The first time my girlfriend kissed me in public, I went home and cried. I cried because she had never dated a girl before, had never kissed a girl in public before, and it hadn’t […]
LGBT+: Being Political Is for Our Welfare
Over the past year, there has been growing discontent within the LGBT+ community here in Leeds at the inactivity and inflexibility of the LGBT+ Society, which has deprived LGBT+ people at Leeds the chance to […]
The Death Of Lyra McKee: Northern Ireland Needs Peace Now More Than Ever
A few weeks ago, when visiting Londonderry, the mood of residents was hopeful. Despite the car bomb explosions earlier in the year, people were largely unfazed, reasoning that the groups undertaking terrorist acts in an […]
Brunei Is Stoning Its LGBTI Citizens To Death. Will Western Activism Help?
On 3rd April, the South-East Asian country Brunei officially made gay sex acts punishable by stoning to death. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah established Brunei’s Sharia penal code in 2014 with the aim of increasing Islam’s influence. […]
Ending Gay Conversion Therapy Once and For All
For as long as members of the LGBT+ community have been visible in society, their right to exist has been under attack. The gay community has suffered violence, discriminatory legislation, and oppressive dogmatic ideologies that not only undermine the rights people have to
self-identify and express themselves but also serve to dehumanize and degrade innocent members of society.
School Edugaytion: Have Things Changed for LGBT+ People?
Section 28 of Margaret Thatcher’s Local Government Act in 1988 which stated that a local authority “shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality” or “promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”. The now-repealed act was passed over 30 years ago, and LGBTQ+ rights have advanced miles since then, but this year has raised questions of how much has really changed.
Out and proud in Science
When asked to name an LGBTQ+ scientist, Alan Turing is often the first and only name which comes to peoples’ minds. The tragic suppression of his sexuality is a story that’s stuck with the public […]
Homelessness In Leeds: What Next?
Anyone walking from university into town would struggle to miss the homeless scattered along the street. It becomes an especially noticeable problem when the cold winter months remind people of just how hard it must […]
Trixie Mattel to Bring ‘Skinny Legend’ Antics to Leeds Tomorrow, 03.03.19
After winning RuPaul’s Drag Race, releasing two albums, and hosting the Trixie and Katya Show, drag queen superstar Trixie Mattel brings her live show back to the O2 Academy Leeds. “You can expect virtuosic guitar-playing […]
Playing it safe or making progress? LGBTQ+ Icons in Music
Undoubtedly, the presence of LGBTQ+ artists in the music industry has grown rapidly over recent years – more and more artists are releasing music which explicitly challenges heteronormativity in a way that previously may not […]
We’re Here, We’re Queer
Last month, Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite made history when it received 10 Academy Award nominations for the portrayal of Queen Anne’s sordid lesbian affairs with the Ladies of the 19th Century. Including Best Picture, Best […]
Does Leeds’ LGBTQ+ Scene Cater Too Much For Straight People?
From New Penny, the oldest running openly LGBTQ+ venue in the UK, to Viaduct Showbar, where drag shows are performed every night, Leeds only has a handful of LGBTQ+ clubs. So, when Mission 2 rebranded […]