can be found in our Information Section.

If you run a group, or know of a group, that would like to be listed on our site, email us at website {at} qalliance.org(.)uk. If you want some advice on how to set up and run a group you can email info {at} qalliance.org(.)uk.

A Day In Hand announces the second ever international same-sex hand holding (Sshh!) Saturday on October 31st 2009. On this day, same-sex couples and friends all over the world are encouraged to hold hands in public to support the visibility of Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans (LGBT) people. This is a revolutionary way of encouraging and inspiring LGBT people to take responsibility for their equality and live their lives without fear or restraint.

David Watkins, A Day In Founder was recently recognised by Gordon Brown, UK Prime Minister as an award winning activist in his field, with the Sheila Mckechnie Foundation

Watkins says, “Sshh! Saturdays aim to ultimately create safer spaces for LGBT people. The last Saturday of every month should become a day of support for LGBT people who want to show their commitment in public. Many years ago in the UK, LGBT people knew that the last carriage of every train would be populated by members of the queer community. Today, A Day In Hand wants people to feel the same sense of support in public spaces on the last Saturday of every month.” Sshh! Saturdays are easily organised wherever you are. They are not prides or rallies. It only requires 2 people of the same sex to hold hands to make a Sshh! Saturday. The images sent to yourstories {at} adayinhand(.)com will be spread throughout the world via our website .

Visibility of same-sex love is particularly important so that LGBT people become part of the cultural fabric of people’s lives. Watkins adds “Same-sex hand holding (Sshh!) is a silent revolution for LGBT people, because nothing needs to be said: no bold speeches, no reactive arguments, no war of words. Each LGBT person has the power to change the hearts and minds of people in their local community quietly, subtly, by simply holding hands publicly and owning their space. However, hand holding is a simple powerful gesture that can happen anywhere, at any time.” In areas of the world where it is impossible for LGBT to hold hands publicly, we call on people to send messages of support to our website on Sshh! Saturdays, and send in their photos of them holding hands, in public or private to us.

For more information about this briliant project, check out their website www.adayinhand.com.

Malcolm X

A round-up of what we’ve been posting on our Facebook and Twitter accounts this week…

• Black History Month ‘09 Profile – Malcolm X

• Vigil planned for gay man murdered in Trafalgar Square http://bit.ly/2IjyXb

• New radio drama about Alan Turing available on Saturday the 24th from The Independent – http://bit.ly/NEe0a

• Great blog from Lubin Odana about the Mail and their rules of writing about gays

• More than 22,000 complain to PCC over Stephen Gately piece – The Guardian

• On 6th November 2009, Pink Punters will mark Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night (and help raise money for Q:alliance) with a new and unique celebration of how much the equality laws have improved – Gay Folks Night – 40 years after the Stonewall Riots – More info here

• Vibe@Springfield is a new, friendly and welcoming LGBT social night starting! Every Wednesday at 8pm in Springfield

• Equality and Human Rights Commission have launched the Trans Research Review

• Would you fight for your right to be offended? – You Tube video

• 5 lesbian and gay documentaries guaranteed to turn you into a gay activist – http://bit.ly/FB9fF

• 1 in 5 LGB people face homophobia in Britain – http://bit.ly/2YYE96

• Congrats to the Daily Mail for running this: http://bit.ly/1lRktS – Janet Street Porter disagrees with Jan Moir

• Life is never boring, but some people choose to be bored… boredom is a choice.

• Brighton man held in police custody over murder of Brighton trans woman – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8312977.stm

• Mental health can affect physical wellbeing, says Mind – http://bit.ly/2NIbZE

• Jan Moir is “the tip of an iceberg”: A history of Daily Mail homophobia – http://bit.ly/3TXm68

• Great article by Charlie Brooker on Jan Moir’s vile homophobic article in the Mail – http://bit.ly/1UJjef