Tales Of A Middle Aged Single Gay Man

                                                 Denise and Linda friends  Pictures by  https://www.grahammartinphotography.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR0QaDbFiuxN4uOfRNZGboHCfGnXofv3dbfKsxmpA2tfCFnuYXvEBq7EH0E "Never Judge a book by its cover "  Steven Smith meets Linda Riley and Denise Welch . Decades ago, Marlene Dietrich, Tallulah Bankhead and Frida Kahlo blazed a trail with gender neutrality, taking what’s perceived as a masculine style, redefining it and making it their own, despite the outrage that often greeted them. Today diversity is the buzzword everyone is talking about, reshaping not only the world of fashion but, increasingly, the workplace. Great gains against bigotry and prejudice have been made in recent years but there have been signs recently of a backlash, which is being felt around the world by the LGBTQ community, minorities and those wit...

Pedro Sousa Louro is one of the most talked-about LGBTQ artists at the moment. The Portuguese born painter is exciting the art world with his blend of styles and fresh take on painting. Educated at the Chelsea College of Arts in London, Pedro’s work caught the attention of many at the prestigious Kunstmesse art fair in Germany last year.  He is also among the headliners at the START art show this autumn at the Saatchi Gallery. Our very own art connoisseur, Steven Smith, catches up with him at his studio in Wimbledon.  Do you remember the first painting you ever did and what made you want to become an artist? I was fascinated by Greek and Roman statues, especially the beauty of the naked form and the stillness from an early age. It caused quite a stir when my first drawing at school was a statue, and some teachers were not impressed, though others thought it was great. Of course, my style at the time was hardly refined, and to some eyes, it may have looked like mischief-making....

On a gorgeous sunny afternoon in London, I walked up to the prestigious Langham Hotel for the launch of  Henpire,  a six-part comedy-drama podcast from Diva Box Office.  Henpire  was written and created by Samantha Grierson Schwarz, produced by Pippa Dale and directed by BAFTA winner  Jacquie Lawrence. Two years ago, along with business partner Felicity Milton, Jacquie set up Diva Box Office to promote LGBTQ productions. They produced the very successful  Different for Girls  and several exciting new productions are in the pipeline. Henpire  is all about queer women helping each other, its laugh-out-loud moments frequently tempered with poignancy. It stars Alicya Eyo as Hen, the wonderful Heather Peace, as Drax and Patricia Potter as Ella.  These extremely different women work together to support a friend’s company in crisis. Whilst doing so, they discover their differences may be the key to something successful. Hen, a high flying TV exec wi...

Steven get the treatment  for on line  gay dating by celebrity photographer Graham Martin  As the famous Tessa O’Shea sang, no-one loves a fairy when she’s forty The notoriously ageist LGBQ scene can be a cruel place for many gay people as they age. So, what is it like as you head into your late fifties, you are single and looking to date? I’ve been single for seven years and turned 57 this year. So let’s talk about ageing, dating and being a single, gay man in London. Age is just a number, or so we are led to believe. I am not often “on the scene”, but this is not because I am 57 and feel out of place. I always envisioned myself with a blue rinse, fan dancing with the best of them at a rave in my 80s. It is more due to the fact that I do not have the time and that London has become so diverse that the hardcore, gay bars are no longer necessarily the safe haven they were in the 80s and 90s. Plus,  my priorities with my free time have changed.  Bars are...