LGBT History Month Heroes, 3 of 4

In this 4 part feature the 29 heroes – some individuals, some organisations, and some who are their own separate category – are brought together.

LGBT History Month Heroes, 4 of 4

In this 4 part feature the 29 heroes – some individuals, some organisations, and some who are their own separate category – are brought together.

The founder of Gay’s the Word on how it all started

To mark its 33rd birthday on January 17, 2012, founder of Gay’s the Word, Ernest Hole, writes about why he started the bookstore.

Things have changed since those early days but GtW remains vital, a cornerstone of the gay community.

The world’s first pop-up shopping mall

Boxpark opened on December 3, 2011, and is home to the charities Art Against Knives and Amnesty International.

What is interesting about Boxpark is that it taps into the very identity of Shoreditch as a commercial and artistic hub.

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Coronation Street 2011 – Nowt so Queer as Folk

Coronation Street played it gay in 2011, but, asks Tim Bennett-Goodman, was that a good or a bad thing?

Needless to say, a cringe-making class conflict plays itself out over the dinner (or is that lunch?) table – Eileen: “dinner’s ready” Jools: “It’s a bit early for dinner isn’t it?” Todd: “She means lunch” – you get the picture.

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Top 10 Women

Gay’s the Word, the London Lesbian and Gay Bookshop, offers its list of the Top 10 Best Books by and about women for 2011.

“Truly a fine example of how an independent bookshop should be.” – Time Out

Top 10 Men

Gay’s the Word, the London Lesbian and Gay Bookshop, offers its list of the Top 10 Best Books by and about men for 2011

“Gay’s the Word, to my mind, is the fountainhead of queer literature in Britain. I am deeply grateful that these pioneers fought so hard for our right to tell — and read — our own stories.” Armistead Maupin

What’s your favourite seasonal song?

‘Tis the season, and so the editor asked Polari’s writers for their favourite song.

Yes, I called it Christmas in the title. I was brought up as an atheist – which made two old women from the local church look at me with pity and sadness when they came to my door to talk about the Lord – but I like the word.

The world’s next big P’opera star, Noah Stewart

Noah Stewart seriously impresses Polari‘s gig reviewer, Little Bastard, at a live show in a London church.

This is more than Neo Classical, this is a revolution. And the face of that revolution? A beautiful young man with a shaved head, the smile of Taye Diggs and the voice of Rolando Villazon.

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What are the LGBTQ characters in the new brand of Young-Adult novels like?

BJ Epstein, who teaches teaches Young-Adult ficiton on her courses at the University of East Anglia, talks about the LGBTQ characters in contemporary works.

Characters in YA books can often seem more like caricatures than fully developed people. There are distinct types for gay male and female. As is typical of popular culture in general, many gay males are portrayed as fashionable and funny, and sometimes a bit camp.