Kemptown coffee shop owner set to become the first tenant of newly renovated Temple at Black Rock
Kemptown coffee shop owner Philip Cundall is set to become the first tenant of the newly renovated Temple at Black Rock.
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Brighton & Hove City Council calls for continuation of Household Support Fund
The Household Support Fund is a government funded scheme to support people impacted by the cost of living crisis.
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Trans golfer closer to realising her dream of competing on the LPGA
Hailey Davidson recently won the NXXT Women’s Classic at the Mission Inn Resort and Club.
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Ming de Nasty launches exhibition to change stereotypes around older LGBTQ+ people living in Shropshire
The photographer worked with 14 locals, who spoke about how LGBTQ+ culture has changed, as well as sharing memories and old images.
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REVIEW: 'Afterglow' @ Southwark Playhouse
The heart wants what the heart wants in this gay threesome drama.
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Gay Canadian pole vaulter Shawn Barber dies aged 29
The athlete died from 'medical complications' on Wednesday, January 17 at home in Kingwood, Texas.
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The nationwide LGBTQ+ celebration returns on Saturday, August 10.
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Brighton & Hove LGBTQ+ Switchboard to receive incredible £1,881 from funds raised by 2023 Santa Bus tour
Brighton & Hove Buses, which organised the 20th annual fundraiser, said Switchboard's share would come from total proceeds worth just over £37,000.
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"You get what you pay for". Terrence Higgins Trust responds to data showing sexual health services at 'breaking point'
New data from the Local Government Association has shown that almost every council in England and Wales has seen a rise in gonorrhoea since 2017 while sexual health services face ‘unprecedented increases in demand’.
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REVIEW: Cinderella Re-mixed - the Brighton Alternative Pantomime
"Welcome back to Brighton’s long-standing alternative pantomime, with a fizzing, high-octane, raucous and filthily funny re-imagining of the Cinderella story."
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STEPS' Here & Now musical to premiere in Birmingham in November
Take a chance on a happy ending...
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Trans swimmer Lia Thomas takes legal action against World Aquatics
Thomas, who has not raced since 2022 following a rule change by the governing body, is taking legal action in a bid to compete again in elite female sport, including the Olympics and World Championships.
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Discover a beach playground unlike any other in Florida’s LGBT+ capital, from cosmopolitan wining and dining at rooftop bars to the revelry of Wilton Manors. As the world’s most progressive and inclusive destination, Greater Fort Lauderdale’s welcoming vibe is legendary. And we can’t wait to welcome you.
Plan Your Adventure at VisitLauderdale.com/lgbt
Proud Studios CIC and Trans Pride
Brighton & Hove launch new collaboration celebrating inaugural Trans+ History Week
Beyond the Binary – The Spectrum Of Trans Joy is a group portrait project celebrating the inaugural Trans+ History Week from May 6-12.
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Event at The Common Press to discuss issues facing pole dancing industry and how to do better as a community
'Blackstage Talks: Breaking Moulds' will be hosted by Dr Carolina Are - the pole dancing academic behind bloggeronpole
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Pipeline fundraiser for trans charity the Clare Project on February 3
Brighton's iconic punk venue Pipeline will host three genre bending artists, including Veles the Menace.
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MOBILISE to celebrate final Queer Power Party in Birmingham in March
Fatt Projects are inviting local LGBTQ+ people to join them for one final dance before they take a break to figure out MOBILISE’s future.
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From sex influencers in Argentina, to finding love in French borstals!
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Woody Cook confirmed as Brighton Half Marathon Youth Race starter
The DJ and presenter is to start the Youth Race, part of this year’s Brighton Half Marathon, which returns on Sunday, February 25.
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Peccadillo Pictures announces new film releases.
A Salty-Sweet History
Brighton’s queer seaside by Alf
Le Flohic
) Studies have shown that spending time by the sea is good for our sense of wellbeing. The vast expanse of water, with little else, is emotionally restorative. When combined with sunshine, relaxation, and friends, the enduring popularity of the seaside is obvious.
The sense of freedom associated with the coast has long been a draw for LGBTQ+ people too. Where better for those who can feel on the edge of society to be themselves, than literally on the edge of the land?
Since the opening of the London to Brighton trainline in 1841, Brighton & Hove has become a popular destination for relaxation, recuperation, and recreation. Even before that date, records exist of same-sex escapades taking place on our seafront.
In 1822, George Wilson met a guardsman in the Duke of Wellington pub in Pool Valley just off the front. We know this because, unfortunately,
he made the papers and ended up in prison when he offered the soldier money to “commit an unnatural crime” on the beach with him. Soldiers at that time were known to make money on the side with a little light prostitution, so you can’t blame George for trying his luck!
THE QUEER BEACH
The Queer Beach is a new mixedmedia exhibition, curated by the Socially Engaged Art Salon (SEAS), and showing in the foyer gallery of Brighton's Jubilee Library till Sunday, February 11
The project explores the strong connection between queer people and culture and the seaside –between a fringe, sometimes marginal community, and this frontier space. It cruises to nearby places such as Brighton Naturist beach and sails to faraway places such as Abrico queer beach near Rio.
Queer Beach features painting, collage, photography and film by 30 artists who were invited by SEAS or answered their open call. Read new writing commissioned from local
On a jollier note, the decoded diaries of Anne Lister (aka Gentleman Jack), records her and her lover Mariana Lawton staying at the Royal York Hotel in the Old Steine in 1826. They spent three days waiting for a boat to France. During that time the couple walked the “delightful” promenade and viewed
historian Alf Le Flohic and the fiction writer Helen Trevorrow. Take a selfie as part of the California Dreaming interactive installation, where visitors who cannot afford a winter holiday on a sunny beach can take a selfie on an imaginary one.
An hour before and after the event on February 3 a professional photographer will offer a free photoshoot at the installation where participants will receive their photos on the spot. At this event, authors Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos, Andrew Kay and Helen Trevorrow will read from their books featuring the seaside. Readings will be followed by a Q&A when authors will discuss their ideal queer beach.
The exhibition is curated by Dr Gil Mualem-Doron and the participants are: Alex Billingham, Amitrano
the “beautiful” Suspension Chain Pier. They also passed the time in other ways: “Good kiss last night. Got into bed again this morning for half an hour and had another kiss.”
After taking a dip in the sea was declared good for your health, the Victorians introduced segregated bathing. Everyone knows about the huts they used for getting in and out of the sea, but far fewer people know that Hove had its very own Men’s Beach.
Daring Hearts by Brighton Ourstory is an amazing record of lesbian and gay lives in the city in the 1950s and ‘60s. In the book, author Peter describes the Men’s Beach as “notoriously gay”. Grant goes on to say, “It was men only. There was nothing in the rest of the country to compare. Of course, they never went in the sea; they never got their beautiful bikinis wet. If you went far enough down, there was no such thing as wearing any clothing.”
There were also many pubs down on the beach that attracted a rather queer clientele. Grant remembers: “The Fortune of War and the Belvedere were mostly used by the very big butch lesbians that really looked like navvies, with bovver boots, suits, and chains.”
In July 1973, the Sussex Gay Liberation Front staged Brighton’s first Gay Pride and used the beach for a couple of events. On the Friday night before the march, there was a midnight gay wedding between John and Graham to the west of the Palace Pier, and a gay picnic in the same location on the Sunday afterwards.
David Maplesden attended the picnic along with “Kay Ashton, who liked to be known as ‘the transsexual from
Maria Belen, Antony Edwards, Maja Bialas, Chris Corr, Clare Plumley, Claudi Piripippi, Danny Frede, David G Taylor, Dave Ratcliffe, Elias Avramidis, Ellen Harrold, Francesca Alaimo, Hannah Meyer, Izzy Malanczuk, Jack Jameson, Joanna Byrne, Joanne Newman, Josef Cabey, Luc Raesmith, Ludo Foster, Mario Lautier-Vella, Norman Miller, Patrick Will Baker, Roberto Funai, Robert Inestroza, Rowan Frewin, Sarah Connell, Sebastian Rowlands, Thomas Griffiths and Tony Mentel. Works from the exhibition, made possible with support of Brighton Rainbow Fund, can be viewed online at www.seasbrighton.org.
Manchester,’”. He remembers her hair went a funny colour after a dip in the sea because “the water must have been polluted or she used cheap dyes!”
The West Pier closed completely in 1975 after falling into disrepair. Throughout the 1980s and into the ‘90s, the area found a new use. In Brighton’s Seaside Stories from QueenSpark Books, ‘Piers’ tells how: “The decaying arches under the West Pier were a hotbed of action.” He narrowly escaped arrest after the police arrived one evening with torches. “The arches were boarded up after that, spoiling our fun.”
JACK JAMESON, VENUS AS A FREAK
The beach itself has, on occasion, become a political space. In 1988, as a direct response to Section 28, the first day of the Conservative Party conference in October was met by a sunset protest on the beach in front of the Grand Hotel. As the sun went down, the protestors lit flaming torches. The organisers, Lesbian and Gay Spirit Rising, said in advertising literature: “With one voice, as one people, as a single wave inevitably crashing on the shore, we say to you that our time for freedom has arrived.”
In 1992, Brighton Area Against Section 28 organised a Queer on the Pier event as part of Pride. The pier was notoriously rough at that time, not made any better by the News of The World whipping people into a frenzy about the “11-day gay bash,” in a none-too-subtle call to action.
One official gathering spot open to anyone who likes to bare it all is, of course, the Naturist Beach, tucked away down the Kemptown end. Being the first nudist beach in the UK when it opened in 1980, it caused considerable controversy. Local Tory councillor John Blackman described it at a council meeting as a “flagrant exhibition of mammary glands.” Whatever your position on mammaries… the beach has always had a significant LGBTQ+ fan base.
Even before the nudist beach arrived, that area was popular, as Janine says in Daring Hearts: “I used to come back to Brighton with various girlfriends. I knew all the pools, Black Rock pool and everything and the beaches round there, and I used to take all my gay friends down there, and we’d have a marvellous sort of day.”
Close by and considered by some to be clothing optional as well, is the heavily shrubbed Duke’s Mound. Generally known as ‘The Bushes’, this is a longstanding cruising area for those with a taste for outdoor adventures.
Adjacent to that, and much preferred in poor weather conditions, is the ‘Temple of Love.’ Built in 1935, it was originally constructed as a reading room for locals. Many things have been picked up here, but paperbacks would not be among them…
Brighton & Hove beaches have never been exclusively for family fun. We have queered the pebbles and beyond with our protests, our pride, and our passion.
) The Queer Beach, curated by the Socially Engaged Art Salon (SEAS), is in the foyer gallery of Jubilee Library till Sunday, February 11.
ROWAN FREWIN : MERPERSON
DVLA updates its guidance for drivers with HIV to reflect the most up-to-date clinical knowledge
This follows collaborative work by the DVLA with HIV / sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust and the British HIV Association.
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The Sussex Beacon appoints new CEO, Rachel Brett
Rachel will be joining the Sussex Beacon from YMCA Downslink, where she has held the position of Director of Children & Young People since 2015.
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Brighton & Hove City Council needs you!
Help choose a permanent name for the new West Hove seafront park being created through the Kingsway to the Sea project.
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Hammer horror is back with the haunting and enigmatic Doctor Jekyll, starring Eddie Izzard
Hammer Films has announced upcoming horror thriller Doctor Jekyll will be available exclusively in the UK on Digital Download from March 11.
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Saltdean Library to return to iconic Saltdean Lido after refurbishment
The library will be returning on Tuesday, February 13 following extensive refurbishment to the iconic Grade II listed Lido building.
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Elton John achieves EGOT status at 2024 Emmys
Elton John joins one of the most exclusive clubs in entertainment, becoming a member of the EGOT club – an acronym made up of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
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From Gay Day to Pride: LGBT+ History Month Supper Club @
Ledward Centre
A relaxed evening to mark the start of LGBT+ History Month, this is the chance to see Alf Le Flohic talk about the Sussex Gay Liberation Front 1972-1973, the ‘Gay Day’ demo in Brighton in 1972, and the first Brighton Pride in 1973.
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PREVIEW: From 'Reallly Old Friends' to Alexis Gregory's 'FutureQueer'
Your round-up of queer theatre is here!
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Switchboard welcomes five trustees –and invites TNBI people to join them
The trustees will support Switchboard's organisational strategy and governance as it continues to grow and develop the charity's awardwinning services.
New exhibition at Birmingham’s Back to Backs to honour drag performer, Twiggy
'Twiggy – The Drag Market' will explore the career and creative process behind one of the bestknown personas of Birmingham’s queer scene.
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MORE THAN JUST A PUB DISCO!
The Sunday Almanac celebrates 10 years.
Words by Alf Le Flohic
) The Sunday Almanac celebrated its ten-year anniversary in January. Club nights and discos frequently have a rather short lifespan – you have to provide something very special to keep people coming back for more. The Sunday Almanac definitely has that special something.
Calling it a pub disco does it a massive disservice, but in the simplest terms, that’s what it is - and yet so much more. If you’ve stumbled across the
St George’s Inn on the last Sunday of the month, a corner boozer just down from the Royal Sussex Hospital in Kemptown, then you’ll know what I mean.
It’s the brainchild, or should that be lovechild, of two DJs, Chris and Dom. Chris tells their origin story: “Dom had been one of the residents at Sunday Supplement at the Vauxhall Griffin in London, and I had been doing regular slots in pubs around Brighton. Ever since
Dom moved to the coast, we had been plotting to do something musical together.
“After an initial chat in the Colonnade, we met up at the St George early in December 2013, and it seemed a perfect space. Tucked away in the side streets of Kemptown, with two bars and an outside area, it has a lovely vibe.
“Dom approached the landlord and proposed to him that we would play records on the last Sunday, once a month. “Are you always this cocky?”, he asked. We initially did it for a couple of drinks and a nominal fee. Once we’d begun, something clicked; it felt right.”
Dom is an exceptional photographer, so they used his images to create a ‘brand’ that was easy to recognise. As Dom says, “The flyer images reflect the mood, each with our Almanac font and produced on gloss card like one’s very own LP. We are thrilled to see them ripped from the walls and tucked under arms once an Almanac has finished.
“Our ‘Battles’ began early on, trying to catch each other out while maintaining the thrill and watching the crowd. The Battles have caused much hilarity. It’s all quite hectic, and sometimes tracks played in error turn out to be the best of the set.
“The Almanacs have progressed, and we’ve become better too – taking more risks (The Ninth Wave by Kate Bush anyone?), theming sets, and introducing the idea of a guest DJ where our friends can play any records that they fancy.”
Other DJs have also been invited to
take a turn behind the decks, including local legends Wildblood & Queenie Kate describes the experience: “The crew of geeks and freaks, weirdos and wonders, queers and dears I so longed for as a teenager coming out all those years ago, I have found at Chris & Dom’s Sunday Almanac. It is my home full of homos, my favourite place to play the never guilty treasures that are my forever pleasures.”
London-based DJ Joe Pop tells it his way: “I’ve guested as a DJ several times and I’ve loved it. A friendly and musically knowledgeable crowd; I can play my mix of ska, rock n roll, and punk
and have it appreciated. Doing it in the garden in the warmer months is great fun. Somebody always ends up dancing on the tables! Almanac is a special jewel, a unique place.”
Self-confessed ‘Almanac Worshipper’ Nicki Delmege calls it “pure joy!” She continues: “People dance, chat, make new friends, and catch up with old ones. It’s brilliant. I have known Chris for years - he was my house DJ when I ran the Princess Victoria (aka the PV), most of the noughties. I have been lucky enough to be a guest DJ on many occasions. All of them thrilling and memorable.”
The longevity of the events has surprised the pair, as Chris says: “What started with a smallish group of friends has grown and changed beyond belief. The age range and diversity of the participants are the broadest of anything we’ve been involved with. It’s a safe, LGBTQ+, dog-friendly, non-discriminatory space for people who love a laugh, a gossip, a sing-along, and a dance. Anyone is welcome.”
The music policy is just as broad, as Dom describes: “When asked what kind of stuff we play, it’s tricky to answer. Where else can you hear Fleetwood Mac followed by Soulwax, then Julie Andrews, Midland, Amanda Lear, Kraftwerk, and Kelis?”
“It’s a safe, LGBTQ+, dogfriendly, non-discriminatory space for people who love a laugh, a gossip, a singalong, and a dance. Anyone is welcome.”
The Almanacs have become an integral part of the local scene, hosting New Year’s Eve and Pride Parties free of charge. I’ve heard it said that it’s Brighton’s best Secret Disco. Come along on the last Sunday of the month and make your own mind up. There’s no dress code; it’s all very casual, but pearls and fans will be very much in evidence. You’ll most definitely be welcome, as Chris and Dom both say, “It’s brilliant when people arrive, throw off their coats, and just join in.”
JO POP
WILDBLOOD & QUEENIE
Jonathan Bailey dedicates award to LGBTQ+ people living in bigoted communities "which still surround us"
The star, 35, won a Critics' Choice Award for best supporting actor in a limited series for his role in 'Fellow Travelers'.
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New survey on HIV patient satisfaction
The UK’s largest survey of people living with HIV has revealed high satisfaction with treatment and care, but stigma and mental health conditions still prevalent.
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LGBTI people across Africa facing "catastrophic rollback on their fundamental rights", says Amnesty
Over the past year, Amnesty has witnessed a crackdown on LGBTI rights, as authorities reinforce existing anti-LGBTI laws and introduce new legislation to further erode rights of LGBTI individuals.
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Independent artist Matt Wright drops new single 'Heartbreaker'
Here at Scene HQ we love to support independent artists especially when they're as lovely and release bop after bop like Matt Wright has!
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Andrew Scott says we should get rid of expression 'openly gay'
The Irish actor, who appears in All Of Us Strangers, a new film about a budding romance between two men, spoke on the importance of representation in the film industry and why using the term “openly gay” connects sexuality to ideas of shame.
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Bigger, Bolder, Louder, Prouder: Leeds Pride to return in July
Last year over 60,000 people took part to celebrate Pride in the city.
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Russell T Davies to headline mainstage panel at National Student Pride
Russell T Davies - writer of It's A Sin and Doctor Whowill swap scriptwriting for stage as he headlines the conversation on LGBTQ+ representation in TV and film at National Student Pride
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Plans to reopen the iconic Black Cap in Camden are underway
Dubbed ‘the Palladium of Drag’, the Black Cap, which closed almost nine years ago, was an LGBTQ+ community and cabaret space for more than 60 years.
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ELSKA shines light on the bodies and voices of Glasgow's gay community
Readers can get to know a variety of ordinary men from Scotland’s biggest LGBTQ+ community
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Our pop music reviewer and influencer Dale Melita shares what's floating his boat in pop!
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Ty Jeffries wows at Ledward Centre's Supper Club
Ty
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Jeffries left his alter ego Miss Hope Springs in cryogenic suspension for a cosy night of music at Brighton's LGBTQ+ community centre.
NATIONAL HIV TESTING WEEK
It’s easier than you think to take an HIV test, as National HIV Testing Week returns on Monday 5 February
) National HIV Testing Week returns from Monday, February 5 and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust is calling on people across the country to test for HIV – and this year’s a special one as it marks a decade since it started.
Testing, which is free and confidential, is the only way to know if you have HIV and worth doing because people can live with HIV for a long time without any symptoms. It’s easy to take an HIV test, whether you use a sexual health clinic, a GP, or prefer the convenience of using an at-home test kit.
During National HIV Testing Week, you can order a free self-test, which you take yourself to get a result in just 15 minutes, or a postal test where you take a sample yourself and send it off to a lab who will then contact you with your result.
Terrence Higgins Trust say: “Regular HIV testing benefits all of us. If you are HIV negative, you can still use protection such as PrEP or condoms to stay negative. If you are HIV positive, you can go on treatment and live a long and healthy life — people on effective HIV treatment can’t pass it on to
partners.
“The sooner you know your HIV status, the sooner you can get on treatment if needed to stay healthy and avoid passing the virus on to anyone else.
“Most people will get a negative result, but whatever happens, it’s important to know that anyone diagnosed with HIV in the UK can access free treatment and support.”
D Find out more about HIV testing: www.tht.org.uk/hiv-and-sexualhealth/testing-hiv
Queer music artist Andrew Flynn releases emotionally charged new single, 'Narcissist'
Known for infusing '80s/'90s nostalgia with a contemporary edge, Andrew draws from personal experiences to craft a melodic journey through love, loss, and self-discovery.
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Liverpool and London join race to host Gay Games 2030
The Gay Games sporting and culture event is an opportunity to invite over ten thousand LGBTQ+ participants and allies to one’s region.
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ALL THAT JAZZ by Simons Adams
The hottest new jazz reviewed by Simon Adams.
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After an eight-year ban, LGBTQ+ couples, including Jakub and Dawid, return to Polish national TV
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Breaking Barriers: Fostering Inclusivity for LGBTQ+ Individuals in Care Homes
"As society progresses toward greater inclusivity and acceptance, it is crucial to ensure that every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, receives compassionate and respectful healthcare.
"A 2017 NHS survey, revealed that at least 16% of participants had a negative experience because of their sexual orientation, and at least 38% had a negative experience because of their gender identity, when simply trying to access public health.
"Care homes play a pivotal role in providing support and assistance to elderly individuals, including those from the LGBTQ+ community."
Words by Radar Healthcare.
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Among them was famous gay couple Jakub and Dawid. Jakub was fired from Telewizja Polska seven years ago because he was gay.
BFI Flare announces films to open and close London LGBTQ+ Film Festival
BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival runs March 13 – 24 at BFI Southbank and on BFI Player.
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Gay Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas CBE to start this year's Brighton Half Marathon
This year’s Brighton Half Marathon, the main fundraising event for local HIV charity the Sussex Beacon, takes place on Sunday, February 25.
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MOBILISE to celebrate final Queer Power Party in Birmingham
The MOBILISE Queer Power Party is a free, joyful and accessible sober dance party and silent disco held at The Exchange, Centenary Square, Birmingham.
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Nigel May to launch new podcast, A Gay Old Time - a celebration of beautiful queer communities
'A Gay Old Time' sees Nigel interview people of all ages; people who have had to tread their own path to live their real truth, who have fought with their emotions and emerged victorious, who inspire, who aspire and always entertain.
Every week, Nigel speaks to a person from the LGBTQ+ rainbow to hear their story; and there is quite the guestlist; Jonny McGovern, Trinity The Tuck, Charlie Condou, John Partridge, Peppermint and Margaret Cho.
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Lunch Positive to host book launch of 'a finger in derek jarman's mouth' by Simon Maddrell, with Jonathan Blake, on Wednesday, March 6
At the event, which takes place at Lunch Positive, Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Brighton, BN2 1RL Jonathan will host a reading by Simon from a finger in derek jarman's mouth - poetry in memory of Derek Jarman, marking 30 years after his death from AIDS-related illness.
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1 Affinity Bar m
129 St James’s St, BN2 1TH www.facebook.com/AffinityGayBar/
Youth Groups and One-to-One Support for LGBTQ+ young people under 26 (in-person & online). Weekly sessions 01273 721211 or email info@ allsortsyouth.org.uk allsortsyouth.org.ukk
l Brighton & Hove Police
Report all homophobic, biphobic or transphobic incidents to: 24/7 assistance call police on 101 (emergencies 999) Report online at: www.sussex. police.uk
LGBT team (not 24/7) email: LGBT@sussex.pnn. police.uk
l Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard
• LGBT Older People’s Project
• LGBT Health and Inclusion Project
• LGBTQ Disability & Neurodiversity Project
• Rainbow Café Project: support for LGBT+ people with dementia
l Brighton Women’s Centre Info, counselling, drop-in space, support groups admin@Womenscentre.org.uk or visit www. womenscentre.org.uk
l Lesbian & Gay AA
12-step self-help programme for alcohol addictions: Sun, 7.30pm, Chapel Royal, North St, Btn (side entrance). 01273 203 343 (general AA line). www. alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
l LGBTQ+ Cocaine Anonymous
Meeting every Tues 6.30-8pm, 6 Tilbury Pl, Brighton, BN2 0GY, CA isn’t allied with any outside organisation, and neither endorses or opposes any causes. Helpline 0800 6120225, www.cocaineanonymous.org.uk www.sussexcocaineanonymous.co.uk
l LGBTQ+ NA Group
Brighton-based LGBTQ+ (welcomes others) Narcotics Anonymous group every Tue 6.30–8pm, Millwood Centre, Nelson Row, Kingswood St. 0300 999 1212
l LGBT+ Meditation Group
Meditation & discussion, every 2nd & 4th Thur, 5.30–7pm, Anahata Clinic, 119 Edward St, Brighton. 07789 861 367 or www.bodhitreebrighton.org.uk
l Lunch Positive
Lunch club for people with HIV. Meet/make friends, find peer support in safe space. Every Fri, noon–2.30pm, Community Room, Dorset Gdns Methodist Church, Dorset Gdns, Brighton. Lunch £1.50. 07846 464 384 or www.lunchpositive.org
l MCC Brighton
Inclusive, affirming space where all are invited to come
as they are to explore their spirituality without judgement. 01273 515572 or info@mccbrighton.org.uk www.mccbrighton.org.uk
l MindOut
Independent, impartial services run by and for LGBTQ people with experience of mental health issues. 24 hr confidential answerphone: 01273 234839 or email info@mindout.org.uk and out of hours online chat www.mindout.org.uk
l Navigate
Social/peer support group for trans, non-binary & intersex, AFAB, FTM, transmasculine & gender queer people. Every 2nd Friday of the month from 6-8pm (currently on Zoom) at Possability Place, Windlesham Venue, BN1 3AH (formerly Space for Change) navigatebrighton.co.uk
l Peer Action
Regular low cost yoga, therapies, swimming, meditation & social groups for people with HIV. contact@ peeraction.net or www.peeraction.net
l Rainbow Families
Support group for lesbian and/or gay parents 07951 082013 or info@rainbowfamilies.org.uk. www.rainbowfamilies.org.uk
l Rainbow Hub
Information, guidance and hate incident reporting services for LGBTQ+ communities in Brighton, Hove, and Sussex. Based at the Ledward Centre, Jubilee Street, BN1 1GE. Call 07714 782585 or visit www.therainbowhubbrighton.com
l Some People
Social/support group for LGB or questioning aged 14-19, Tue 5.30-7.30pm, Hastings. Call/text Kerrie Tolley-Cloke 07874 637593 or email somepeople@ eastsussex.gov.uk
l TAGS – The Arun Gay Society
Social Group welcome all in East & West Sussex Areas. Call/Text 07539 513171. More info: www.tagsonline. org.uk
l Victim Support
Anyone seeking help can contact our free 24/7
Supportline number on 0808 16 89 111 or get in touch via the website www.victimsupport.org.uk. A range of tools to help people cope and move forwards after crime can be found at www.mysupportspace.org.uk/moj
l The Village MCC
LGBTQ+ affirming church worship and pastoral care in Kemptown. See www.thevillagemcc.org, or call 07476 667353 for details.
HIV Prevention, Care & Treatment Services
l AVERT
Sussex HIV & AIDS info service 01403 210202 or confidential@avert.org
l Brighton & Hove CAB HIV Project Money, benefits, employment, housing, info, advocacy. Appointments: Tue-Thur 9am-4pm, Wed 9am-12.30pm Brighton & Hove Citizens Advice Bureau, Brighton Town Hall. 01273 733390 ext 520 or www. brightonhovecab.org.uk
l Clinic M
Free confidential testing & treatment for STIs including HIV, plus Hep A & B vaccinations. Claude Nicol Centre, Sussex County Hospital, on Weds from 5-8pm. 01273 523388 or www.brightonsexualhealth.com
l Community HIV Specialist Service
NHS nursing team supporting patients with HIV in the community and offering free HIV training for groups across Brighton & Hove and West Sussex. www.
sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/hiv
l Lawson Unit
Medical advice, treatment for HIV+, specialist clinics, diet & welfare advice, drug trials. 01273 664 722
l The Martin Fisher Foundation
STI HIV self-testing kits via digital vending machines available from: Jubilee Library, Wellsbourne Centre, Portland Road (between Wish Park Surgery and Kamson’s Pharmacy), BMEC Partnership Centre, Prowler and Brighton Sauna. www. themartinfisherfoundation.org
l Substance Misuse Service
Brighton & Hove Recovery Service manages and delivers the adult drug and alcohol services for the city. Change Grow Live (CGL) provides tailored support to adults in Brighton & Hove who identify as LGBTQ+. CGL offers 1-to-1 support, a variety of online and face to face groups. They offer LGBTQ+ specific groups via the peer-led Speakout group and have established links with a wide range of LGBTQ+ services. To refer to the service, email brighton.info@cgl.org.uk or phone 01273 731 900. More info: www.changegrowlive. org/brighton-hove-recovery-service/info
l Sussex Beacon
24-hour nursing & medical care, day care 01273 694222 or www.sussexbeacon.org.uk
l Terrence Higgins Trust Brighton & Hove For more info about these free services go to the THT office, 61 Ship St, Brighton, Mon–Fri, 10am–5pm 01273 764200 or info.brighton@tht.org.uk, facebook.com/THTBrighton
For people living with HIV:
• HIV support services: Info, support & practical advice
• Welfare rights advice: find out about benefits
• Counselling from qualified counsellors for up to 12 sessions
Health Promotion in Brighton & Hove: Provides services for men who have sex with men, anyone from African communities, sex workers of any gender, and trans or non-binary people.
• Visit clinic for free fast HIV & STI testing with results in <10 mins
• Free condoms and lube
• Confidential info and advice on sexual health & HIV
• Face2Face for gay/bi men; negotiating sex, chemsex, newly diagnosed
• Tailored support for sex workers, trans people and African communities
• Outreach - say hello online and in person for info, condoms & lube, and HIV/STI testing at Brighton Sauna, Boiler Room Sauna, Amsterdam, Charles Street Tap, and Legends bar. For details please check facebook.com/THTBrighton
l Sexual Health Worthing Free confidential tests & treatment for STIs inc HIVA; Hep vaccinations. Worthing-based 0845 111345645
National Helplines
l National LGBT Domestic Abuse Helpline at www.galop.org.uk and 0800 999 5428
l Switchboard 0300 330 0630
l Positiveline (Eddie Surman Trust) Mon-Fri 11am-10pm, Sat & Sun 4-10pm 0800 1696806
