list.co.uk/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. ✽✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
GLASGOW
Activities & Events FREE #MAN Until Sat 7 Jan (not 25 & 26 Dec, 1–3 Jan), Tue–Thu noon–5pm; Fri & Sat noon–6pm; Sun 1–5pm. The Virginia Gallery, 45 Virginia Street, 552 5699. Group selling exhibition exploring ‘man’ as subject, homo-eroticism, masculinity and the man-made through paintings, photography and more. See panel. FREE Prime Time Sun 18 Dec, 3–5pm. Luke and Jack, 45 Virginia Street, 552 5699. A chance for gay and bisexual men over 40 to meet others in an informal setting. Life Drawing for Bears & Butches (and Beaus & Belles) Tue 3 Jan, 6.30–8.30pm. £7 in advance; £8 on the night. The Virginia Gallery, 45 Virginia Street, 552 5699. Returning after the Christmas break are these semi-tutored life drawing classes for those who like their models with a little more brawn or bulk than the average. Open to all levels of artistic ability. See panel. Clubs POP Junkie Fridays, 11pm–3am. Free before 11pm; £5 (£3 students) after. The Polo Lounge, 84 Wilson Street, 0845 659 5905. DJs Steven and Suave Gav inject your ears with pop sounds. Sugar Rush Saturdays, 6pm–3am. £tbc. FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. Pop, house and dance from DJ Devine. FREE Sports Sunday Sun 18 Dec, 6pm–3am. FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. Live football, a free jukebox and party sounds. Mayhem Sundays Sun 18 Dec, 11pm–3am. £tbc. Bennets Glasgow, 80–90 Glassford Street, 552 5761. Party tunes for an up for it gay crowd with Marc. FREE Passionality Mon 19 Dec, 26 Dec & 2 Jan, 11pm–3am. FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. Passion’s the fashion on a Monday with this night from TLC and DJ Shawn Roberts. FREE Poptart Tuesdays, 23pm–3am. The Polo Lounge, 84 Wilson Street, 0845 659 5905. Start the week very early with DJ Devine. CU Next Tuesday Tue 20 & 27 Dec, 11.30pm–3am. £5. Chambre 69, Stock Exchange House, 69 Nelson Mandela Place, facebook.com/ CUNextTuesdayChambre69 New gay club night aimed at a ‘fierce’ young crowd. FREE Stephanie Valentine presents Fri 23 Dec, 10pm–3am. Bennets Glasgow, 80–90 Glassford Street, 552 5761. Monthly theme party with drag icon Stephanie Valentine.
EDINBURGH Activities & Events FREE T-Time Sat 17 Dec, 1–4pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Monthly informal event for transgender people and their partners, family and friends. A welcoming environment for a chat and a cuppa, plus film screenings for those who fancy it. There’s also a Listening Group led by a member of Centre staff and a UKCP registered professional counsellor from 2pm ’til 3pm. FREE LGBT Centre Drop-in Mon 19 Dec, 5.30–8pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. A chance to try out the weekly, informal drop-in service to meet new people, get info and catch up on the latest goss. This week with a session on ‘Spiritual Space’ from 6.30pm to 7.30pm. FREE LGBT Age Christmas Meal Tue 20 Dec, 6pm. LGBT Centre for
PREVIEW INTERVIEW/VISUAL ART LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Having an adults-only policy gives The Virginia Gallery a certain flexibility that most spaces don’t have. Co-owner Drew Harvey Bigglestone tells The List why this is vital for LGBT art
If you’ve walked down Virginia Street recently, you might have seen Luke and Jack, an exotic 18+ adult boutique. What you might not have noticed is The Virginia Gallery, the art space nestled below which is fast gaining a rep for supporting erotic and LGBT art. Co-owner Drew Harvey Bigglestone explains: ‘The shop opened in
April last year and the gallery started as a pop-up gallery that December when artist Ivor Sexton approached us about using the space.’
Opening properly as a gallery in January this year, Bigglestone and his partner Ian Diamond has been reaching out to new and established artists whose work may not be accepted elsewhere.
‘It’s the only space I can think of which consistently shows LGBT art
in Glasgow. Ivor Sexton was aware that he was censoring his own work because certain galleries would never display paintings like that. Previously, we’ve hosted an exhibition focusing on male to female transgenders in Brazil and I know other galleries refused to show that work,’ Bigglestone explains. ‘People say we are pushing boundaries but we’re really just trying to
create an environment to get new art out there.’
Current exhibition #MAN is a group show of multi-media artwork focussing on masculinity and the man-made. There are also life- drawing classes for bears and butches on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
In the new year, the gallery will host a Parisienne photography
exhibition, two burlesque charity nights and another Ivor Sexton solo show, plus potential boylesque, drag king and drag queen nights. ‘We’ve also got a special exhibition for the Queen’s jubilee, 60 artworks for her 60 years,’ Bigglestone says. ‘There will be ones looking reverently at the Queen and some more irreverent ones, playing with the word queen itself . . .’ (Lauren Mayberry) ■ The Virginia Gallery is open Tue-Sat, 11am-6pm. Visit thevirginiagallery.co.uk for more information on times of classes and exhibition openings.
Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Christmas social for members of the LGBT community who are aged 50+. They’ll be going out for a meal so get in touch with the centre to find out what the plan is and bag your place at the festive feasting table. Women’s Football Wed 21 Dec, 7–8pm. £3. Gracemount Leisure Centre, 22 Gracemount Drive, 658 1940. Kick- around for women of any age and any ability with the Amazing Gracies football team. Email kirstensinclair@netscape.net for info. FREE Bi Edinburgh Meeting Wed 21 Dec, 7.30–9pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Monthly meet-up for bisexuals and those with questions about their sexuality. The meeting takes the form of an informal discussion followed by drinks. See www.biscotland.org for more information or email info@biscotland.org.
LGBT
FREE Prime Time Mon 26 Dec, 2–4.30pm. Gay Men’s Health, 10 Union Street, 556 1309. Informal meet-up for gay or bisexual men over 40. Clubs FREE Frisky Disco Thursdays, 10pm–3am. GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. Start the weekend early with DJ Dale. FREE Camp Thursdays, 11pm–3am. CC Blooms, 23–24 Greenside Place, 556 9331. Deejay Bird spins camp classics from Hi-NRG and disco to pop. Nocturnal Disco Fri 16 & Sat 17 Dec, Fri 23 & Sat 24 Dec & Fri 30 Dec, 10pm–3am. £4–£5. GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. Pop, chart, filthy house and electro sounds. FREE Boys Own Fri 16 Dec, 11pm–3am. CC Blooms, 23–24 Greenside Place, 556 9331. Downstairs at CC’s becomes ‘men only’ with DJ Blondie blasting out dance mixes of chart hits, plus the CCs Go Go Boys. Saturday Night Beaver Sat 17 Dec, 11pm–5am. £5. Cabaret Voltaire, 36–38 Blair Street, 247 4704. A kickin’ soundtrack for ladies, their invited male guests and LGBTI friendly door policy, in The Speakeasy. FREE Motown Howdown Sun 18 Dec, 10pm–3am. GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. Motown and funk from DJ Lynne. FREE Sunday Skool Sun 18 Dec & 1 Jan, 11pm–3am. CC Blooms, 23–24 Greenside Place, 556 9331. Strictly 90s dancefloor fillers music policy from DJ Shelle La Belle. FREE Twisted Tuesday Tue 20 & 27 Dec & 3 Jan, 10pm–3am. GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. DJ JT plays commercial house, electro and chart tracks, plus giant jenga, twister, etc. FREE Pop du Jour Tue 20 Dec, 27 Dec & 3 Jan, 11pm–3am. CC Blooms, 23–24 Greenside Place, 556 9331. Chart, dance and pop from DJ Paton. DJ PJ’s Christmas Party Sat 24 Dec, 10pm–5am. £4 (students £3). GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. Nocturnal Disco DJ PJ welcomes in Christmas. FREE Christmas Day Sun 25 Dec, 10pm–5am. GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. Christmas Day clubbing with DJ Lynne and Motown with party hits. Fever Xmas Party Sun 25 Dec, 11pm–5am. £8 before 11.30pm; £10 after. The Liquid Room, 9c Victoria Street, 225 2564. Fever takes over Taste’s annual Christmas Day party, providing the ideal festive get-out clause to escape dull relatives and TV re-runs. Fisher and Price plus Miss Chris provide the tunes to dance off ‘all the trimmings’. FREE Calvertos Christmas Day Cracker Sun 25 Dec, 11pm–5am. CC Blooms, 23–24 Greenside Place, 556 9331. The LGBT club institution opens for a special Christmas Day party of festive tunes and chart cheese. FREE Friday Funk Fri 30 Dec, 11pm–5am. CC Blooms, 23–24 Greenside Place, 556 9331. DJ Shelle la Belle does her best to get your booty shaking with a mix of funky tunes from past and present at this pre-Hogmanay foam party special. FREE Hogmanay £1000 Drop Sat 31 Dec, 8pm–5am. CC Blooms, 23–24 Greenside Place, 556 9331. Sashay into the New Year in the company of DJs Blondie and Shazza but make sure you remain standing until the bells as £1000 cash (in balloons) will drop from the sky at midnight and you’ll need all your wits about you to nab some. Expect big queues so arrive early. Black & Pink Ball Sat 31 Dec, 10pm–5am. £5 in advance; £8 on the door. GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. LGBT New Year party and GHQ ask you to ‘dress up to the nines’ for their shindig. Fever Mon 2 Jan, 11pm–5am. £8 before 11.30pm; £10 after. The Liquid Room, 9c Victoria Street, 225 2564. DJs Fisher & Price (Taste) play an eclectic mix of the best underground dance music for anyone still standing after Hogmanay.
15 Dec 2011–5 Jan 2012 THE LIST 91