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 | Home Welcome to the Pride in Canterbury website" Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." St Catherine of Sienna. Quoted by the Bishop of London, the Right Reverent Richard Chartres, at the Royal Wedding 29.4.11 Remember, "You are fabulous creatures each and every one." "Angels in America" Tony Kushner " So why is Pride important? TAKING A BREAK
Above, you can read a letter from our Member of Parliament, Julian Brazier, when we wrote to him as we had done, successfully, to many MPs, celebrities and members of religious groups asking for a simple message of support. David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Milliband, all unfortunately while paying lip service to LGBT equality, have shown no interest when we have presented to them the problems and lack of “Big LGBT Society” that we face in the Cathedral City. Again, remember that when you are voting.
This clearly illustrates the problems we are facing. As gay men living within the Canterbury area, both the City Councillors and the Council and that’s Tories, LibDems and Labour and our elected representative are anti (and that’s homophobic), or indifferent (and given their roles, that’s homophobic too) to the work we are trying to do for the LGBT community.
And that work has been hard. Even members of the LGBT community have been opposed to, and critical of our efforts. When we initiated the City’s first LGBT Singing Group, our aims in setting it up, and our views on the purpose of the group were not respected, even by those who are paid to work on behalf of our community and we decided, that in those circumstances, membership of the group would not be either relaxing or fulfilling and we decided, reluctantly, to leave. The purpose of our work is to make the LGBT community more visible. Have you seen, let alone heard, much of this group? We certainly haven’t.
Well, to paraphrase a well known song, the fight has been too lonely, and the road has been too long - 9 years. We need a break and we are going to take one, for as long as we need.
The aims of, and the need for, Pride in Canterbury, and many of the problems we have faced, can be found here on this website. We know that it has many visitors, but we do not know who you are. Some people, gay or straight, out there must agree with what we are doing, but you never tell us. We need you to. Email us on prideincanterbury@btinternet.com
If you do support our aims, please, in our absence, write letters or send emails to the Council, to Mr Brazier, to anyone who can, or should help, telling them what you want and need them to do. If you cannot sign your name and if you do feel that you cannot, then that is one of the reasons we exist, so please send your message anonymously. If you are on Facebook or Twitter, please let people know about Pride in Canterbury and how they can help. If you do this, then we would be grateful if you would send us copies of your letter or email for our records.
During our absence, we will be recharging our batteries. We will be visiting towns and cities where the LGBT communities are out and proud, where there are groups meeting up regularly to support each other, socialise, share their problems and their culture and heritage, where the rainbow flags fly and gay people know that they need not hide away in their lonely closets, they can get out into the wider community, be themselves and have fun?
Always remember – you are fabulous creatures, each and every one.
Andy & Martin
We leave you with some good news, both international and local. Many more rainbow flags flying in Folkestone - see links page Click on the following link to hear a powerful speech from the General Secretary of the United Nations, Ban-Ki Moon act.allout.org/go/907
Roll Up! Roll Up! Roll Up!
Make sure you do not miss
“LGBT EQUALITY SCANDALS”
A FARCICAL TRAGEDY, PRODUCED AND PERFORMED BY
CANTERBURY CITY COUNCIL AND THE MARLOWE THEATRE CANTERBURY.
The plot (as in “conspiracy, secret design”) so far.
2003. We meet with City Council officials, including Janice McGuinness, Head of Culture and Enterprise, to present LGBT needs, including the need for contact with their culture locally.
2003 0nwards. Regular contact with Mark Everett, Director of the council run Marlowe Theatre, requesting and suggesting LGBT drama, dance, musicals etc at the venue.
2003 -2012. No culture of specific LGBT interest appears at the Marlowe Theatre. That’s 9 years following our contact with them, in which our culture has been ignored.
When the new Marlowe was under construction, they boasted that it would be a theatre that would champion diversity. Well, we in the LGBT community know, from years of bitter experience that there is diversity, and there is diversity, and LGBT diversity is always at the bottom of the pile, together with a load of excuses, as to why it can be ignored.
We wrote to Mr Everett in November 2010, reminding him of the importance of LGBT drama in the new theatre and then, when the Theatre opened, we sent our best wishes and asked for details of LGBT plays, musicals etc that were planned for the future “diverse” programme.
When we didn’t get a reply, and understanding that Mr Everett would be involved in resolving the many “teething troubles” that the new theatre was experiencing and that the local press was publicising, we sent a similar enquiry to Janice McGuinness. (A reminder. She is the Head of Culture and Enterprise. We need to remind ourselves occasionally, as she has never initiated any contact with us.) We bet you’ll be surprised at the next bit!
She replied, “I do feel that you are the one in the best position to choose the shows you wish to highlight and promote and it doesn’t seem appropriate for the theatre to be making that selection for you”. At first I thought she was offering me a job.
When I sent a follow up letter, she replied after a month, reiterating the above and stating:
“The Marlowe Theatre has a wide and varied programme of entertainment in both the main house and studio space intended to have broad appeal to the residents of and visitors to Canterbury. Having opened in October, the range of shows being booked for future dates is improving and expanding all the time. I cannot advise you what elements of the programme would particularly appeal to the LGBT community or any other community of interest. In my experience there is likely to be a diverse range of tastes within any group of residents, be that for music, panto, opera, musicals, drama, dance etc. This is a matter of individual taste and is very subjective. The full programme is available on the website, which I believe you are familiar with.”
It seems from these comments, that in spite of their positions, neither the Director of the Marlowe Theatre, nor the City Council’s Head of Culture, are aware of, and do no market research to become aware of, what any members of their audience would like. Have the shows the Marlowe presented all been recommended by the straight Theatre going public in Canterbury? This does seem unlikely from the many criticisms we hear, from straight friends, at the lack of originality in the theatre’s programme, with the same old shows returning year after year. Yet it is what Ms McGuinness says should be happening.
It has become evident that they are not in the least interested in becoming aware of the varied LGBT theatrical culture that is regularly, and often very favourably, reviewed in the national papers. Neither are they aware of the “out and proud” LGBT writers, performers and poets, past and present whose work they could bring to the City.
The City Council, and the Marlowe Theatre, state their commitment to Diversity. Yet, Ms McGuinness clearly states that she believes that it up to us to inform them of, and then highlight and promote, LGBT Theatre. This is typical of the ploy the City Council has used regularly, from our first meeting with them. They throw the onus onto us to say what we need, and then when we do this, and regardless of the work we have done on behalf of our community over many years, they ignore us, merely ticking the necessary boxes. We have informed Mr Everett of exciting drama and entertainment and he has ignored it. It was left to Broadstairs’ Sarah Thorne Memorial Theatre to make a significant effort to bring a drama we had recommended to the area last year.
The truth is they are afraid. That is the basis of homophobia. They are afraid that if they bring LGBT culture to the City, it will attract LGBT people to the City. And that is the last thing that they want.
In August, last year, we sent it to various politicians.
We sent to:
Andrew Lansley, the Secretary of State for Health, because it has been established that there is a high incidence of mental heath problems amongst LGBT people.
Jeremy Hunt the Secretary of State for Culture, because we feel there is a lack of interest and willingness from Canterbury City Council in providing LGBT culture in the area and later to Ed Vaizey Minister for Culture Communications and Creative Industries (14/10).
Ivan Lewis, Shadow Culture Secretary, and later 14/10 to Harriet Harman in this post.
When we received no replies, we emailed John Bercow, the Speaker of the House in late September. He recommended that we approach our local MP, Julian Brazier, and although, having had some contact with Mr Brazier in the past, we were not optimistic, we did this. We did receive a reply from our MP, but although he reported that he had had a “tragic homosexual great uncle who committed suicide”, he stated “I do not feel , however, that I am able to offer any concrete support in the way you were hoping”.
We sent this reply to John Bercow, who then suggested that we write to the Rt. Hon Theresa May the Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities and we did this on 28/11. In November, we also wrote to the you, the Deputy Prime Minister and Baroness Warsi, Co- Chair of the Conservative Party.
Nick Clegg replied stating that the Government was strongly committed to advancing LGBT equality and listing the measures that they had taken, but ignoring the specific problems we are facing in Canterbury and our request for direct support.
So, in spite of there being an Equality Act in place, out of 12 MP’s that we contacted, 9 have ignored the letter. We have not even received the courtesy of acknowledgements from them. This is indicative of the indifference and lack of respect we have experienced widely over more than 8 years of campaigning, including from Canterbury City Councillors.
Julian Brazier replied but refused to help us.
The Deputy PM replied but ignored our problem.
John Bercow, while stating that it was not appropriate for him to help us directly, did at least refer us to those who he felt should.
We have sent the above information to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Oppositon. We await their comments.
1.2.12. A display for LGBT History Month opens today at the temporary library in Pound Street, Canterbury. Pride in Canterbury are again very pleased to have been jointly responsible with the library for this event, which features, important books in the history of the gay rights movement, and also a review of the work PiC has done over 8 years. Please go in and have a look.  24.1.12 Just who are the gang above who are flying the Rainbow Flag? (See Links Page) And who is our latest star supporter? (See Supporters Page 6.) And please don't miss the important article below. 2012 A YEAR OF CHANGE?
At Pride in Canterbury, we have always tried to be honest with our readers.
At the start of 2012, we have to admit, that the going is getting tougher. Over the eight years we have been campaigning, we have sent out letters asking for support for our work. You have seen the response we have received and been delighted with. Because we are still nowhere near achieving our aims, last summer we began to send out more letters , giving as much information about the problems we face and asking for help.
We sent out to over 70 people and organisations. We obviously did not send out to people who we did not think would be sympathetic, with one exception, about whom more later. We sent to those who we thought would, those we thought might, and to those we thought should, be prepared to help us.
To date, we have been disappointed with the response. We have received nine positive responses, 5 of those from people we know to be gay. We received 1 reply from a politician who gave us helpful advice.
We can think of several reasons for this disappointing response. People are busy. People think all gay problems in this country have been solved - everywhere. People have their own causes. People mean to reply and forget. People are more homophobic, than they like to admit. Or, people believe, as we were told when we started this venture, “Canterbury is a Christian Cathedral City” which we should not “contaminate”.
There are many reasons. There is also an Equality Act in place and because of this there are the people, locally and nationally, who should support our work and are refusing to do so. We will spend this coming year, 2012, a year of change we are told, drawing attention to the shortcomings and the prejudices of these people and we will report to you our successes and our inability to produce results.
We ask for your support. We can no longer guarantee that we will inform you of the latest interesting LGBT events and cultural items. You know how to find all that out. We are pleased with the number of hits that our website is getting, but it is frustrating not knowing whether friends or foes are visiting us. If you agree with and appreciate what we are doing then we want to hear from you and we need your support. We have had over 11,000 hits on this website. When we are attacked in the press, as no doubt we will be again, it would be good if a few of those, who agree with our aims, wrote to support our campaigns. Facebook?
In the January 2012 edition of Gscene, a full page article describes the problems that have led to Kevin Grice resigning from the Chair of Thanet Pride and the closure of Thanet Pride. He states, “The gay community generally will take anything that’s free, but ask them for help and you’re dead” and added “I hope that the gay communities in Thanet come to understand that Pride events are not ‘our right’ but have to be worked at”. At Pride in Canterbury, we would widen that. “We hope that gay communities in Kent come to understand that being LGBT “out and proud” is our right and we must all work together to bring that about”.
We said we would tell you the truth.
DIVIDED WE ARE FALLING. TOGETHER WE CAN GIVE KENT PRIDE.
18.1.12 PART OF GSCENE ONLINE'S REPORT OF OUR 2011 AWARDS. FLYING THE RAINBOW FLAG IN CANTERBURY
During a very positive meeting, that we had recently with a local caring organisation, that was keen to learn about our aims, we were asked whether it would helpful to display rainbow stickers at the entrance to their building. We were pleased to be able to explain that, when these stickers are displayed, it suggests that the organisation is gay-friendly and is more likely to make LGBT people welcome. They are therefore, more likely to be interested in becoming involved with, or patronising that establishment.
Regular visitors to this website, will know that, for at least 8 years now, we have been saying, that it would be financially beneficial to Canterbury and the surrounding area, to demonstrate a willingness to welcome LGBT visitors and indeed residents to the City. Canterbury should welcome “The Pink Pound”, especially in these difficult financial times.
We have therefore liaised with “Banana Rainbow” a company who have had a stall at Canterbury and Thanet Gay Pride Days and they have generously donated to us some of these stickers. Many thanks to BananaRainbow for their support. We will provide these stickers, free of charge, initially to the first 100 gay-friendly establishments and organisations in the City, Whitstable and Herne Bay, if they contact us with details at prideincanterbury@btinternet.com
For more information about Banana Rainbow, visit www.bananarainbow.co.uk
Why people are staying in the closet. See Latest News Important message from Jewish Lesbian and Gay Group, see below and Quotations page 3.10.11 NEW SUPPORTERS! As the City continues to ignore its LGBT community, seemingly unable, or unwilling, to accept that we live in the 21st Century, with an Equality Act in place, we have written to important people and organisations, asking them to join the list of those who understand and support our aims. We will put some letters and emails on this home page as they arrive and all will eventually be on the Messages of Support page. We are pleased to have received this powerful and important message from the Jewish Lesbian and Gay Group. We have edited it here, and the full message, which we would urge you to read, can be found on the Quotations page. JEWISH GAY AND LESBIAN GROUP – EMAIL 27.9.11 (Edited version) The Jewish Gay and Lesbian Group are proud to support your cause. Please find below a speech by Archbishop Desmond Tutu which sums up what we all believe.
Kind regards
Peggy
President JGLG
By Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Friday, March 12, 2010
In Africa, a step backward on human rights
Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or ethnicity - or because of their sexual orientation. Nor should anyone be excluded from health care on any of these grounds. In my country of South Africa, we struggled for years against the evil system of apartheid that divided human beings, children of the same God, by racial classification and then denied them fundamental human rights. We knew this was wrong. Thankfully, the world supported us in our struggle for freedom and dignity. It is time to stand up for another wrong. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are part of so many families. They are part of the human family. They are part of God's family. And of course they are part of the African family. But a wave of hate is spreading across my beloved continent. People are again being denied their fundamental rights and freedoms, because the clerics wanted gay men excluded. Our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters across Africa are living in fear. And they are living in hiding - away from care, away from the protection the state should offer to every citizen, and away from health care in the AIDS era, when all of us, especially Africans, need access to essential HIV services. That this pandering to intolerance is being done by politicians looking for scapegoats for their failures is not surprising. But it is a great wrong. An even larger offense is that it is being done in the name of God. Show me where Christ said "Love thy fellow man, except for the gay ones." Gay people, too, are made in my God's image. I would never worship a homophobic God. The wave of hate that is underway must stop. Politicians who profit from exploiting this hate, from fanning it, must not be tempted by this easy way to profit from fear and misunderstanding. And my fellow clerics, of all faiths, must stand up for the principles of universal dignity and fellowship. Exclusion is never the way forward on our shared paths to freedom and justice. The writer is Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. 3.10.11 City's first LGBT Church! See Latest News Page. City wins major marketing award. Latest News Page. Stop Press! Exciting Radio programme. See Latest News Page. 26.9.11 1.9.11. Will cuts harm local LGBT Youth? See Latest News. 23.8.11. Festival programme is still Rosie - unfortunately. We'll try to bring some good news soon. See Latest News. 8.8.11. S.O.S. Please, everyone see GScene Editorial below. S.O.S! S.O.S! S.O.S! S.O.S! In this part of the world, we see many collections for various charities, but none for LGBT charities. Please see the urgent message from James Ledward, Editor of the excellent GScene Magazine. Pride in Canterbury will make a donation to the Sussex Beacon www.sussexbeacon.org.uk and we hope that everyone, gay or straight, who reads our website will donate to either that charity or an LGBT charity of their choice
5.8.11 Important new record of our history. See Books page 5.8.11 Interesting new Ewan Mcgregor film and dance drama at the Gulbenkian. See Entertainments Page, Films & Plays. 21.7.11 THREE NEW ARTICLES see Latest News page Examples of how we are ignored 3 Important Publications Home and Away NINE BOB NOTES Next rehearsal Tuesday 16th August 7.30pm at the Friends Meeting House, Canterbury New LGBT members welcome. Enquiries to theninebobnotes@btinternet.com
26.6.11. CANTERBURY LGBT GROUP CREATES HISTORY!
23.5.11. Campaign to pay tribute to 2 great entertainers. See Ents Page. 19.5.11. East Kent's LGBT Singing Group now has a name! New members always welcome. For more details See News Page 3. 17.5.11. Funny, sexy and moving new novel travels back in time. See Ent/Books . 2.5.11. Royal Wedding message for the LGBT community. See above. Friday 22nd April. Exciting new film project. Can you help? See Films Page. (Please make sure you have read the 2 items below!) Thursday 21st April. Elections follow up. News Page 3. Wednesday 13th April With the local City Council elections being held on May 5th, please make sure you read the new item on News Page 3 before you vote. See also who is entertaining the naughty Mr Sloane in Whitstable! See Events Page. Tuesday 12th April 7.30pm First rehearsal of the LGBT singing group, at the Friends Meeting House, The Friars, Canterbury. New members very welcome - just come along DEATH OF DAME ELIZABETH TAYLOR. Click here 25th BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 31st March - 6th April. Details www.bfi.org.uk/llgff 15.3.11 A show we'd like to see in the UK. See Entertainments. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT TWINKLE LITTLE STAR AT THE SARAH THORNE THEATRE. SEE EVENTS Click here 30.1.11 Young boy's tragic death. See News Page 3. PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT ITEM. Click here LGBT HISTORY MONTH 2011 This year the events below show how much more exciting this annual event becomes year on year. We hope you are able to enjoy some, if not all, of these events. We look forward to seeing you at sometime Tuesday 8th February at 7.45pm to 9pm. Admission Free. A joint event between Canterbury Library and Pride In Canterbury at Canterbury Library Share your favourite LGBT novels Discover, discuss and debate LGBT authors and recommended reads. Everyone is welcome. Tel 01227 463608 http://www.prideincanterbury.org.uk/page_1263481967284.html Derek Jarman Events at Gulbenkian Cinema, Canterbury Thursday 10th February Jarman Memorial Lecture 5pm. Free Admission The School of Arts at the University of Kent is proud to present this first Derek Jarman Memorial Lecture: James Mackay producer, film programmer and long time collaborator of Jarmans will speak about Derek’s life and work. Screening of ‘Blue’ 7.30pm. Free Admission For more details visit www.thegulbenkain.co.uk LGBT HISTORY MONTH EVENT at Margate Library As part of LGBT History Month author and comedienne VG Lee is coming to Margate Library's Gateway Plus to talk about her recently published book of short stories, "As You Step Outside". The event will take place from 2pm to 3pm on Saturday 12th February. Tickets are free from the Library. For more information contact Jane Bex 01843 223626 Quarterhouse Theatre, Tontine St, Folkestone Thursday 17th February 8PM £4.50 Screening of 'Howl' Cert 18. 84mins. (Film is a biog of gay poet Allen Ginsberg and the famous poem. (Stars : James Franco and MadMen star Jon Hamm) http://www.quarterhouse.co.uk/whatson/2011/2/17/film_%40_quarterhouse_-_howl (This replaces 'Milk' as was originally intended.) 24.1.11 Nepal shows Canterbury the way! See News 3. Click here 17.1.11 New fun gay novel. See Ents. Books Page. Click here LGBT History Month event at Margate Library. Because we are having problems with our Events Page, see Ents. Books Page. Click here 16.1.11 Plans for a singing group move forward. See Entertainments Page. 7.1.11 We are pleased to announce the Pride in Canterbury Awards for 2010. New category for someone who might have been given the OBE, but is certainly no friend of our community. See Awards page. Plus 2 exciting new events. See Events page. 4.1.11. We hope 2011 will be happy, healthy, successful and very gay for you all! 2.12.10. Queer books. See Ents/Books Page 24.11.10. Warning over new "lesbian" film. See Entertainments/Film Page. 12.11.10. Unfriendly Whitstable Friends? But 4 very welcome pieces of news. See News 3. PLUS Transgender Workshop 13th December. See Events Page. 2.11.10. Gay Film Talk raises important issues. See News 3. World Aids Day Service. See Events Page. Film about lesbian mothers. See Entertainments/Film 7.10.10 Putting some religous views into humorous perspective. See Letters Page. 27.9.10 Excellent Paul O'Grady interview. See News Page 3. 22.9.10 Clare wins her complaint. See News Page 3. Interested in singing/drama? See Entertainments Page. Canterbury Festival's LGBT appeal. See Entertainments Page. Gay play script available. See Entertainments Page/Plays. 2.9.10 Gazette's sensational "Cottaging" report. News Page 3. 25.8.10 Positive NHS response to Observer Mental Health Article. News Page 3. 23.8.10 Important issue of Attitude Magazine. See News 3 page. 18.8.10 So Cromwell's Army (Canterbury 2010) was defeated. Perhaps they should have gone over to the Gay Cavaliers? 6.8.10 Diva Magazine Editor on lack of queer representation on TV. See News page 3. 1.8.10 Balding Bites Back. See News Page 3. Peter Tachell speaks. See Quotation Page. 14.7.10 Council's shining initiative! See News Page. 5.7.10 Canary delivers important message. See Entertainments. 23.6.10 Council Capers. See News Page 1 15.6.10 Kent Poster Campaign. See Contacts/Links. 3.6.10 David Laws resignation. See News 3. 2.6.10 Nationwide Gay Radio station. See News 3. 4.5.10 An opinion on Pride. See Quotations Page. 21.4.10 Opportunity to run City's 1st successful gay bar still open! 30.3.10 How gay are we? See Quotations. 4.2.10 Pope attacks gays and the Equality Law. (News 3) Please check it out regularly for new items. Please note that each main page may have additional pages, which are accessed by clicking on the bar above the page title e.g. "Quotations" above this page. We welcome your comments, please email prideincanterbury@btinternet.com
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