LGBT
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to gay@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Laura Ennor. www.list.co.uk/events/lgbt
Thursday 22 Edinburgh FREE LGBT Homelessness Debate LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. 7–9pm. A panel made up of Council housing staff, workers from homelessness charity the Cyrenians and people who have experienced homelessness themselves discusses an issue which all too often faces LGBT people. ■ The Mating Ritual: Burlesque Performances The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, 556 7060. 8pm. £8 in advance; £10 on the door. A playful look at how we con members of the opposite sex into reproducing with us, via gender-bending dance, burlesque and musical comedy. Over-18s only.
Friday 23
Glasgow ■ Lip Service FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. 11pm–3am. £tbc. Long- running lesbian club night with a focus on all things sensual. Includes facepainting, dress-up box, spin the bottle booths and a ‘sexual postbox’. Ooh er. Guest passes are available from Speakeasy bar. Edinburgh FREE Film Club LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. 6.30–9.30pm. Screenings of feature-length films, shorts and unusual offerings with an LGBT focus. For more information, contact Claire on clazzle333@hotmail.com ■ Kinky Disco GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. 9pm–3am. £tbc. Pop, camp classics and dance hits from Cilla Slack and funky house and electro from DJ Michelle. ■ Bearsparty Studio 24, 24–26 Calton Road, 558 3758. 10pm–3am. £5. A new men-only night for bears, cubs, chubs and their admirers, from the organisers of the Great British Bear Bash. All door proceeds go to Waverley Care.
Saturday 24
Glasgow FREE Girls on Film FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. 6pm–2am. Party night for ladies with DJ Devine. Edinburgh ■ Photography Course LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. 10am–1pm. £35–£55 (unwaged £15). Learn how to take smashing shots of whatever you fancy with this five-week course from professional Aly Wright. Booking essential. FREE Different Strokes Glenogle Swim Centre, Glenogle Road, Stockbridge, 523 1100. 4–6pm. Transgender people can enjoy the sole use of a swimming pool, steam room and sauna in a new event scheduled for the second and fourth Saturday of the month. Email emma@lgbthealth.org.uk for info and to sign up. ■ Circus GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. 9pm–5am. Free before 11pm; £5 after. Pop and dance tunes across two rooms from DJ Darren and Dowzer.
Sunday 25
Glasgow ■ Rae Spoon Stereo, 22–28 Renfield Lane, 222 2254. 7.30–10pm. £4 in advance; £5 on the door. Country singer from Canada who writes about love, contradiction, and his identity as a transgender artist. 62 THE LIST 22 Jul–5 Aug 2010
Edinburgh ■ Badminton Drop-in Crags Sports Centre, 10 Bowmont Place, 523 1100. 2–4pm. £3. A fun and easy sport to pick up these sessions are for all abilities. FREE Mile High Club GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. 11pm–3am. Take off with Head Stewardess Cilla Slack for a night of mid-air frolics in the cockpit.
Monday 26 Glasgow ■ Passionality FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. 11pm–3am. £3 (£2). Passion’s the fashion on a Monday with this night from TLC.
Tuesday 27 Edinburgh ■ Yoga Course LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. 6.30pm. £35 (unwaged £15). Eight-weeks of bending and stretching with Petra Ponnet. Booking essential. FREE ShuttleScots Badminton Crags Sports Centre, 10 Bowmont Place, 523 1100. 7–9pm. Social badminton group meeting. Contact james@lgbthealth.org.uk
FREE Love Traffic GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. 11pm–3am. Pulling doesn’t get any easier than this: red for no thanks, amber for maybe, green for definitely. With DJ Dale Lush. Wednesday 28
Glasgow FREE 4play FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. 6pm–midnight. DJ Shazza presents a party for girls. ■ Play Loves G-A-Y Play, 7 Renfield Street, 0845 166 6029. 11pm–3am. Free before midnight; £3 (£1) after. Big, commercial midweek gay club night, with DJ Darren and selected guests. Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Gay Men’s Book Group LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. 7–9pm. A book club for gents with a lust for reading: all types of books considered. Info from info@gaybookgroup.co.uk
Thursday 29 Edinburgh FREE Gay Dads Scotland Support Group Meeting Café Nom de Plume,
EDINBURGH FRINGE HIGHLIGHTS
Mysterious Skin
Allan Radcliffe casts an eye over the LGBT-interest shows coming to the world’s biggest arts festival
The List’s LGBT section is about to take a well-earned break (returning in September, folks), but before we head off on our holidays, there’s just time to let you know about some of the gay-friendly fare that’s appearing at a Fringe Festival near you this August. As ever there’s a great mix of comedy, including not one but two shows
from Scottish funny woman Susan Calman, who will be presenting a lunchtime chat show, Susan Calman Chats Up (Just the Tonic at the Caves) and a stand-up show Constantly Seeking Susan (Underbelly), as well as appearances from Fringe favourites Stephen K Amos (Pleasance Courtyard) and Paul Foot (Underbelly). Rivalling Calman for the chat crown is the mighty Bruce Devlin, who will be introducing his picks of the Fringe daily at the Stand, while (probably) the UK’s only gay Asian football-loving doctor/comedian Paul Sinha will also bring his polished, razor-sharp observational material to the Stand.
The theatre programme has a great mix of LGBT-themed fare, including
BBC award-winning coming-out drama The Gay Geese (C Central) and a stage adaptation of Scott Heim’s acclaimed novel Mysterious Skin (Gilded Balloon), about sexuality, desire and friendship, best known from the Gregg Araki-directed film version. Meanwhile, Australia’s most highly regarded indigenous performer Noel Tovey presents a gripping story of a man’s salvation through the power of art, Little Black B**tard and Grant Smeaton’s Bette/Cavett (Zoo Roxy), a theatrical reimagining of a celebrated Bette Davis TV interview, which triumphed at last year’s Glasgay!, makes its Edinburgh debut.
If that’s not camp enough for you, take a look at Reel to Real: the Movies Musical (Pleasance Courtyard), in which clips from classic movie musicals are melded with live performance and an engaging story. Thoroughly Modern Willie (C Chambers Street), meanwhile, is the latest outrageous, big-hearted mix of comedy and music from those ultra-talented boys in the London Gay Men’s Chorus. And if it’s an oldie-but-goodie you seek Rocky Horror Night (Frankenstein’s Pub) is the perfect excuse to dig out your basque and suspenders and get down to the ‘Time Warp’.
60 Broughton Street, 478 1372. 8–10.15pm. A discussion, support and social group for gay and bi men with children. FREE Packed GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. 11pm–3am. For those who start their weekends early: cheap drinks and tunes from DJ JT. Friday 30
Glasgow ■ Lip Service FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. 11pm–3am. £tbc. See Fri 23. Edinburgh ■ Kinky Disco GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. 9pm–3am. £tbc. See Fri 23. FREE Friday Funk CC Blooms, 23–24 Greenside Place, 556 9331. 11pm–3am. DJ Shelle la Belle does her best to get your booty shaking with a mix of funky tunes from past and present.
Saturday 31
Glasgow FREE Girls on Film FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. 6pm–2am. See Sat 24. ■ Markus Makavellian’s International Order The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 7.30pm. £6 (£4). An hour of comedy, poetry and theatricals from New York performance poet Markus Makavellian, aka Drew Taylor. Edinburgh ■ Photography Course LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. 10am–1pm. £35–£55 (unwaged £15). See Sat 24. FREE Community Summer Fete LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. 1–6pm. Fun, games, music, drama and burgers. ■ Circus GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. 9pm–5am. Free before 11pm; £5 after. See Sat 24.
Sunday 1 Edinburgh ■ Badminton Drop-in Crags Sports Centre, 10 Bowmont Place, 523 1100. 2–4pm. £3. See Sun 25. FREE Mile High Club GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. 11pm–3am. See Sun 25.
Monday 2
Glasgow FREE Strathclyde Lesbian and Gay Switchboard Strathclyde Lesbian and Gay Switchboard, 847 0447. 7–10pm. See Thu 22. ■ Passionality FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. 11pm–3am. £3 (£2). See Mon 26.
Tuesday 3
Stirling ■ The Lady Boys of Bangkok Macrobert, University of Stirling, 01786 466666. 8pm. £18.50 (£16.50). This night of music and costumes has to be seen to be believed.
Wednesday 4 Glasgow FREE Foreplay FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. 6pm–midnight. See Wed 28. ■ Play Loves G-A-Y Play, 7 Renfield Street, 0845 166 6029. 11pm–3am. Free before midnight; £3 (£1) after. See Wed 28.
Thursday 5 Edinburgh FREE Packed GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. 11pm–3am. See Thu 29.