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

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.

“I got a HIV related illness, although I didn’t know it at the time. I was incredibly ill for a year- stomach pains, diarrhoea, weight loss. I ended up in hospital. It wasn’t until I was in hospital that the doctor suggested an HIV test. As soon as the doctor came in, it dawned on me it was bad news. But to be honest by then it was almost a relief; it meant they could treat me. I wish I had been diagnosed earlier, I think I was partly in denial. If I’d had a test sooner I wouldn’t have been in hospital. Being that ill has taken a physical toll on my body. They caught it just in time, they told me I could have been blind by April and dead by June. If I could turn back the clock and have a test earlier I would.” – Gary

Next Tuesday (1st December) is World AIDS Day. The theme this year is HIV:reality. Some people with HIV suffer side-effects including nausea, diarrhoea and prolonged headaches. In some cases treatment causes changes in body shape, depression and mental health issues. Other people find they are able to lead a very healthy life with HIV and may not suffer the same side-effects.

To see a full range of  information, people’s HIV stories and HIV myths, visit the National AIDS Trust’s World AIDS Day Page. For details of sexual health services in Milton Keynes, including how to get a free, confidential HIV test, visit our information page. If you just want to talk to someone confidentially, you can get in contact with our counselling service by emailing counselling {at} qalliance.org(.)uk for a free initial appointment or visit the new NHS Choices Sexual Health Advice page to email in specific questions.

This week Richard Solly from Safer MK come to talk to HQMK, our weekly LGBT youth group, about their experiences of homophobia and transphobia. The discussion was productive and enlightening for all involved. The youth were really interested in what he had to say and shared their experiences of homophobia and transphobia in MK  (some of which we will publish on our site over the weekend).

As mentioned last week, Ask Jo is coming back! Our website advice column for LGBT, or questioning, people in MK is back after far too long an absence. If you have a problem or dilemma that you want advice on send an email to jo {at} qalliance.org(.)uk – In the past Jo has helped people with coming out, relationship issues, coping with bullies, how to date well, sex advice and a whole range of other issues. We’re also still looking for more of your coming out stories. Reading other people’s coming out stories is often an essential part of the coming out process; by sharing your experience – good, bad or boring – it can help people prepare to share themselves with the world as well as providing an interesting insight for yourself to see how far you’ve come.

This week was Domestic Abuse Awareness Week. 30% of LGBT people experience violence, abuse or harassment from a family member or someone close to them in their lifetimes. Domestic abuse is not always physical, and that means that the signs may not be obvious. It can involve controlling a person’s contact with their friends and family (isolating them), destroying property, verbal threats in private or public, etc.

Are you age 16 to 21 and want to do something against homophobic bullying? Then take part in Stonewall’s Film Clip Competition and get your message heard across the country! More info on their website.

Have you seen this boy?

Some other things we have linked to on our Facebook and Twitter accounts:

• Family appeals to gay community to find missing son
• Brussels says churches must lift ban on employing homosexuals
• Schoolboy thanks fellow pupils for pointing out his homosexuality
• Short video about new memorial for Freddy Mercury
• Marriage should move with the times
• Milton Keynes Laughter Club info
• Liverpool’s bishops defend gay rights

“Everything we fear in the world & want to change can be transformed through happiness, the simplest desire we have & also the most profound” – Deepak Chopra

Finally, don’t forget that Saturday (the 28th) is another of A Day in Hand’s wonderful Sshh! (Same Sex Hand Holding) days. More info at their site.

We’ve just launched our brand new Events Calendar, containing events that are specifically aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in Milton Keynes (or general events that incorporate a specific LGBT aspect). If you have, or know of, an event that should be listed here, please email website {at} qalliance.org(.)uk.

You may also have noticed that we’re testing out a new look for the website this weekend. Some things may look a little off or a bit strange, but it should all work. If you spot a major error or problem, or have any comments on the new look, go ahead and email us at website {at} qalliance.org(.)uk

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.

I am setting up a new social group for South East Asian women who identify as gay or bisexual in the Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.
The social group will involve activities such as eating out, bowling, badminton, going to the cinema, picnics (weather permitting!) and generally meeting up informally to network with other women. The group will be open to any other ideas that members may have for social networking.  If anyone is interested can they please contact me on email address seaconnections {at} googlemail(.)com

If you want to start up a new group, or promote an existing one – do get in touch with info {at} qalliance.org(.)uk

We get up to loads of stuff every week, including the odd trip! In early July we went to London Gay Pride with the team from Pink Punters nightclub. Picture the scene – 600,000 people, a double decker rainbow bus, drag queens and the biggest rainbow flag you’ve ever seen!

In September we’re joining in with Celebr8 – the big event on 21st Sept in CMK – it’s celebrating all the diverse communities that live in MK by having a parade from Campbell Park to the rail station. We’re sure the huge flag will come in handy!

It’s free to come along to the group, sometimes when we go on outings like the cinema or a restaurant, we charge a small amount to cover costs but try to keep them down as most young people are usually skint! Thanks to support from MK Council we have two youth workers at the drop-in.

So if you’re a LGBT or questioning teen in MK and you want to meet new friends and have a laugh, then come along! You can click here for further details or email Jen & John, our Youth Workers at HQMK {at} qalliance.org(.)uk.