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 Glasgow FrontRunners Thursdays, 7pm; Sundays, 11am. £1. The Arc, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, 331 8633. A running group suited to all abilities for LGBT folk and their friends. FREE LGBT Bi-polar Self Help Group Tue 1 May, 7pm. Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland, 134 Douglas Street, 560 2050. Welcoming, confidential self-help group for people with bipolar disorder and their families and friends. FREE Prime Time Sun 6 & 20 May, 3pm. Gay Men’s Health, 48 Albion Street, 552 0112. Informal meet-up for gay and bisexual men over 40. FREE Together Tue 8 May, 7pm. Gay Men’s Health, 48 Albion Street, 552 0112. A social, support and information group for men living with HIV. Arts FREE BOND: Female, Film and Photography Fri 27 Apr–Sat 19 May, Tue–Sat 11am–5.30pm. The Virginia Gallery, 45 Virginia Street, 552 5699. Photography and painting exploring the things that bind and bond us, by Stacie Geddes, Erin Catherine MacKenzie, Stephanie Davidson, Sandra Whyte, Donna Marie Murphy and Lock Up Your Daughters. Opens Fri 27 Apr at 7.30pm with the premiere of a short film written and directed by Helen Wright. Life Drawing at the Virginia Gallery Tuesdays, 6.30pm. £8. The Virginia Gallery, 45 Virginia Street, 552 5699. Life drawing class open to all. Materials and some tuition are provided, along with tea, coffee and a model. FREE SMUT-A-RAMA with Lock Up Your Daughters Fri 4 May, 7pm. Luke and Jack, 45 Virginia Street, 552 5699. Erotic fiction readings from some of Scotland’s finest female purveyors of smut, including Kirsty Logan, Helen Sedgwick and Zoe Strachan, with short films from Lock Up Your Daughters. Women only. BYOB. Booking essential. Heather Peace Wed 23 May, 7pm. £16.50. St Andrews in the Square, 1 St Andrews Square, 559 5902. Gig from one of the stars of BBC 3’s Glasgow- based drama Lip Service.
Clubs POP Junkie Fri, 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. Trophy Room Sat, 6pm–3am. £tbc. FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. Cheesy pop night, formerly at the Polo Lounge. Sinsational Saturdays Sat, 9pm–3am. £6 (£5). The Polo Lounge, 84 Wilson Street, 0845 659 5905. Be bad as can be with DJs David Clark, Preston Connor, Gavin Watson. FREE Bears in the West Fri 4 May, 9pm–1am. Underground Glasgow, 6a John Street, 553 2456. The BearScots night for Glasgow gents in search of a little furry company. QueerCore Fri 4 May, 11pm–3am. £tbc. FHQ, 10 John Street, 0845 166 6037. Rock night promising ‘no rules, no egos, just rock’. Lock Up Your Daughters Fri 18 May, 11pm–3am. £5 (£4). The Flying Duck, 142 Renfield Street, 564 1450. LUYD residents DJ Suezz, Lock Up Your DJs and Skeleton Boy take on their rivals from another of the Flying Duck’s queer nights, Blitz, for a showdown.
PREVIEW COMIC MARTIN EDEN Spandex: Fast and Hard (Titan Books)
Many a quip has been made about Batman and Robin bunking up, but how often are there actually LGBT themes in comics? With the latest incarnation of Batwoman being an out lesbian, there is certainly more scope for a homosexual hulk, and Martin Eden has created the first British comic following the dramatic adventures of a gang of gay superheroes.
Spandex: Fast and Hard follows Liberty, a glamorous transvestite; a powerful lesbian named Diva; a beautiful French teleporter known as Indigo; Prowler, who can absorb the abilities of gay people; Glitter, with the ability to transform himself into light; and a rock hard pair of twins, Mr Muscle and Butch.
‘It’s a superhero soap opera focusing on an all-gay superhero team
called Spandex based in Brighton, which is the unofficial gay capital of the UK, of course,’ says writer and artist Eden. ‘It’s set in a weird universe where they fight all sorts of enemies, like pink ninjas and 50- foot lesbians – it’s all very tongue-in-cheek.’ Eden, who previously worked on acclaimed indie series The O-Men,
admits it can be difficult to find an audience for these kind of heroes in the traditional comic loving market. ‘It’s hard because comics are perceived as being for children, so it’s difficult to address subjects like this. My comic is for adult, mature readers only, so that we can explore relationships and their ramifications properly.
‘This comic has been a labour of love for me. It’s fun and
experimental, and I’m really excited about taking the characters and the comic to a much wider audience.’ This book, released on 24 May, contains the first three issues of the
comic, with five more to follow later in the year. (Lauren Mayberry) ■ spandexcomic.com
EDINBURGH Activities & Events FREE Women’s Wellbeing Group Fri 27 Apr & 11 May, 2pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. A trip to the Fruitmarket Gallery on Fri 27, and a discussion about female power on Fri 11. FREE LGBT Film Club Fri 27 Apr, 6.30pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Film offerings with an LGBT focus. Hot Scots FC Kickabout Fridays, 8pm. £tbc. Saughton Sports Complex, Stevenson Drive, 444 0422. A friendly six/seven-a- side kickabout for players of all abilities. FREE LGBT Centre Drop-in Mondays, 5.30–8pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Meet new people, get info and the latest goss. HotScots FC v Newcastle Panthers Sat 5 May, time tbc. £tbc. Lothian and Borders Police Headquarters, Fettes Avenue, 07585 132595. Scotland’s LGBT football team takes on its rivals in the 11-a- side GFSN Division Two. FREE Trans Women Sat 5 May, 7.30pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Monthly group meeting for MTF transgender people.
Hot Scots FC Pub Quiz Mon 7 May, 9pm. £1 per head. Priscillas, 17 Albert Place, 554 8962. Monthly fundraising quiz. Cuestars Tue 8 & 22 May, 7pm. £3. Shandon Snooker, 99 Slateford Road, 313 2069. Friendly, social snooker group for the LGBT community and friends. FREE Icebreakers Wed 9 & 23 May, 7.30pm. The Regent Bar, 2 Montrose Terrace, 661 8198. Social group for people who want to make new friends in LGBT company. FREE Trans Men Sat 12 May, 7pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 07948 735179. A social evening for FTM transgender people. FREE Prime Time Sun 13 May, 2pm. Gay Men’s Health, 10 Union Street, 556 1309. Informal meet-up for gay or bisexual men over 40. LGBT Age at the Cinema Thu 17 May, time tbc. Prices vary. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Share your popcorn with other members of the LGBT Centre’s over-50s group at Vue Omni cinema. Film to be chosen by a vote – register your interest by Fri 11 May to have a say. FREE T-Time Sat 19 May, 1pm–4pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Informal transgender meet-up; this time featuring a trans-only Zumba class (2pm).
LGBT
FREE Wellbeing for Men Sun 20 May, 1pm–5pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. A creative, interactive look at how gay, transgender and bisexual men can feel even better about themselves. FREE Community Discussion Evening Thu 24 May, 6.30pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. A discussion on sport, homophobia and the LGBT community. Arts The Big LGBT Music Jam Sat 5 May, 1pm. £2. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Music-making in a supportive environment. FREE Word: Women’s Book Group Wed 9 May, 7pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Meet women with a passion for books. Loud & Proud Spring Concert Sat 12 May, 8pm. £9 (£7). Church Hill Theatre, 33a Morningside Road, 447 7597. Seasonal concert from Edinburgh’s LGBT choir, with numbers from The Proclaimers and The Turtles, as well as selections from the Georgian and American gospel traditions and the first performance of a work by American composer James Johnson, a musical setting of AE Housman’s wistful poem, ‘Because I Liked You Better’. FREE Art Workshop: Bisexual Memories Wed 16 May, 7pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. Art materials are on offer for those who want to explore memories and experiences of bisexuality through visual art. You can also start thinking about possible creative contributions to the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival in October. FREE Edinburgh Gay Men’s Book Group Wed 23 May, 7pm. LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, 523 1100. For gents with a lust for reading.
Clubs FREE Frisky Disco Thu, 10pm–3am. GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. Start the weekend early with DJ Dale. FREE Camp Thu, 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 & Sat, 10pm–3am. £4–£5. GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. Pop, chart, filthy house and electro. FREE Friday Funk Fri 27 Apr, 11pm–3am. 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. FREE Motown Hodown Sun, 10pm–3am. GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, 0845 166 6024. Motown and funk from DJ Lynne. FREE Sunday Skool Sun, 11pm–3am. CC Blooms, 23–24 Greenside Place, 556 9331. Strictly 90s dancefloor fillers music from DJ Shelle La Belle. FREE Twisted Tuesday Tue, 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, 11pm–3am. CC Blooms, 23–24 Greenside Place, 556 9331. Chart, dance and pop from DJ Paton. Virgen Sat 5 May, 8pm–1am. £5. The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West Register Street, 556 7060. Female-run, females-only night (men welcome as invited guests) with Emma Queercore Daye playing fidget house, electro, rock and drum & bass. BootyCall? Sun 6 May, 10pm–3am. £3 before midnight; £5 after. The Annexe at the Liquid Room, 9c Victoria Street, Entrance via Cowgate, 225 2564. New night of general filth with DJs Lucky Luciano, Tommy Kay, Claudio, Gregsta and Stuart Kane. Plus performances from Lexie Lush and ‘pornstar friends’. FREE Bears in the East Sat 12 May, 10pm–2am. New Town Bar, 26b Dublin Street, 538 7775. Night for bears and their admirers, organised by the BearScots.
26 Apr–24 May 2012 THE LIST 77