Amy Lame Interview 14/12/2011 11:55

Amy Lamé is an American-born, British inspiration of today. Writer, presenter, and producer the first lady of Duckie has proven to be a role model of rising popularity. Starring in programmes such as Channel 4’s My Big Gay Prom and Gaytime TV Amy has stolen the hearts of the nation. Unity Bangor spoke to Amy Lamé about her experiences ranging from her lifestyle to her career in the entertainment sector

Louis Waters: Do you think it’s harder to be a lesbian in today’s society?

Amy Lamé: Even from a young age I’ve felt that the whole heterosexual lifestyle wasn’t really me. I think there are certain prejudices and challenges but also we have an enormous amount of freedom aswell, so I think is it harder? Sometimes. Is it better? Definitely. You know those two things kind of balance each other out. I think that we are extremely lucky to be living in the time that we live in now, in that so many laws have changed thanks to organizations like Stonewall that have been fighting so hard to get the laws changed for equality and it means that lesbians and gay men get to enjoy an unprecedented amount of freedom which we’re very blessed to have right now.

LW: How did it feel moving to London and working at the First Out Cafe-Bar?

Amy Lamé: When I moved to London in 1992ish and started working there in 1993 it was the most wonderful revelation because First Out was a great community and it was fantastic. At that point the gay community center had closed down and First Out filled that vacuum meaning there were lots of creative people dropping in to pick up things like the gay paper. You could come in, read the paper, have a cup of coffee and have a bit of cake so it was a flexible atmosphere. So this was a time before the pink pound, before we even had any notion of what the pink pound was and it was before old Compton Street and the whole gay neighborhood. It was pretty much the dark ages when I first started but it was exciting to work there because people were so loving towards me and I met so many friends. We felt like we were working in a gay environment when so much was changing for gay people in a positive way… you know like legal wise. So when we had finished our shift we’d go down and protest in front of the Houses of Parliament frequently… so it was just amazing.

LW: What advice would you give to people wanting to start a career in theatre or TV?

Amy Lamé: You know it’s hard, I think you have to have… it’s a mixture of combination where you have to have a lightness of touch, a creative vision and an extremely thick skin. I think for some people the rejection really gets to them but you have to learn to not take it personally. Also I think there’s such emphasis now on being famous and I’d say don’t think about that, don’t worry about that… put that to one side and actually work on being really good at what you do, whether that’s theatre, journalism whatever. Don’t think that the prize is being famous. The prize is not being famous, the prize is actually being really f**king good at what you do, inspiring to be like people you love, that’s the prize. So you know my main message would be the prize is not fame. The prize is being really really accomplished at what you do.

LW: In 2006 we watched you as a mentor on Channel 4’s My Big Gay Prom. As a successful performer, presenter and writer what would you say to people wanting to organise an LGBT related event?

Amy Lamé: First of all working with those young people was my favourite TV job ever ever ever! I loved doing that and those young people I’m still actually in touch with! I just adored them and I think for any older LGBT person in regards to young people it gets so personal because you can kinda see the difficulties that they are having and you know you’ve been through the same. It’s about trying to encourage them but not tell them what to do, letting them find their own way and I just loved them to bits… I loved that whole project. Running your event… I mean I’ve been running Duckie’s for 16 years now and I’ve produced it, hosted it and a zillion other events… it’s hard to get it right. You have to pay an enormous attention to detail and have an exciting creative vision. When I went to Edinburgh and met some younger people running their own cabaret nights and events and found it really exciting, like the Eat Your Heart Out collectives. Some of them are fresh out of uni and run amazing events. Some of it’s a bit out there but that’s the excitement of it, it’s the energy of it and you gotta try and capture that energy, but at the end of the day you gotta pay attention to every single last detail. Yet on My Big Gay Prom people are learning and that’s how it works. Just by doing it, there’s no leaflet “This is how you run your LGBT event” (laughs) but I’d also say the interesting stuff is the stuff that gets away from being commercial. So you know you can go to any gay bar up and down the country and you can listen to the same cliché remixes but I’m interested in new stuff, experimental stuff, even radical music. That’s the sort of stuff I’d like to see coming out of young LGBT events and things like that. Sometimes you have to get away from the clichés, and that’s totally acceptable.        

Peter Tatchell Interview 8/12/2011 11:28

Peter Tatchell has been campaigning for human rights for over 40 years, on issues of LGBT freedom, democracy, civil liberties, social equality, environmental protection, peace and global justice. Unity Bangor interviewed Mr Tatchell in an effort to understand his view on human rights and the future of the LGBTQ community.

Louis Waters: Some people say the battle for human rights has been won. How do you respond to this claim?

Peter Tatchell: The LGBT community has made great strides towards equality. In the last decade, nearly all anti-LGBT laws have been repealed. But we have not yet won full equal treatment. There is still a ban on same-sex marriage. Civil partnerships are not equality. They are a form of sexual apartheid, with different laws for gay and straight people. I am against the prohibition on same-sex couples getting married and I am equally opposed to the way heterosexual couples are barred from having a civil partnership. Two wrongs don’t make a right. In a democratic society, we should all be equal before the law. Gay and bisexual men face draconian restrictions on donating blood, even if they always practice safe sex and test HIV-negative. This is not medically justified. It is based on stereotyping all men who have sex with men as high risk for HIV. Some are at risk, many are not. Successive Home Secretaries have given visas and work permits to reggae singers who incite the murder of LGBT people. Such incitement is a serious criminal offence. Why this collusion with murder music? Britain’s equality laws are supposed to ensure equal rights for everyone but they give exemptions that allow religious organisations to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. Moreover, the Equality Act 2010 explicitly denies lesbian and gay people protection against harassment. The government’s many commendable LGBT law reforms are no excuse for its stonewalling on the abolition of these remaining aspects of homophobic and transphobic discrimination. I won’t stop campaigning until we win full respect, acceptance, dignity and human rights.

LW: How important is it to campaign not just for LGBT rights but in general?

Peter Tatchell: LGBT human rights are human rights. They are part of the wider human rights spectrum. I’ve always argued that isolating LGBT rights from other human rights is a big mistake. It separates us from the mainstream human rights movement. That’s why I have argued against LGBT-specific legislation, in favour of comprehensive equality laws that protect everyone against all forms of discrimination. This is the way to build alliances and coalitions with other marginalised communities, which makes us collectively stronger and more effective. If we want other people to support our rights, we ought to be prepared to support their rights. We’re collectively strongest when we are united together against all prejudice and hate. Besides, it would be wrong to stand aside while black, Asian or Jewish LGBT people were subjected to racism. They are part of our LGBT community and should have an equal place within it.

LW: Where do you see the LGBT community in 10 years time?

Peter Tatchell: I’m hopeful that the remaining vestiges of anti-LGBT discrimination in the UK will be repealed within the next decade. The majority of the public is on our side. It’s just the cowardly politicians who are holding back full equal rights. Globally, too, I expect great progress. Despite the wave of homophobia sweeping many parts of Africa, in those countries there are good, courageous people – LGBT and straight – who are working to challenge sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Amid the gloom, gains are being made, from Argentina to Nepal and South Africa, and at the United Nations. I’m confident and inspired.

World AIDS Day service 5/12/2011 18:15

The World AIDS Day service at Bangor Cathedral was very well-attended this year! The service, which began at 7:15 on the 1st of December, involved readings of passages from the Bible in remembrance of those who had succumbed to this disease around the world, personal stories from real-life AIDS victims were read out and messages of hope about the greater range of treatments available in recent years were said. Several members of Unity Bangor were there to assist with the readings, the giving out of flyers and the lighting of candles for the two minutes’ silence that was involved in the service. Others attended in a personal capacity.
It was a very moving service; the personal stories especially touched many people with their frankness and the Welsh choir and Bangor University brass band sounded beautiful in the large space of the cathedral.
The overarching theme of the service was this: yes, more people than ever are affected by HIV/AIDS today but every year more and more treatments are available to help those who suffer with this illness, and stigmatisation of sufferers is slowly vanishing. Though we grieve for those we have lost, as we should, the issue must be approached with hope, not dread.