228 DIVA JUNE 2015

RUBY
TANDOH
Why we love the queer
GBBO breakout star

| RUBY ROSE | ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK | RUBY TANDOH | PEGGY SEEGER |

COULD
BEING
OUT STOP
YOU FROM
GETTING
A JOB?

JUNE 2015

EXCLUSIVE

ORANGE
IS THE
NEW
BLACK
HAS A NEW

"AT WORK I WEAR A BRA,

I DON'T WANT VISIBLE NIPPLES"

HEARTTHROB
Introducing
Ruby Rose aka Stella

DIVAMAG.CO.UK

21

THINGS
YOU NEED
TO KNOW
ABOUT

OITNB

REAL TALK
ABOUT
BREASTS
LESBIAN
LIFE IN
PRISON

The inside story

SILENT WITNESS STAR

LIZ CARR GOES TO EGYPT

DV228-COVERS.indd 2

12/05/2015 13:13

DV228-COVERS.indd 3

12/05/2015 14:50

| WELCOME |

Contents
On the cover

14
18
26
36
38

DIATRIBE

What does girl crush

mean when youre gay?

WHY WE LOVE...

Why Bake Off star Ruby

Tandoh rules Twitter

SOAK

Meet the 18-year-old

Irish singer-songwriter

LIZ KESSLER

The childrens author on her

new book for young adults

PEGGY SEEGER

Folk legend Seeger discusses

old age, music and bisexuality

68

18

24

40
42
44
48
50
52
58
62
68
72

25

PORTFOLIO

Jesc Bunyards bewitching,

richly-coloured photograms

EMPLOYMENT

Could your gay CV

stop you getting a job?

LIFE IN PRISON

We love prison dramas but

whats real life like in the nick?

PRIDE SEASON 2015

Parade, party and protest with

pride, from Barnsley to York

BISEXUAL SPACES

From coffee-meets to conventions;

10 places to just be when youre bi

DISPLAY

Del LaGraces photos of lesbian

London in the 80s and 90s

RUBY ROSE: BEHIND BARS

Everyones girl crush talks
about her new role in OITNB

21 THINGS TO KNOW

...about the smash hit TV drama,

Orange Is The New Black!

58
MAGAZINE

06
08
10
78
90
98

EDITORS LETTER

Plus, how to
get in touch

YOUR SHOUT

You tell us what you

think of DIVA

SUBSCRIBE

Get DIVA delivered to your

door before it hits the
shops and save money!

DIRECTORY

Genuine lesbian-friendly
businesses

DIAL A DIVA

Looking for love? Why not

check out our personals?

NEXT ISSUE

Coming soon...

BARE REALITY

Three women share their

feelings about their breasts

STYLE

Models strut their stuff at

Queer Fashion Week

26

36

44

52

4 JUNE 2015

004 content.indd 4

14/05/2015 16:18

LIFESTYLE

Throughout the issue you will see this

symbol, which indicates that there is
digital content available related to that
particular feature. You will be able to access
this complementary content when you purchase our
digital edition from divadigital.co.uk or directly through
the DIVA branded app, available on the App Store,
Google Play, Kindle Newsstand and Windows Store.
(Please note that additional content may not be
available via all of our third-party digital suppliers.
However, buying the issue using one of the methods
above will give you access to this content.)

REVIEWS

29-35

74
72
73
85
87
88
91
93
95
96

EGYPT

ON THE
COVER

Liz Carr finds the pyramids

surprisingly wheelchair-friendly

CITY GUIDE: OXFORD

The famed university town

has lots to offer lesbians

Photography
Mathieu Young/
Netflix

FIRST CLASS

Travel tips to help you

plan your holidays

THE QUICKIE

HUMOUR & COMMENT

Sexy short stories

by DIVA readers

GROOMING

12-22
23
24-25

Is anything truly ethical,

asks Joanna Benecke

SEX/LIFE

Your guide to going down, by

DIVA sexpert Anna Sansom

NO PROBLEM

Troubled mind? Let DIVA

ed Jane salve your sorrows

FITNESS

Take up freerunning and

make the street your gym

COLUMNISTS

DIVA regulars Jay Bernard,

Susan Calman, Charlotte
Cooper and Sarah Westwood

COMIC NEW

Claire Barrys new queer

comic, On How Life Is

PICK N MIX

Stuff thats caught DIVAs eye

plus Mediawatch

TECHNOLOGY

How the internet is set to

change to your kitchen

DIARY

More lez/bi listings than

you can shake a stick at

REVIEWS

Books, film, music,

online and TV

62

10
52

62

72

87

SUBSCRIBE

Get DIVA
delivered to
your door
before it hits
the shops and
save money!

96
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 5

004 content.indd 5

14/05/2015 17:50

| WELCOME |

EDITORS LETTER

DICTUM

You wouldnt believe how much fun team DIVA has had
getting this months Orange Is The New Black tribute
issue ready for you. Actually, maybe you would. From
exploring the web to find OITNB fan art and fan fiction
(p67) to enjoying a late-night chat with Ruby Rose, as
you do (p58), we have scoured the planet to find out as
much as we can for you. Aside from waiting impatiently
for the Netflix show to drop on 12 June, wed like to draw
your attention to some other, equally serious stuff, like
homophobia in the recruitment process (p42), what life is
REALLY like for lesbians in prison (p44) and why anxiety is
one of the biggest mental health problems affecting lesbian and bi women (p16). Its not
all doom and gloom, however. This month sees the release of albums by experimental
folk newcomer Soak (p26) and folk legend Peggy Seeger (p38), and author Liz Kesslers
lesbian coming of age story for young adults (p36), which has been picked up by Stonewall for use in schools. We celebrate GBBOs Ruby Tandoh, who came out recently on
Twitter (p18). We also report on our meeting with the BBC about lesbian representation
in TV dramas (p24) and weve compiled a list of Pride events (p48) and bi spaces (p50)
nationwide where you can strut your stuff and get your lez/bi on. In short, another cracking issue chock full of essential stuff. As ever, if you think weve missed something out or
could have done something better, drop us a line at letters@divamag.co.uk. Finally, never
miss an issue with one of our subscription offers get 12 print issues for the price of nine
(just 3 each!) details on p10. Or save 35% with our digital edition available before
the print issue hits the shelves with exclusive bonus content delivered straight to your
device details on p55.
Jane Czyzselska
DIVAMAG.CO.UK

Head of Advertising Ash Allibhai

Tel: +44 (0)20 7424 7406 ash@millivres.co.uk
Key Account Manager Raj Valentino
Tel: +44 (0)20 7424 7457 raj.valentino@millivres.co.uk
Classified Advertising Sales Joao Vasconcelos
Tel: +44 (0)20 7424 7451 jo@divamag.co.uk

Editorial 020 7424 7400

Sales/distribution 020 7424 7400, fax 020 7424 7401
DIVA home shopping 0845 430 9112
Subscriptions UK 0844 856 0645
For UK prices see advert on p10-11
Subscriptions overseas 01795 414 895
Subscriptions help diva@servicehelpline.co.uk
If you need a back issue to complete your set, call 0845
430 9112, UK only. If you have difficulty reading the
printed word, you can get DIVA on audio cassette on
subscription. Contact Feminist Audio Books on 0161 273
8038 or email books@feministaudiobooks.org.uk
THE JULY ISSUE OF DIVA IS ON SALE
FROM 25 JUNE 2015

JULY ISSUE
on sale 25 June

Lesbian representation on TV: what does the future hold?

A very special interview and photo shoot with a yet-to-be-revealed lesbian celebrity...
Z-Star: meet the lesbian Jim Morrison, and her band, hailed as the 21st Century Doors
Dont mess with Deborah Mills: shes the one of the worlds strongest woman
Whats it like to be in a lesbian polyamorous relationship?
A place to heal: a unique community project for lesbian and bi asylum seekers
Butch sexuality: sex, masculine-of-centre-style
The pick of the UKs best LGBT-run holiday stays

CONTACT US!

Postal address DIVA, Millivres Prowler Group,

Spectrum House, Unit M, 32-34 Gordon House Road,
London NW5 1LP
Email edit@divamag.co.uk
Website divamag.co.uk
Newstrade distribution Conde Nast and National
Magazine Distributors Limited, Unit 3, Tavistock Road,
West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE
UK enquiries email karen.donohoe@comag.co.uk
Printed in UK by Wyndeham Group
PUBLISHED BY MILLIVRES PROWLER LTD
Chief executive Simon Topham
Strategy director James Frost
Media & marketing director Kim Watson
Commercial director Ben Gardner
Operations director Robert Hanwell
Financial director Anthony Martin

When you have finished with this

magazine please recycle it

All rights reserved MPG 2015 ISSN 1353 4912

Got an idea for an article?

Need subscription help?

Want to give us some feedback or share

an experience with other readers?

Want to do work experience at DIVA?

Email letters@divamag.co.uk

Music editor Sarah-Jane Roberts

Books editor Eden Carter Wood
Film editor Lucy Peters
Travel editor Lucy Fry
Diary editor Dora Mortimer
Art editor Anna McNay
Sex/life editor Anna Sansom
Big thanks to: Sarah Westwood, Fran Hayden,
Joanna Benecke, Anisa Easterbrook

Design & production manager Alexander Smith

Media copy sales & marketing manager Rory Garriock
Management accountant Arnaud Seguin

NEXT MONTH

Email edit@divamag.co.uk and tell us all about it

Whos your favourite OITNB character?

Editor Jane Czyzselska
Badass Big Boo.
Deputy editor Louise Carolin
Vee from series two. I love a good baddie!
Editorial assistant Carrie Lyell
Dont make me choose...
Designer Fernando Safont
Anyone but annoying Piper!

Email diva@servicehelpline.co.uk

Find out how to apply at

tinyurl.com/DIVAworkexperience

SUBSCRIBE TO

DIVA

DIVA is published monthly in the UK by Millivres Prowler

Ltd. The mention or appearance or likeness of any person
or organisation in articles or advertising in DIVA is not to be
taken as any indication of sexual, social or political orientation of such persons or organisations. No responsibility
can be assumed for unsolicited materials and submission is
construed as permission to publish without further correspondence at the fee payable at our usual rates. Advertisers
are advised that all copy is their sole responsibility under
the Trade Protection Act. No part of this publication may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior
permission of the publishers.

AN
FOR ONLY 3.00 FO
R
ISSUE! SEE P10
DETAILS

6 JUNE 2015

006 dictum.indd 6

14/05/2015 16:40

Stock your fridge and block out 13 hourS of

your weekend - thiS iS So good youre going to
want to watch it all in one Sitting
Independent

SeaSon Two on DVD & Blu-ray

Out nOw
available at

2015 Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK. All Rights Reserved.

DV228-DISPLAY.indd
oitnb_diva_ad.indd
1 7

While stocks last.

12/05/2015
08/05/2015 16:37
17:26

| MAIL | YOUR SHOUT |

Im so happy bisexuality is
being addressed! I have felt
worried and anxious about
telling people Im bisexual for
fear of looking like a threeheaded unicorn or something
to be distrusted. Bella Qvists
article (So, Im A Bi Slut?, May)
completely expressed the ignorance out there, especially
(and sadly) amongst the LGBT
community.
We are not sluts and do not
become straight or lesbian
dependent on our partners
genitals, nor are we more
likely to cheat! Bella referencing The L Words Shane was
perfect. She is a hero in the
eyes of most here and never,
ever referred to as a slut.
We need to support each
other and not tear one another down those outside
of this community do that
enough for us. Bi-bashing is
unacceptable and ignorant.
Judge the individual as they
are and maybe examine your
own insecurities.
Keep being you, Bella!
You make me proud to be
bisexual.

Opinions expressed by correspondents and

contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of
the editors of DIVA magazine or its publishers.

BI PRIDE

LETTERS

Star Letter

FRANCES, London

WIN!

WRITE TO US

INSPIRING MELISSA
Melissa Etheridges solo gig at Shepherds
Bush O2 was truly awesome and she has
a personality to match, very inspirational. Thank you to the two lovely
ladies I met in the queue who asked me
to sit next to them, it was great to share.
Thank you, DIVA, for interviewing her in
April, I loved that whole issue, and Jay
Bernard thanks as well.

LIANE SMITH, London

ID LOVE TO LET YOU IN

Star Letter
prize
Drift off to sleep
in style with the
iMusic Pillow,
now available
at Prezzybox.
com! With no
headphones
required,
the built in
speakers
softly play
your chosen
tracks to help
aid a peaceful
nights rest. Or
use your pillow
to listen to your
favourite audio
book, learn a
new language,
or get some last
minute revision
cramming done
whilst youre
on the go the
possibilities are
endless!

Thank you for publishing Freiya Bensons

article, Amazing Enough To Be Let In, in
the May issue. Im a lesbian with a trans
history. I came out nearly 30 years ago,
and Im sorry to say that I can recall
nothing in my experience that contradicts what Freiya Benson writes. There
are two competing narratives about
trans women in peoples minds. The media likes to go with the dramatic born
in the wrong body story, which ends
when the person transitions, and maybe
when they have surgery. Then they are
finally the person they wanted to be and
live happily ever after. At best this is a
dramatic oversimplification, because the
effects of a trans background last for
life. The other story is that put about by
so-called trans exclusionary radical feminists (TERF for short), which portrays us
as undercover sexual predators, and is
so far from reality, that it would be hilarious if it werent so very damaging.
I spent the first 28 years of my life
hiding who I am, constantly vigilant and
always biting down on saying or doing
anything that might give me away. I lost
so much I had to start over completely
post-transition, and the stress of a
childhood spent hiding and the subsequent loss of friends, family, and career,
has left permanent damage.
In my local lesbian community,

letters@divamag.co.uk

or use the old-fashioned

method and drop us a line at

DIVA MAGAZINE
Spectrum House, Unit M
32-34 Gordon House Road
London NW5 1LP
United Kingdom

it seems that women appreciate the

things I can do and contribute. Im
told Im special, and amazing. But to
be loved seems out of the question.
Dont get me wrong, its great to be well
thought of, but it is as nothing in comparison to being in a loving relationship.
Im a quiet and introverted person. I
volunteer an enormous quantity of time
to the performing arts scene in my local
community, and ask for little in return.
My highest ambition in life is to love and
be loved, but I realise its unlikely to happen. Ive been single for many years now,
and reluctantly try to reconcile myself to
the prospect of being alone for the rest
of my life. To Freiya Bensons collection
of rejections, allow me to add my most
damaging one: Well, obviously I cant
reciprocate. I cant condemn her for her
casual and categorical rejection, because
in fairness, at least she wasnt making up
excuses.
To all DIVAs readers, I know many
of you will be right-on and profess your
acceptance of trans women as women,
and as lesbians. But if you categorically
exclude us from consideration as partners, then your professed acceptance is
just empty words.

ANNA LANGLEY
WE AMAZE EACH OTHER
After reading this months article about
trans dating, I felt I had to write in response. Im a 51-year-old mother of three
lovely, well-adjusted teenage daughters
and have two ex-husbands. After many
years of something not being quite right
in my life, I decided to come out as
lesbian. The support I received from everyone was fantastic. During the next few
years, I had one long-term relationship
and a few nice, but not love ones.
Last April, I gave online dating a try.
I received loads of replies but just one

8 JUNE 2015

008 letters.indd 8

14/05/2015 16:19

Pleased to
meet you!

Every issue, we invite

one of our readers
to tell us about her
relationship with DIVA.

NAME & AGE:

TILLY JONES, 20
FROM:

GLOUCESTER, UK
OCCUPATION:

STUDENT

Last months gorgeous cover shoot

brought the heat to the Sex Issue

COMING OUT STORIES

IDENTITY:

LESBIAN

CALL OUT

PHOTOS SOPHY HOLLAND, L+R

Several years ago I began a project about coming out. I interviewed lesbian and bisexual
women about their experiences of coming out, turned the stories into monologues and
performed them alongside my own. Now Id like to take the project even further.
If you identify as a lesbian or bisexual woman and would like to share your coming out
story then please email me to set up an interview at ellis.young@hotmail.com. The
interviews can be done over Skype, phone or face to face. All names are changed unless
requested otherwise. Id like to get as many stories as possible. A selection will be put
into the final show/project but every story will be put on the website (unless requested
otherwise), which is currently being revamped.
stood out, from a woman named Abi.
We seemed to click straight away and
quickly fell into a routine of talking most
nights for a few hours as well as emailing
through the day at work. We became
pretty intense, very quickly.
A couple of months down the line, Abi
told me she had something to tell me...
and what she told me was the fact that
she was born a boy and had transitioned
with full SRS six years ago.
This came as a shock for a whole two
minutes then I thought, I dont care if
she was born a giraffe, she was the same
woman I was starting to fall in love with.
We have been together ever since, and
plan to marry later this summer.
When I told my friends, a few tried to
warn me off. I too have had all the daft
things said to me, like Im not really a
lesbian. My long-term ex-girlfriend told
me I was disgusting and called Abi that
horrible T word.
We have since moved to Liverpool
and have been accepted for what we are,
the two mad lesbians with a house full
of plants. My 17-year-old daughter has

moved in with us as she thinks we are fun!

Thats a big compliment for Abi and I.
It made me so sad when I read Freiya
Bensons story and I pray for the day
when the trans community are accepted
the same as LGB. I really do hope Freiya
finds someone who will accept and love
her for the person she is everyone
deserves that.

DEBORAH WILLIAMSON

WHO WON CASEYS FOOTBALL?

We had hundreds of entries for
our signed Casey Stoney football
competition last month, and the lucky
winner was Kat Lucas from Wigan! To
be in with a chance of winning more
exclusive prizes, check out divamag.
co.uk/competitions

WHAT MADE YOU START

READING DIVA?

I started reading when I was first coming out and

discovering the wonders of the lesbian world.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU

BEEN A READER?
About four years.

PRINT OR DIGITAL?
Print.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE

BEST ABOUT DIVA?

Fantastic level of feminism talk, and an all-round

great read.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE

TO SEE MORE OF?
Short stories!

WHO ELSE READS YOUR COPY?

My mum and my girlfriend.

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR COPY WHEN

YOUVE READ IT?

WANT
TO INTRODUCE
YOURSELF?
Send a photo and
your answers to the
questions above to
letters@divamag.
co.uk

It generally sits on my desk

with all the other things Ive
not got round to recycling yet.

WHO WOULD YOU

PUT ON THE COVER
OF DIVA AND WHY?

Sandi Toksvig, because

shes one of my role models
and because her Womens
Equality Party is going to be
fantastic.
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 9

008 letters.indd 9

13/05/2015 09:49

SUBSCRIbe to

Buy it, Own it, Love it, Share it!

& save!

12 9!
issues
for the
price of
only

per issue!

Subscribe and join

the DIVA community
With over 20 years experience, DIVA
remains the best selling glossy magazine
for LBT women, providing the news, opinion
and debate that matters most.

offer ends 17/7/15

10 JUNE 2015

DIVA 228 SUBS DPS.indd 10

13/05/2015 12:16

visi
and t divas
ent ub.c
er D o.uk
V22
8

FANTASTIC
SUBSCRIPTION
BENEFITS!

never ever
miss an issue
save 25% on
the cover price
exclusive
subscriber-only
covers
Discreet packaging
free early delivery
TO SUBSCRIBE VISIT DIVASUB.CO.UK AND ENTER DV228 OR CALL 0844 856 0636
AND QUOTE DV228 OR SIMPLY FILL IN THE FORM BELOW AND SEND TO:
DIVA subscriptions, 800 Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8GU. Please mark on the envelope DV228

YES I would like to subscribe to DIVA*

IF YOU ARE GIVING THIS SUBSCRIPTION AS A GIFT, PLEASE ENTER DELIVERY DETAILS
Title

YOUR DETAILS, please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS

Title

Forename

Surname
Address

Forename

Surname

Postcode

Country

Address

Mobile No.

Year of birth

Email
Postcode

Country

Mobile No.

Year of birth

Email

Complete section 1. Cheque or 2. Credit/Debit card or 3. Direct Debit

DIRECT DEBIT - UK ONLY

Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society

CHEQUE ENCLOSED FOR 37.95 FOR 12 ISSUES

(Payable to Millivres Prowler Ltd)

To: The Manager

PLEASE CHARGE 37.95 FOR 12 ISSUES to my:

Address

Visa

CARD NUMBER

Amex

MasterCard

9 EVERY 3 ISSUES

Instruction to your Bank or

Building Society to pay by Direct Debit

Originators Identication Number

4 2 5 5 1 4

Reference (ofce use only)

Bank/Building Society

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society

Please pay Millivres Prowler Ltd Direct Debits from the account
detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by
the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction
may remain with Millivres Prowler Ltd and, if so, details will be
passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Switch/Maestro (issue No.)

EXPIRY DATE

Postcode

Name(s) of Account Holder(s)

Three digit security
code (back of card)

SIGNED

36 EVERY 12 ISSUES

DATE

Your details will be processed by Millivres Prowler Ltd (Publisher of DIVA) in full accordance with data protection
legislation. Millivres Prowler Ltd may wish to contact you with information of other services and publications we provide that
may be of interest. Please tick here if you DO NOT wish to receive such information by Post
Phone
or DO want to
receive such information by Email
or SMS . From time to time Millivres Prowler Ltd will share your details with other
reputable companies who provide products and services that may be of interest to you. Please tick here if you DO NOT
wish to receive such information by Post
Phone
or DO want to receive such information by Email
or SMS
.

Branch Sort Code

Bank/Building Society account number

Banks and Building Societies may not accept

Direct Debit Instructions for some types of accounts.

Signature(s)

Date

*TERMS & CONDITIONS: PRICES ARE FOR UK SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. LIMITED STOCK. STYLES MAY VARY.
OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTIONS MAY VARY IN PRICE. OFFER ENDS 17/07/2015

DV228

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 11

DIVA 228 SUBS DPS.indd 11

13/05/2015 12:16

| COLUMNIST | JAY BERNARD |

When I walked
into my grandmothers kitchen
in Ludlow,
Jamaica, I did not
expect to find
the queerest person I have ever met. He who I shall
call M was informally looking after
my grandmother (89, still completely
capable of cussing everyone out) and
would arrive every morning before
the last stars went in, then rode home
on his BMX when they reappeared at
night.
It was a few days before my
grandmothers 90th birthday and Id
been convinced that it would be A Nice
Thing to return to my ancestral land
to celebrate. I had no recollection of
it other than the living room being
packed with horrifying school photos
in cardboard frames and pictures of
The White Jesus kneeling in benevolent rays of light.
So when I arrived after a four-hour
drive from Montego Bay, the last
thing I expected was a shirtless man
with bloodshot eyes and a crooked
smile gazing back at me. M sat on the
veranda and smoked with my uncles,
rural men who love rum, politics and
dominoes. It was when he came back
the next day and started singing in the
living room, that I realised he wasnt
like the rest. That he had already
changed how I related to my own dalliance with masculinity.

It wasnt that he did anything

extraordinary, it was the way he did it.
His comfort with sticking out among
the men in my family, and the way
nobody minded. I had been worried
about coming to Jamaica because I
have experienced first-hand disapproval from my family members, but I had
also internalised the negativity perpetuated by the press. The first thing
anyone thinks about when they think
about Jamaica is homophobic music,
churches and crimes (and maybe Bob
Marley and jerk chicken).
Obama was there recently, continuing this problem instead of addressing
the shadow of inequity America casts
over the Caribbean. Yes, its good he
confronted what is obviously a disgusting attitude towards LGBT people,
however, no one ever talks about
the plethora of expressions that fall
outside of the western queer narrative,
which do not attract homophobia
because they are not homosexual.
Theyre something else.
M and I bonded over this something
that I take to be queerness, that I associate with the outsiderness of being
a sexual minority, that I perceive as a
form of masculinity that I have no
words for.
Here was a guy chopping wood
with a flower in his ear, sticking silver
stars to his face, singing alone in
the yard, talking obsessively about
decorating my grandmas birthday
table with flowers and fruit baskets,

JAY BERNARD
FINDS QUEER
INSPIRATION
ON A VISIT
TO JAMAICA

Here was
a guy
chopping
wood with
a flower in
his ear

climbing 100-foot trees and shaking

down starfruit for me to catch, with a
dinky rucksack on his back. It was as
though Id finally come across a form
of masculinity I wanted to emulate,
because it didnt feel masculine in any
way that I recognised.
In Elisha Lims queer comic series,
100 Butches, a speaker tries to be culturally specific, saying: Butch makes
me think of flannel shirts, mullets and
white working class appropriation
[...] I call myself the names of black
queer families, like stud or an AG. I
understand that sentiment, yet Ive
never found a niche. Stud and AG are
American. Butch feels like a different
generation. Queer is capacious, yet I
wonder what lies beyond it.
The truth is I have never been great
at sub/cultures I was the kind of
grunger who didnt like Nirvana so
it is entirely typical that I would be
enamoured by a strange man halfway
around the world. Whatever he is, it
isnt named, it isnt theorised. For the
moment I am happy to revel in the
happiness of our undefined dynamic.
He operates in a country whose impact
on the international LGBT stage is in its
infancy, but whose culture and secrets
are ancient and deep. I will never be
able to emulate him Im too selfconscious, too self-critical, too British.
But when I think about my relationship to masculinity now, I dont feel the
same sort of crisis. Its hard to explain,
but its him that Im thinking of.

ILLUSTRATION FERNANDO SAFONT

Man, oh man

12 JUNE 2015

012 columnist - jbernard.indd 12

13/05/2015 10:26

AT DISNEYLAND PARIS
This October, pack your Mickey ears and
join us as we head back to Disneyland Paris.
With special weekend packages from just 219 per adult* staying at a Disney
Hotel, you can book your place today with a deposit of just 50 per person!

15th - 18th October 2015

Book now at magicalpride.com

Disney Parks

Its a Family Affair

Four magical, fun-filled days bringing

together the sparkle of Pride and the
wonder of Disney! With accommodation,
Disneyland Paris park tickets, a welcome
meal, partying and the chance to meet new
friends, a fun-filled weekend awaits!

With two parks to enjoy, discover the

magic of the Disneyland Park and
Sleeping Beautys Castle or explore the
world of animation and cinema in Walt
Disney Studios Park. From flying with
Dumbo to shooting through the stars on
Space Mountain : Mission 2, there are
rides to suit both the young at heart and
the thrill seekers.

From grown-up kids to little loved ones,

Magical Pride welcomes families of all
shapes and sizes. With children from
just 79, theres nowhere more magical
than Disneyland Paris to create lasting
memories with family, friends and close
loved ones.

Disney

Serious Fun

Magical Pride is brought to you by Manchester Pride and is operated by Greatdays Holidays LTD, ABTA Y0380. * Price is based upon 4
adults sharing a room at Disneys Sequoia Lodge. Child aged 3-11 years when sharing a room with at least 1 adult. Promotional rates
subject to availability and not guaranteed. All events subject to modification without prior notice. Shows, attractions and parades may be
closed, delayed, modified or cancelled without prior notice, notably in case of inclement weather.

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 13

12/05/2015 17:40

| DIATRIBE | GIRL CRUSH |

Crush landing
WITH
STRAIGHT
WOMEN
DECLARING
RUBY ROSE
THEIR
ULTIMATE
GIRL CRUSH,
SHOULD WE
DITCH THE
PHRASE, ASKS
LAURA KAY

Girl
crush
describes
the desire
to brush
Megan
Foxs hair
and hold
her hand

Finally! Shes
my ultimate girl
crush! This,
the universal
fangirls cry, can
be heard echoing
across the Twittersphere, ever
since the arrival of the new Orange Is
The New Black trailer.
They were, of course, talking about
Ruby Rose, the latest addition to a phenomenal cast already studded with an
array of gorgeous women. Ruby Rose
looks set to outdo even Laura Prepon
in the OITNB girl crush stakes because
as well as being super hot she is also
super gay truly a magic formula.
I have no trouble understanding
people far and wide declaring their
undying love for Ruby Rose (although
mine will be for Alex Vause, always and
forever), but the term girl crush itself
interests me.
Before I came out, I used this
phrase plenty myself. I had girl
crushes on loads of women and it felt
like a wonderful, safe way for me to
talk about them without people ever
suspecting that I was gay. However, I
now realise that I was probably using
this term differently to the majority of
my friends.
Sarah, a 23-year-old student from
Nottingham who identifies as straight
describes a girl crush as a girl who

you want to be, who you might think

is hot but generally dont have any
feelings about beyond that; Sarah
doesnt actually have sexual feelings
towards her girl crushes.
Girl crush sounds cute. Its a
gentle, non-aggressive, non-assertive
sentiment. It could be used to describe
the desire to brush #WCW favourite Megan Foxs hair and hold her
hand, while Bruno Mars plays in the
background. Its Valencia filtered, its
aesthetically pleasing, its incredibly
sexy and yet not all about sex.
I now apply the same sentiment
when I describe my man crush, a term
which many gay women use probably
most commonly about David Beckham
to express their admiration for, or
even infatuation with a man.
However man crush crucially
re-asserts the feeling as a deviation
from the norm, it is not the same as
a gay womans crush on a woman.
For example my man crush is Idris
Elba. Id like to sit next to him while he
smiles roguishly at me in between solving crimes in a way his bosses frown
upon. Id also like him to remain fully
clothed throughout. This is a fantasy,
perhaps not a sexual fantasy but a
fantasy nonetheless, and man crush
accurately categorises these feelings.
It could be argued that man crush
is more vital for gay women than girl
crush is for straight women because

it re-asserts and affirms our sexuality

in a world which so often demands heteronormativity.
In fact, the term girl crush is
sometimes contested by members of
the gay community, who suggest its
simply a way for straight women to distance themselves from homosexuality.
However, instead of being a problematic term used to belittle or erase gay
womens sexual agency, I believe that
girl crush demonstrates just how far
ahead of men women are, sexually and
emotionally. Its incredibly rare to see
a straight man lusting after another
man or describing someone as their
boy crush. The lesser-known Man
Crush Monday is the preserve of gay
men, straight women and lesbians
not straight men. Women use the term
girl crush to express their admiration for and celebrate other women.
It implies an ability to be comfortable
expressing desires and fantasies, regardless of what those fantasies mean
in a broader context.
I wholly encourage girl crushes in all
their forms. Mine turned out to be just
regular ones my man crushes were
the anomalies. Its not the same for
everyone and thats what makes female
sexuality so interesting, complex and
intriguing. I hope that pictures of Ruby
Rose covered in heart emojis will be
clogging up my Instagram feed for a
long time to come.

14 JUNE 2015

014 columnist - diatribe.indd 14

14/05/2015 16:21

ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT

Delay Your Period

safe and effective treatment online
HealthExpress offers effective prescription treatment that can safely help you delay your
period for up to 14 days. This means you can enjoy any occasion.
To find out more visit HealthExpress.co.uk

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 15

12/05/2015 17:24

| COLUMNIST | SEEING QUEERLY |

WHY ARE SO
MANY OF
US FEELING
ANXIOUS, AND
WHAT CAN WE
DO ABOUT
IT, ASKS
CHARLOTTE
COOPER

People
blame
themselves
for their
inability to
be happy

Bedtimes and
mornings are
when it happens.
Last night I was
kept awake by
a small pain in
my body and a
brain racing with thoughts: snatches
of songs, worries about characters in a
TV show Ive been watching, attempts
to resolve difficult problems. I was too
wound up to shift into the soothing
mindfulness that I usually call on when
I get like this. I awoke today feeling a
deep doomy dread. I often wake in this
way. I know why and those reasons will
remain private for now. The sun shone
in through the window and flowers
bloomed outside.
I see a lot of very anxious people
at the moment, not just in work (I am
a psychotherapist) but also in those I
encounter out and about. Anxiety is
a very lonely experience, its hard to
convey the anguish it produces and by
sharing it you run the risk of transmitting it to others, making it bigger and
even more insurmountable. Oddly, I
dont feel pacified by the knowledge
that it is extremely common and that
I am not alone with it, in fact I feel
more anxious when I think about other
people and their suffering!
If I were to describe the most
anxious demographic Ive been noticing
lately it would look like this: young, go-

getting queers and trans people; middle

and upper-middle class; generally white;
people who have been expected to
achieve and who find themselves running at the brick walls of life. Im noticing those who have had every privileged
head-start, who have loving families,
safe places to live, good jobs, are being
eaten alive with worry. Anxiety used to
be the preserve of people on the margins. You know youre in trouble when
the trust-funders start to fret.
People blame themselves for their
inability to be happy. If only they were
more of something and less of something else, if only they worked harder
at being happy, if only there was a
magic mental key that allowed you
to unclench. One of the side-effects
of anxiety is that it makes people feel
like failures. But it is not people who
are failing. I am a therapist with a
background in sociology and I see that
there are concrete social reasons why
anxiety is through the roof right now.
Austerity is probably the most
obvious factor. You would have to
be a robot not to be affected by the
threat of destitution, homelessness,
poverty, poorer working conditions,
the loss of services that you depend on
to live, especially when it is served up
by leering Old Etonians. There is also
a sort of enforced happiness in the air
that is actually really alienating. I keep
flashing on an interview by one of the

nations favourite lesbians in which she

proclaimed that she avoids people and
things that are depressing, and wondered why people were preoccupied
with the dark. How ridiculous! Where
did she think that queer was spawned?
These anxiety-producing phenomena
disproportionately affect lesbians and
bi women, not just because we experience social marginalisation in various
ways, but also because of things like
the disappearance of queer community spaces through gentrification, or
the way that screens have become a
dominant mode of communication. Its
harder for us to be with and for each
other in real time.
I have come to understand that
getting up and moving around helps
dissipate the chemicals in my body
that produce morning anxiety, I know
that I feel better once the day is
underway, but that initial moment of
waking and dread grips me tightly and
it takes me a while to roll, become
upright, stand and walk. In a similar
way I would like to encourage people
to shift and shake in their own ways, to
climb out of their pits if they can. What
could happen if people were more
organised around the social dynamics
that imprison us with fear? We could
swap anxiety for anger and let our
toxic worries burn away.

charlotte@divamag.co.uk

PHOTO SARA DAVIDMANN, ILLUSTRATION FERNANDO SAFONT

Hi, anxiety

16 JUNE 2015

016 columnist - seeing queerly.indd 16

14/05/2015 16:21

actionforcharity

women cancer
RIDE THE
NIGHT
28 MAY 2016
Cycle 100km through London
at night and raise funds to
fight womens cancers.

For more information and to register online:

www.ridethenight.co.uk
01590 677854

PLACES
LIMITED

events@actionforcharity.co.uk

TO TA K E PA RT YO U N EED TO PAY A R EG I S T R AT I O N FEE O F 3 9 A N D R A I S E M I N I M U M S P O NS O R S H I P O F 19 9.

ction
for charity

Registered Charity Nos: Breast Cancer Care: 1017658/ SC038104, Jos Cervical Cancer Trust: 1133542/SC041236, Ovarian Cancer Action: 1109743/SC043478. Women V Cancer is established under the Charities Aid Foundation Charity No. 268369

lifechangingevents

RidetNight 2016 Diva 285x210.indd 1

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 17

27/04/2015 12:06
12/05/2015 17:24

| WHY WE LOVE | RUBY TANDOH |

tweet
as honey
BAKE OFF STAR
RUBY TANDOH
RULES
TWITTER WITH
HER BOLD
STATEMENTS
AND TASTY
PASTRIES

WORDS LOUISE CAROLIN, PHOTO NATO WELTON

Ruby Tandoh gives good tweet. After

recently posting a video of the Diana
Ross hit Im Coming Out, she added:
Me to my parents today. Feeling lucky
and joyful and free. Over and Out.
Later she issued the follow-up:
THANK YOU all for a response that
made me feel like Id been swaddled
in the rainbow flag and cradled like a
baby. All Pride, no prejudice. Awww.
For some slices of the media, the
news came from left-field: pretty
young woman, gay? Surely not! As one
of the youngest contestants in the
BBCs hugely successful Great British
Bake Off series, 20-year-old Tandoh
had come under tabloid fire for allegedly flirting with judge Paul Hollywood, prompting her to hit back in the
Guardians Comment Is Free section:
Id rather eat my own foot than attempt to seduce my way to victory, and
even if I had any intention playing that
card, its insulting to both the judges
to suggest that theyd ever let their
professional integrity be undermined
in that way.
Essex girl Ruby had the last laugh,
finishing in series fours top three and
following up with a book Crumb: The
Baking Book and the aforementioned
triumphant coming out on Twitter,
where she entertains her 62,000 followers with her humour (Sweeney
Todd is a baking film) and mouthwatering pics of her latest creations.
Sticky maple-glazed bacon swirl buns,
anyone? Mmmm.
Coming out isnt about begging for
acceptance or an audience. Its
asserting your right to be as you are,
proudly without apology, she
tweeted, in response to the predictable accusations of attention-seeking.
I will come out whenever, wherever
and to whomever I choose. We all
should. If that annoys people, all the
more reason to do it.

More information on p5 | divadigital.co.uk

18 JUNE 2015

018 whywelove.indd 18

14/05/2015 16:22

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 19

12/05/2015 17:24

| COLUMNIST | OUTSPOKEN |

My wife asked
me an interesting question the
other day. She
asked me why I
am, on occasion,
such an angry
person. It was an interesting question because no one has ever directly
confronted the fact that Im often as
cuddly as a distressed porcupine. Most
people I know have given up trying
rationalise my less than cheerful demeanour because lets be honest, its
just easier that way.
But my wife asked me the question
and I thought about it a lot before I
answered, running through all possible
reasons why the world annoys me.
Politicians, the weather, the fact that
theres no second post anymore. But
it slowly dawned on me that there was
only one genuine answer. Me. I make
me angry. Not because of my personality or my actions, but because I hate
the way that I look.
If youve seen my current live show,
youll know that I have always had a
problem with my perceived attractiveness, a paranoia that has only been exacerbated through various appearances on television. But nasty comments
on Twitter arent really the issue. The
fact that I dislike myself really comes
from only one source. The voice inside
my head that tells me I look like the

Pillsbury Doughboy.
I firmly believe that I look like a
normal-sized person made out of Blu
Tack thats been squished down to create a small fat person. On a practical
level my self-loathing means I rarely
look in the mirror and avoid sight
of any photographs of myself. I can
honestly say that in the nine years Ive
been going to the Edinburgh Fringe,
Ive not personally approved any of
my own posters; instead Ive passed
that responsibility on to others. Im
frightened that if I see what I actually
look like, Id never agree to any images
of myself being used.
After I told my wife how I felt, she
asked another question. One that
seems very obvious but Id never actually contemplated. She looked at me
and said, What can we do about it?
And of course, theres one simple
answer. Lose some weight. It sounds
easy, but achieving that aim is of
course far more difficult. In order to
try and make a Happy Calman, we
needed a long-term plan, one that
dealt with both my physical and
mental self-doubt. And we came up
with one simple solution. Exercise. Not
some gentle star jumps but full-on,
hard-core sweating.
Whilst my wife and I were both very
fit in our younger years, our dedication
to the gym has long waned in favour
of a lifestyle of beer, PlayStation and

SUSAN
CALMAN
RECKONS
THAT FEELING
BETTER IN HER
BODY WILL
HELP REDUCE
HER RAGE

In order
to try and
make a
Happy
Calman, we
needed a
long-term
plan

sofas. And wed spent so long in comfortable lethargy that we were both
intimidated by the embarrassment,
and cost, of joining a gym.
But fired by a determination to take
action, we went to our local council
facility in Glasgow. To our delight we
found it not only well kitted-out but
far cheaper than a private gym. We
suffer from a severe lack of motivation
so we hired a personal trainer to shout
at us. And its worked. Now I spend my
mornings at Boot Camp, which involves
carrying a tyre around the park at 7am.
And Metafit, comprising 25 minutes of
hell, which left me physically and emotionally exhausted. Pushing myself to
the point where Ive genuinely thought
I might be sick. And I love it.
Our goals are long-term. It wont
be a quick fix to undo 20 years of a
sedentary life. But Im determined to
do it. I want to be healthy. More than
anything, I want to stop being angry
with myself.
I have one simple aim. Im hoping
that this time next year Ill be able, for
the first time, to approve my own
Fringe poster. But more importantly,
be proud of it. And if I keep pushing
myself, keep working on my body and
my own perception of how I look,
maybe, just maybe, I can finally be
proud of myself.

susan@divamag.co.uk

PHOTO STEVE ULLATHORNE

No more Ms Angry

20 JUNE 2015

020 columnist - outspoken.indd 20

13/05/2015 09:46

0203 322 7075

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 21

12/05/2015 17:25

| COLUMNIST | THE RUBBISH LESBIAN |

I might be mistaken but I cant

help feeling that
I am losing my
girlfriend to the
attentions of
another. Theres
the unmistakable frisson of jealousy when I catch
her throwing back her head and
laughing at one of their terrible jokes,
or leaping up to replenish their cup
of tea before its even half drunk. I
wouldnt mind but theres no way I
can ever compete with the suitor in
question, because its Stephen our
handyman. And, since the flat we are
renting seems to have been built by
Hampstead-Heath Robinson himself,
and something breaks down with monotonous regularity every fortnight,
Stephen is becoming something of a
permanent fixture.
At first my girlfriend and I were on
the same page about Stephen. The
page that read: urgh hes such a typical
bloke. Wed be sipping our almond milk
cappuccinos listening to Radio 4, and
hed arrive yelling down the phone to
his office (he has no inside voice) about
how hard at work he was, whilst simultaneously making the international
sign for tea at us. My girlfriend and I
would give each other an eye roll in
mutual mockery. But lately Ive noticed
that she avoids my eye roll, or worse,
she meets it with a little affectionate

SARAH
WESTWOOD
CANT FIX
IT, BUT SHE
KNOWS A
MAN WHO
CAN MORES
THE PITY

Stephen
wows my
girlfriend
with a
flash of his
Dyno-Rod

smile and shrug as if to say, Ah, thats

so Stephen.
DIY emergencies in our flat have
become so commonplace that my
girlfriend is now on more familiar
terms with Stephens butt-crack than
my own. Fortunately my own rump is
considerably less hairy than his, but I
digress. Ill come home from work to
find the tell-tale signs of his having
been around: two mugs in the sink, the
toilet seat up and his trademark dirty
great big footprint in the middle of the
pristine bathtub. I see Stephens been
then, I say disingenuously, only to
have my snideness met with unqualified praise. He had that shower cord
replaced in a jiffy. Hes so quick. So
quick. Damn him to Homebase.
The truth is, and Im ashamed to
admit this, I am a lesbian who cant DIY.
Thats why Im so jealous of Stephen
and the way he can wow my girlfriend,
turning her to jelly with a flash of his
Dyno-Rod. Meanwhile, all I can do is
lurk in the background and curse myself for not emptying my pockets and
causing the bloody washing machine
to clog up in the first place. Ive even
begun to suspect that she gets a secret
surge of excitement when she hears
me break something, because it means
Stephen will appear on his white steed,
or in his white van, or whatever the
hell he rode in on.
Things came to a head when I got
home from work last Friday evening

to find a bag of tools on the kitchen

floor. Ignore those, said my girlfriend
breezily, Steves leaving them there
over the weekend. Steve? Since when
did it become Steve? My girlfriend
must have realised what shed said because she followed it up with a helpful
explanatory, Thats how he signs off
his texts. His texts! Say whaa? They
text? Right, this little episode of Lady
Chatterleys Handyman ends here. No
more Steve this and Steve that.
I decide on the spot that starting
this weekend Im taking back control.
Im grabbing my own stopcock with
both hands. From now on Im going to
Do-It-Myself. No more indulging him
in blokey bants or getting repetitive
strain from kettle pouring for two
hours straight. No, from now on Ill be
the one basking in the glory of fixing
things. Ill start with putting up those
blinds that Steve was going to do on
Monday. Now pass me that plane level
and yes, since youre asking, mines
milk no sugar.
Alas, my brief foray into DIY begins
with me Googling Putting up blind
and ends abruptly with the comment,
They look wonky. First thing Monday,
Steve and I are standing with our heads
tilted up to assess the skew-whiff
results. He is sucking his teeth and
shaking his head. What cowboys been
at this then? Theres nothing for it. I
shake my own head in agreement and
put the kettle on.

PHOTO LUCY POPE, ILLUSTRATION FERNANDO SAFONT

Can she fix it?

22 JUNE 2015

022 columnist - the rubbish lesbian.indd 22

13/05/2015 09:45

| UPFRONT |

PERSON OF THE MONTH

PICKNMIX

SANDI TOKSVIG
Weve always had a lot
of love for Sandi Toksvig,
but the multi-talented
57-year-old deserves
a special mention this
month as shes leaving
BBC Radio 4s News Quiz
to help launch a political
party that puts women
at its heart. The Womens
Equality Party will stand
for election in 2020,
campaigning for an
equal education system,
equal parenting rights
and no more pay gap.
Toksvig, who was once a
Liberal Democrat activist,
said three years ago that
she didnt feel any party
represented her, but
instead of complaining,
shes taken action, and
we think thats to be
admired. Well done,
Sandi.

CELEBRITY TWEETS
Today is the day! RT if you are
standing on the right side of
history #LoveCantWait
@EllenPage
Ellie gave birth to our
daughter today at
1.46pm. Shes perfect
and we feel so thankful &
blessed. Much love, H xxx
@heatherpeace

Deep in the forbidden forest you

can hear the call of the slightly
controversial owl. A bit ta boo a
bit ta boo a bit ta boo.
@zoelyons
In my world everyone is gay
and they remain gay until
proven otherwise. I assume
homosexuality always.
@margaretcho

Love smoothies but hate the faff of making your own? Weve found just
the thing: smoothie powders. The brainchild of a Munich-based food
start-up, Shameless Smoothies are delicious and really couldnt
be simpler all you need is a glass of water and a spoon
and less than a minute later youll be enjoying one of
their many flavour combinations. Theyre good for
you too, containing nothing but 100% freeze-dried
fruit, meaning you dont have to worry about
any hidden sugars or nasty additives. A big
thumbs-up from the DIVA team!
shameless-smoothies.com

WE LOVE...

SHAMELESS SMOOTHIES

Yes, the Church needs

conservative voices in places
of power. But to call gay love
a myth in comparison to
straight love is horrendous.
@vickybeeching
I can see some of you responding
to an ugly, little troll. Block and
ignore! I love you, they cant help
being a #basic.
@lspraggan
Cat has been trying
to pick up a pencil for
an hour her tenacity &
dedication to the task is
breathtaking, she wont
manage it, no thumbs.
@suziruffell

24 JUNE 2015

024 pick n mix.indd 24

14/05/2015 16:42

iariewalyetch
mwitedh car
ll

WORDS CARRIE LYELL, PHOTO TIGER FEATURES

BBC RESPOND TO LAST TANGO AND

CALL THE MIDWIFE CRITICISM
Like you, we were really
disappointed about the way the
lesbian storylines in BBC dramas
Last Tango In Halifax and Call
The Midwife ended earlier this
year. The tragic lesbian trope
isnt exclusive to the BBC, but two similar road traffic
accidents coming so close to each other felt like more
than a coincidence and, frankly, we expect better from
a public service broadcaster.
Wed reached Peak Tragic Lesbian and decided it was
time to do something about it. So last month, DIVA
organised a meeting with the BBC and put your comments to drama controller Ben Stephenson, who told
us he believed viewers concerns about the lesbian
death in Last Tango was the wrong conversation to
be having.
We asked Ben what he thought would be a more
useful discussion and he said: Of course everyone is
entitled to their own opinions and I love the passion of
the audience. That said, I do feel that the diversity of
Last Tango should be applauded and that the frustration should be pointed not at shows that do have
diversity, but shows that dont.
Hmm. That sounds a lot like we should be grateful for
whatever representation we get.
We asked him what he thought BBC drama should do
for lesbian viewers in the future and he responded by
telling us he wanted for lesbians what he wants for all
viewers, namely: Characters who transport people
to amazing places, as well as reflecting peoples own
lives in a complex, varied way. As long as theyre not
on wheels though, eh?
On behalf of budding or existing lesbian or bi scriptwriters who want to be the change they want to see
in telly, we asked Ben, what kind of story, featuring
prominent lesbian characters, he would like to land
on his desk? A show that has nothing to do with
sexuality but where the main character is a complex
character and it is incidental that she is a lesbian.
So there you have it. We know one meeting wont
change things, but we also know how important
lesbian representation on TV is to DIVA readers and we
will continue hustling for a better deal. Next month,
industry insider Jacquie Lawrence will explore the
issue further, so stay tuned and keep letting us know
which shows are doing well and which you feel could
do better. See TV reviews p33
@Seej

DIVA: For those who dont know, what is L Fest?

CINDY EDWARDS: L Fest is the UKs award-winning
lesbian music, arts and comedy festival. It is on
July 17-20 2015 at Uttoxeter racecourse, Staffordshire. [ED: Thats near Alton Towers, only two
hours on the train from London.]
How long have you been involved?
I thought of the idea back in 2010. After throwing
my own big parties, I thought I could do this for
other people. So I created Stanstock 7s with a
friend. It was a football tournament with 300 girls,
camping and DJ. I thought there were a lot of
lesbians at the event, so what about lesbians who
didnt play football and L Fest was created.
Why is it important?
The event has been a big learning curve for me.
It wasnt until I started it and we developed the
following of L Festers that we have, that I realised
it was so important. Its a place
which is non-judgemental, where
you can be yourself
for a whole weekend,
where people can
come on their own, with
friends or their wife
and family and all
be welcomed
in by the smiling, friendly
L Fest crew.
There are
quite a few
lesbian
festivals
around.
How do you
make L Fest
stand out?
There are no
events like this in the
UK. We have such a wide
programme of activities with
music, arts and performance, dance and
discussion, our own cinema, family area, DJs and
even doggie day-care! There literally is something
for everyone.
What can we expect from this years event?
Well, our line-up is so diverse with music
acts from Lucy Spraggan, OHooley & Tidow,
Greymatter, Me & Deboe, Ajah UK and even the
Gay Symphony Orchestra! The arts programme
has a Polari author panel, a DIVA sex academy,
numerous short play performances. The cinema
is filled with films new and old, programmed by
Planet London, from the cinema blockbuster Pride
to new indie film Brace, with Emmerdale and Bad
Girls actress Alicya Eyo in a Q&A afterwards. Last
but by no means least, we always end the festival
with our Laughing Cows comedy night. This
years line-up is awesome, with new comic Lesley

Kershaw, Bethany Black (Cucumber and Banana)

and headliner Zoe Lyons (Mock The Week).
What have been your personal highlightsover
the years?
Oh, there have been so many! The L Project performance in 2012 was amazing, a real goose-bump
moment, and they have performed every year
since. I wish I actually got to see all these amazing
artists I book, but Im too busy! For me, its the
feedback of people enjoying the festival. I get
messages saying the festival has changed peoples
lives! They have met new friends, weve even had
an L Fest wedding and many relationships. One of
my favourite quotes is from a young girl who said
to her mum, Can we go to L Fest every weekend,
because everyone has two mums and no one gets
picked on.
What would your dream line-up be?
Another hard one! We take suggestions every year and Ive tried
to incorporate as many
of them as possible this
year, of course, including Lucy Spraggan. Many
people suggest Pink,
Melissa Etheridge,
Brandi Carlile
and Tegan and
Sara but Im
afraid my
budgets
just wont
stretch that
far. Maybe
if they are
reading this,
they may just
want to pop in
and support the
festival one year!
Where do you see yourself
and the festival in 10 years
time?
I hope it will be a thriving international festival. To
do this, we need your support to buy tickets and
to help spread the word! I have many more plans
to take the event even bigger and to add much
more year-round, community-based activities and
events. I love this job its hard work and takes
all year to put an event on of this size, but I never
want it to end and thank the continued support
of all the L Fest crew who volunteer to make the
festival happen.
Where can we buy tickets?
Just head to the website, lfest.co.uk. Festival
tickets are just 99 and include a huge programme
of activities and camping. We have day tickets,
under-16s are free and we have additional extras
including hotels and glamping yurts. I hope to see
you at L Fest 2015!

60 SECONDS WITH

L FESTS CINDY EDWARDS

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 25

024 pick n mix.indd 25

14/05/2015 16:44

More information on p5 | divadigital.co.uk

26 JUNE 2015

026 Q&A Soak.indd 26

13/05/2015 09:44

| Q&A | SOAK |

Shes toured with Tegan and Sara,

wowed crowds at this years SXSW and
been tipped by just about everyone as
the next big thing. And shes not even
released her album yet. We caught up
with SOAK, real name Bridie MondsWatson, to find out how shes keeping
her feet on the ground.
DIVA: Hows Italy?
SOAK: Its warm. And very Italian.
Youre on the road a lot just now.
How do you keep yourself sane?
When you do a lot of shows in a really
concentrated space of time, you just find
ways to make places homely. You have
to surround yourself with nice people,
otherwise I think you just go a bit mad.
Its pretty fun, the fact that youre in
different places all the time, is kind of
exciting. Its not easy to get bored.

EIGHTEENYEAR-OLD
SINGER
SONGWRITER
SOAK TOOK
SOME TIME
OUT FROM
HER CURRENT
TOUR TO
TALK ABOUT
SUCCESS,
CELEBRITY
AND HOMESICKNESS

INTERVIEW
CARRIE LYELL

Do you have any home comforts

with you when youre touring?
As long as I can contact my mates, then
Im alright. I dont really have a teddy
bear or a blanket or anything [laughs].
It must be hard being away, and
bridging that gap in geography and
lifestyle.
Yeah, I miss them a lot. But through
the wonders of technology, I can
contact them loads and theres lots
of occasions where they can come to
shows with me, and fly out to meet me
in different countries and stuff, so its
not all bad. But I do miss them. Its kind
of weird because we live a very different life. I think they kind of get where
Im coming from because they have
been there since I ever did anything. I
think they get me.
Everyones tripping over themselves
to tip you as the next big thing. Is it

Every
part of
the whole
celebrity/
famous
concept is
terrifying

overwhelming?
Its not overwhelming its really exciting. Its a bit pressure-y, knowing that
so many people are supporting you,
because obviously people are going
to expect big things, I guess. So thats
kind of scary. But also super exciting.
You seem so grounded. How!?
Ive grown up with my mates [who] if
I wasnt grounded would be the first
people to give me a really hard time
about it. I dont think Im that way
inclined, either.
You toured with Tegan and Sara.
Thats like every lesbians dream!
[Laughs] Yeah, I know. When I was 13 or
14 they were my heroes at the time so
to actually tour with them was really,
really cool.
The new album is amazing. How did
it come to life?
The album is kind of strange because
every song on the album came from a
different year. Ive pretty much been
writing the album since I was 13 not
consciously, but the album is a massive
collection of songs from the age of 13
until now. It sounds like a really odd,
non-direct or timeline-ish diary. Its
a weird concept I think for me, that
thats a large portion of my life thats
now little stories in an album.
Do you have a favourite track?
I think the one that means the most to
me is the very last track on the album,
which is a hidden track. Its called
Blind, and its a really short song, but
thats the last song on the album that I
wrote so I feel like thats the one right
now that means the most to me.
With success comes challenges. Is
there anything about being a celeb-

rity that worries you?

Every part of the whole celebrity/famous concept is terrifying. Id like to be
someone whos admired for their work,
as opposed to their identification as a
famous person. Obviously, the more
success that happens with your music,
the more people are going to hear it
and criticise it, so thats scary itself.
But I think it makes you a stronger
person in that regard, and you know
yourself well enough to deal with it.
Its cool I like getting free things as
well [laughs].
Everyone seems totally fascinated by
your age. Does that fixation annoy
you at all?
Im always quoted as wise beyond my
years and stuff like that, and I think
that is stupid because I dont understand why they dont just call me
wise. Theres multiple people my age
or around my age that are incredibly
talented songwriters lyrically or poets
or writers that maybe just havent got
light shone on them yet. I think its
ignorance for reviewers to call me that
just because Im young.
What are your plans for the
future?
For the next year, everything is more or
less already decided, which is an odd
idea. Ive got tonnes of festivals, and
then the album comes out so were
gonna tour that for as long as that is a
thing, until the next one. And then in
the grand scheme of five or 10 years?
Ive no idea. I kind of hope things keep
going this way.
Cover of DIVA one day?
[Laughs] Yep, front cover!

Before We Forget How To Dream is released on

1 June.
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 27

026 Q&A Soak.indd 27

14/05/2015 16:47

VOTED
UKS NO.2
BEST
PRIDE

PRIDE DAY
SATURDAY 11 JULY
CASTLE PARK
HEATHER SMALL
[M PEOPLE]

MARNIE [LADYTRON]
TINA COUSINS
KYM MAZELLE
AMELIA LILY
JUSTIN UTLEY
RYAN DOLAN
LA VOIX [BGT]
BOOGALOO STU
NINA
JSMV
TWISTED RIO
SALUTE

COMMUNITY AREA | FAMILY AREA

MARKET | PERFORMANCE + DJ HUB
CABARET STAGE WITH 25 ACTS INCLUDING:
OFA TUTU, DRAG WITH NO NAME, SANDRA & METH

[PLUS]

SON

5 SUPPORTER TICKETS AVAILABLE

FOR DISCOUNTS ON BARS , FOOD, AND FREE TRAVEL ON FIRST BUS BRISTOL

3 DONATION ENTRY

THE OFFICIAL PRIDE AFTERPARTY | O2 ACADEMY

BRISTOL PRIDE AND SWITCHING LANES PRESENT:

EUROFEST
+ NICKI FRENCH
& EUROBAND LIVE

SMOKIN JO

MAZE & MASTER

NATHAN THOMSON

D-T-Y-M
PSYCHO DRAMA
REVENGE OF THE 90S
DJ SJB + GUESTS

3 ROOMS OF DJS, PERFORMANCES, DANCERS + PLENTY OF SURPRISES - DRESS TO GO WILD!

10 OR 15 INCLUDES PRIDE DAY DISCOUNTS + FREE ENTRY TO QUEENSHILLING

PRIDE WEEK 3 - 12 JULY

FILM FESTIVAL | COMEDY FT. ZOE LYONS | THEATRE | GAYMING | ART
WALKS | TALKS | DOG SHOW | PERFORMANCES | OPEN AIR CINEMA
@WEAREFEST

WWW.PRIDEBRISTOL.CO.UK

/BRISPRIDE

THE UKS FIRST EVER EU GREEN CAPITAL PRIDE

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 28

12/05/2015 17:25

ESSENTIAL CLASSICAL & AMBIENT

COLLEEN

Captain of None (Thrill Jockey)

French multi-instrumentalist Colleen has

been making mysterious and compelling
ambient music for years. Infused with
African rhythms and percussion, her latest
album is her most hypnotic yet, layering
her intricate viola da gamba and delicate
vocals over deep dub loops, minimal bass
lines and delay/echo effects. Magical.

MUSIC

| REVIEWS |

Blissful disco: Roisin Murphy

FRANCIS MACDONALD
Music For String Quartet,
Piano and Celeste (TR7)

A prolific Scottish musician whos worked

with everyone from Belle and Sebastian
to Edwyn Collins, Francis Macdonald is
also a promising composer. Recorded
with the Scottish Ensemble, his solo debut
is a beautiful collection of minimalist
scores with echoes of Philip Glass. Led by
haunting strings and emotive piano, its
essential listening.

ROISIN MURPHY

Hairless Toys (Play It Again Sam)

Produced by regular collaborator Eddie Stevens, Roisin Murphys new album

deserves to be 2015s summer soundtrack. Opener Gone Fishing pays homage
to cult LGBQT documentary Paris is Burning, whilst Exploitation, Evil Eyes and
House of Glass are blissful disco and deep house numbers. Ambitiously, Hairless Toys also features two slow-burning blues ballads that feature Murphy
crooning seductively over Angelo Badalamenti-esque synths and slide-guitar.
Play louder.

DOWNLOAD THIS

BERNARD + EDITH
Jem (Bella Union)

Mancunian duo Bernard + Edith specialise

in sublime, three- to four-minute songs
infused with warmth, atmosphere and
otherworldliness. China, Underwater and
I Will Be marry Eastern percussion with
slow-motion, dream-pop, whilst Dagger,
Crocodile and Girls Night Out venture into
vintage Cocteau Twins territory with shimmering guitars and ethereal vocals.

GEORGE FITZGERALD
WORDS SARAH-JANE ROBERTS. PHOTOS ALICE BAXLEY, PAL HANSEN

Fading Love (Double Six)

For his solo debut, British DJ and producer

George FitzGerald has produced 10 tracks
of moody and exceedingly catchy synthpop. Anthemic numbers driven by euphoric beats and sizzling synths meet crisp
vocals and moody, electronic melodies.

DU BLONDE

THEA GILMORE

Welcome Back To Milk (Mute)

Ghosts & Graffiti ((Fulfill)

Inspired by Bowies constant reinvention, Beth Jeans

Houghton has reinvented herself as Du Blonde and
recorded an album of distilled soul and garage-rock.
Black Flag, Chips and Hard To Please feature pounding
drums, heavy guitar riffs and swaggering vocals,
whilst Wild, Four and After The Show are bittersweet
torch songs.

One of the most respected songwriters around, Thea

Gilmores 15th album including guest vocalists I Am
Kloot, Billy Bragg and Joan As Police Woman. Driven
forward by her rumbling guitar, honeyed alto and
raw lyrics, Ghosts includes four new songs alongside
re-recordings of her most seminal protest songs and
roots-rock numbers.

FRANCESCA BELMONTE
It Aint Me, Babe

JAMIE XX
Loud Places

JONES
Indulge

Francesca Belmonte deconstructs and reassembles a

classic Bob Dylan song as a
shimmering, digital R&B bomb.
Clever and v catchy.

Jamie XX teams up with bandmate Romy for this ace number

with subdued beats, cool vocals
and lush gospel handclaps.

East London newcomer Jones

croons, Im in danger but I
savour the thrill of you on this
sparse, sensual R&B gem.

Best tracks

IF YOU LIKE ELECTRO

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 29

029 music.indd 29

15/05/2015 11:09

| ADVERTORIAL |

G WEDDING DIRECTORY
The Ultimate Guide For Gay, Lesbian & Transgender Couples
The G Wedding Directory is the newest way to
source wedding services for your big day. Check
out our online magazine style directory for up-tothe-minute advice from some of the top suppliers
and service providers for British weddings.
We are proud to announce that all of the
businesses in the directory are either gay or gay
friendly.

Wedding Directory
The Ultimate Guide For Gay, Lesbian & Transgender Couples

Wherever you are in the UK, you will be able to nd

someone who will be more than happy to help you
organise your perfect day.
Each month on our website we have features on
how to plan dierent aspects of our wedding, with
as little stress as possible, using our nationwide
Directory.
Make sure you register your wedding online with
us to receive the most up to date information on
wedding services in your area and discounts from
our suppliers.
You can get the latest tips from Britains top
wedding celebrities on gweddingdirectory.com.
Or call us free on 0800 335 7570 to speak to
John, our in-house wedding adviser who can
help you decide which of the companies from our
nationwide directory will work best for you.
To advertise your services on gweddingdirectory.
com please call
020 3151 2427
Register your wedding at
www.gweddingdirectory.com

HOT TIPS

Get the latest

hot tips for your
wedding from
Britains top people
in the know

FIND everything

you need to help

you organise, plan
and design your
big day in our
online directory

FREE WEDDING

ADVICE HOTLINE

0800 3357570

REGISTER
YOUR
WEDDING
GET THE RIGHT
PEOPLE FOR THE JOB
www.gweddingdirectory.com

To advertise with us at G Wedding Directory: 020 3151 2427

Image: www.cassandrazetta.com

Register your wedding at gweddingdirectory.com

ENTER OUR FREE COMPETITION
TO WIN YOUR ENGAGEMENT
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM
PEPPERCORN PICTURES

DV227-GWedding.indd 34

09/04/2015 13:18

| REVIEWS |

Dir Elizabeth Banks

&ONLINE

FILM

PITCH PERFECT 2

Back in 2012, the first PP movie got young,

female bums on seats in unanticipated
numbers, lured by its standout majorityfemale comedy cast. Its victorious return
is slick and spectacular, with another
laugh-a-long script from Kay Cannon and
what feels like even more candy-coated a
cappella mash-ups. Offering a perfectly
harmonised ensemble of silly performances, the Barden Bellas dig deeper into
themes of friendship and collaboration.
Cynthia Roses (Ester Dean) lesbianism is
highlighted but theres more fun to be had
with the bi-curiousity of Chloe (Brittany
Snow), making you wish Fat Amy werent
the only one to get a romantic revelation.

Refreshingly heroic:
Melissa McCarthy in Spy

SPY

Dir Paul Feig

There are a lot of unanswered questions about your average Bond flick. What
exactly is so sexy about martinis, when will everyone admit how offensive the
whole Bond girl thing is, and how do secret agents know when someones
coming up behind them? At least one of these questions is answered in this
bang-on comedy parody starring Melissa McCarthy as an overlooked CIA operative who finally gets her own mission. Supremely likeable, she also gets to
play it refreshingly heroic earning more Brownie points for female-friendly
director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids). Miranda Hart plays her bessie and Rose
Byrne makes a surprisingly sympathetic villain.

In cinemas 15 May

In cinemas 5 June

GIRLHOOD

Dir Cline Sciamma

FILM FESTIVALS

WATCH THIS SPACE

Take your pick of two massive film festivals in June. In its 69th year, EIFF15 (17-28
June) features a roster of great new movies, including the odd queer gem. The
packed line-up at Sheffield (5-10 June)
includes Speed Sisters, about five female
motor racers on the West Bank.
Book tickets and see the full programme
at edfilmfest.org.uk and sheffdocfest.com

When Chicago-based filmmaker Michelle

Citron found Norma and Virginias
photographs, she knew she had to make
a film about them. From 19391975, the
couple took over 2,000 snapshots on a
Brownie camera, recording four decades
of lesbian life and love. The upcoming
documentary sheds light on a secret
queer history.
Find out more at livesvisible.com

WORDS LUCY PETERS (FILM), CARRIE LYELL (ONLINE)

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL
AND SHEFFIELD DOC/FEST

2014s Boyhood was widely praised for its

depiction of life as a privileged blonde
manchild. If only its audience could all be
persuaded to watch Cline Sciammas
searing account of life in the Paris projects
when youre young, black, female and
poor, with only your friends to stand by
you. This radiant coming-of-age story by
the director of Tomboy and Waterlilies
follows Marieme (Karidja Tour) as she
struggles to find a place in the world in
the face of her lack of prospects and the
abusive men around her. Her determination to beat the odds and find happiness
will stay with you.
In cinemas 8 May

DONT MISS

LIVES VISIBLE

A GIRL WALKS HOME

ALONE AT NIGHT

Director Ana Lily Amirpours debut movie

is advertised as the first ever Iranian
vampire western. That might be reason
enough to see it, but its also a slick,
glamorous creation thats getting its
young director compared to Lynch and
Tarantino. Go and savour its depiction
of a badass, chador-wearing female
vampire.
In cinemas 22 May

online
APP

VIDEO

BLOG

This great new events app, designed for the LGBT community,
works on any phone and takes
the strain out of spontaneity.
Pop in your preferences, and
let the app do the hard work
for you.

We were already pretty excited

about Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, and as much
as we loved her official video
featuring a lesbian couple, we
love comedian Kate McKinnons
spoof even more.

A brilliant blog by fat tattooed

femme Bethany Rutter. As well
as sharing excellent fashion tips,
Rutter also uses the space to talk
about topics close to her heart,
including a heartfelt piece titled
Thin Shaming Isnt Real.

ABOUT

aboutapp.lgbt

VOTE HILLARY

tinyurl.com/HillaryDIVA

ARCHED EYEBROW

archedeyebrow.com

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 31

031 film&online.indd 31

13/05/2015 09:42

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 32

13/05/2015 10:10

| REVIEWS |

THE RETURNED

Were completely gripped by the US

remake of French supernatural drama Les
Revenants. The series follows residents in
a small town whose lives are disrupted
when their dead begin reappearing, and
although many critics think it doesnt live
up to the original, this chilling series is still
a hit on Netflix. The fact that one of the
main characters is a lesbian doesnt hurt,
either. Recognise Dr Julie Han? Thats
because the actress, Sandrine Holt,
appeared in season four of The L Word as
professional gambler, Catherine Rothburg.
Netflix

The cast of OITNB are

bingewatching too...

TELEVISION

WHAT WERE WATCHING

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

pick

of the month

It might have escaped your attention (how?) but theres a new series of
Orange Is The New Black starting very soon and although details are thin on
the ground, we do know theres going to plenty of sex, scandal and slippers
made out of sanitary products. New faces, like Lori Petty, are on their way to
Litchfield, and were looking forward to getting to know more about how the
most established characters ended up behind bars. Well be watching it all on
12 June, so cut our your sick note (see p62), pick up the popcorn and join us for
a bingefest.

DONT MISS

FRANKLY KELLIE
MALONEY

Netflix, 12 June

Fans of Celebrity Big

Brother star Kellie
Maloney wont want
to miss this new
hour-long
documentary about
the former boxing
promoters very
public transition from male to female.
Frankly Kellie Maloney takes an in-depth
look at Kellies life through video diaries
and candid interviews, revealing what
impact her transistion has had on the
52-year-old and her family.

WE LOVE

GRACE AND FRANKIE

This hilarious and heartbreaking comedy, starring Jane Fonda

and Lily Tomlin, is our new best thing. Grace and Frankie are
two women whose lives are turned upside down when their
husbands come out as gay and leave them to be with each
other. Expect laughter and tears.
Netflix

WORDS CARRIE LYELL, PHOTOS JOJO WHILDEN/NETFLIX, JOSEPH LEDER

Channel 5, TBC

ON OUR RADAR

SHES IN LONDON

There are plenty of great LBQ-themed

web series out there, but so far none set
in the UK. Thats why were so excited
to hear about Shes In London, currently
being crowdfunded. The series revolves
around a lesbian bar in Soho and its
fight against gentrification, featuring
many familiar faces from the scene. The
campaign closes on 14 June, so donate
while you can!
bit.ly/SIL_KS

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR

QUEER STREET

We love the sound of this new six-part reality TV show, set on Manchesters Canal Street. Directed by Christopher
Kenna, each episode gives an insight into the individuals who work and play on the infamous street, from the
glamorous drag queens to the lesbian doorstaff. Kenna says: Its camp, its bitchy, flamboyant and crazy and
to be honest I enjoyed every minute. Queer Street doesnt have a UK broadcaster yet, but discussions are ongoing with BBC3. Watch this space.
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 33

033 TV.indd 33

14/05/2015 16:57

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 34

12/05/2015 17:25

| REVIEWS |
FICTION

BORING GIRLS
Sara Taylor

Right from the start you

know theres going to
be a terrible massacre in
this Canadian comingof-age novel narrated by bullied teen
misfit Rachel. She and new friend Fern
get into the heavy metal scene with
awful consequences, kicking off scenes of
blood-soaked revenge in a novel in which
the word fuck is used liberally.
ECW Press, 12.99

HISTORICAL FICTION

LONDON RAIN
Nicola Upson

Murder, affairs and

scandals rock the BBC in
the lead-up to the 1937
Coronation of George VI.
Bestselling lesbian writer Josephine Tey
is in town to oversee a radio production
and gets tangled up in the action in this
latest in the popular Tey series.
Faber, 12.99

SHORT FICTION

THE ISLE OF
YOUTH

Laura van den Berg

An impressive collection
of smart short stories
tinged with secrecy and
sadness from the O Henry Award winner.
Opa-locka, in which two sisters stakeout a suspected faithless husband, and
Antarctica, in which a woman seeks the
truth about her brothers death, are two
favourites.

Daunt Books, 9.99

FICTION

GIRL AT WAR

THE EVENING
CHORUS

BOOKS

FICTION

Helen Humphreys

To keep himself occupied, prisoner

of war James Hunter embarks on a
study of a group of nesting redstarts,
recording their mating and parenting behaviour and his own questions
about the nature of individuality
and success. He includes some of his
observations in his letters home, but
back in their cottage in the English
countryside, his new wife Rose, now
in the midst of an affair with another
man, can barely remember him.
As Rose struggles to bring herself to ask James for a divorce, his sister Enid
is made homeless by bombing and moves in with her. Enid brings her own
secrets, and the two women make a connection that continues to resonate
S
S
I
M
DONELTEN HUMPHRITEYESRARY years later.
CATCH HT THE POLARI LBANK
Set in the 1940s, The Evening Chorus is a subtle, lyrical novel about war
A
UTH
READINLGON AT THE SOJU
E
N
and the natural world and their effects on human beings. Beautifully
SA ENTRE IN
C
K,
RE.CO.U
N KC E N T N
A
B
H
written,
the story it tells about the secrets and nuances within relationT
U
SO
ISALO
@ P OL A R
ships, some expected, others surprising, makes this novel a quiet pleasure.
Serpents Tail, 11.99

FEMINISM/POLITICS

DO IT LIKE A WOMAN
Caroline Criado-Perez

Celebrating womens rights activists from around the world, CriadoPerez introduces an Antarctic explorer, a graffiti artist, a sports journalist
and a robotics expert, among others, and talks about her own experiences as a campaigner. The big message: change the world.
Portobello, 12.99
ACTIVISM

HOW TO START A REVOLUTION

Lucy-Anne Holmes

Do you have a cause you want to campaign for but you arent sure how
to get going? Find tips in this little book from No More Page 3 campaign
founder Lucy-Anne Holmes, who here tells her story and shares her
advice on starting your own revolution.
Corgi, 2.99, ebook 99p

WORDS EDEN CARTER WOOD

Sara Novi

Tomboy Anas sunny,

carefree childhood is lost
when civil war arrives
in Zagreb and she must
escape to America. Her return to Croatia
post 9/11 forces her to confront the bloody
events of her past and the meaning of
home in this big-hitting debut.
Little, Brown, 16.99

FICTION

DIARY OF A BROKEN HEART

Karen Campbell

Thirty-eight-year-old single Tesco nightshift employee Viv Westwood

describes herself as a right fat cow who watches Jeremy Kyle. The
jokey tone of her early diary entries moves into slightly different territory when she is diagnosed with cervical cancer in this self-published
lesbian romcom.
10.44, ebook 3.50

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 35

035 books.indd 35

13/05/2015 09:41

| INTERVIEW | LIZ KESSLER |

Why my new book

lay unpublished
for a decade
Life is good and getting even better
for bestselling childrens author Liz
Kessler. Having recently married, the
former teacher and creator of the popular Emily Windsnap series now has
something else to celebrate, with the
publication of Read Me Like A Book,
her first title for readers aged 14+.
The thriving YA genre is an exciting place to be, Kessler enthuses,
name-checking The Booksellers new
YA Book Prize as well as a London
Film And Comic Con YALC event shell
be taking part in later this year. Shes
clearly thrilled to be in the thick of it.
Kesslers appearance at the YA
party has been a long time coming.
Written around 15 years ago during
her Masters in creative writing, her
forthcoming novel, a lesbian coming
out story, was initially turned down
by several publishers. Times were very
different then, Kessler notes seriously.
We were still at the tail end of the
era of Section 28, when we were
sending it out, 12, 13 years ago. I could
say that they didnt accept it because
times were not as accepting of LGBT
stuff as they are now or they might
have just thought it wasnt very good.
I dont know. She pauses. They
didnt want it.
Undeterred, the aspiring author
turned to another idea, a series for
younger children featuring Emily
Windsnap, a girl who discovers she is
a mermaid. Was Emilys story of selfdiscovery and disclosure intended as
an alternative coming out narrative?
Kessler laughs. No, she didnt pick up
on that until her brother pointed it
out a couple of years on, she admits
ruefully.

CHILDRENS
AUTHOR LIZ
KESSLERS
NEW NOVEL
WAS THE FIRST
BOOK SHE
EVER WROTE,
A LESBIAN
COMING OF
AGE STORY
FOR YOUNG
ADULTS

WORDS EDEN
CARTER WOOD

I did have
a quite
gratuitous
three-page
lesbian sex
scene in it,
but I was
persuaded
that less
was more

Happily for Kessler, the Emily

Windsnap series proved to be a great
success and she went on to publish a
fairy-themed childrens series featuring
Philippa Fisher, a series starring Poppy
the Pirate Dog, and several other
standalone books for children. Then, a
couple of years ago, something shifted.
Finding herself repeatedly moved to
tears by The L Projects It Does Get
Better song and wanting to make a
difference, Kessler decided to revisit
her first manuscript. If she could only
publish one more book, shed come to
realise, she wanted it to be this one.
Her publishers, Orion, were receptive and agreed to take on the book,
and Kessler began extensive revisions,
which included updating various
cultural references and adding details
to reflect the way teens communicate
now. She also decided to come out to
her established readership via a heartfelt blog post that included pictures
of her civil partnership ceremony. I
was quite nervous, Kessler remembers of her disclosure, but she found
the response to be overwhelmingly
supportive.
Read Me Like A Book tells the story
of 17-year-old student Ash, who in the
midst of her parents marital problems,
studying for exams and issues with
love-interest Dylan, discovers she has
strong feelings for her inspirational
English teacher Miss Murray. As with
many first books, Kessler says, there
is an underlying autobiographical
element in hers; at school she, like Ash,
had an immensely influential English
teacher. I changed from being a bit
of a tear-away to someone who cared
about literature and then cared about

myself, Kessler remembers. She had

a massive impact on my life. Im still
friendly with her now and shes so supportive of this book and so happy for
me that this is happening.
The novels premise might invite
comparisons to films like Loving Annabelle (which Kessler hasnt seen), in
which a relationship between a teacher
and her female student is consummated, but Kessler was adamant that Ashs
story wouldnt take that path.
I felt like if anything inappropriate
happened in the book people would
say, Oh is that about you and your
English teacher? she says. And I dont
want to get messy like that, because
what I had was an incredibly inspiring
teacher and what Ash has is an incredibly inspiring teacher, which for Ash is
also getting confused with the development of her sexuality. A kiss between
Miss Murray and Ash was cut from an
earlier draft, as were other scenes, on
the advice of her editor, Kessler says. I
did have a quite gratuitous three-page
lesbian sex scene in it, but I was persuaded that less was more, she laughs.
With plans underway to work with
Stonewall in schools, both Kessler and
her handpicked publicity team hope
that Ashs story will not only make a
difference to LGBT teens but will find
a wide, mainstream readership. After
all, its not just a book about coming
out, but a book about fear of
pregnancy, about parents divorcing,
about A-levels and first love, Kessler
points out. Id love it to have wide
appeal.

Read Me Like A Book is available now, 10.99.

Find out more at lizkessler.co.uk

36 JUNE 2015

036 l kessler.indd 36

13/05/2015 09:41

PHOTO MARK NOALL

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 37

036 l kessler.indd 37

13/05/2015 09:41

| Q&A | PEGGY SEEGER |

More information on p5 | divadigital.co.uk

DIVA: I found your new album,

Everything Changes, expressive and
moving. What was your foremost
wish for this latest album?
PEGGY SEEGER: Thats nice to hear. I
suppose my main wish was just to sing
it all well my voice has inevitably
changed with age. Some of the songs
were written with other people, so
mostly, I wanted to make sure that I did
the songs justice.
What did you learn when you were
working on the album with your son
Calum?
It always gives me great pleasure to
watch my sons, Calum and Neill, work.
Calum was producer, director and
played on the album. He chose the
musicians and created a wonderful
atmosphere in the studio it was both
cheerful and productive. Sometimes
I felt like a fly on the wall, watching
what was going on, but this was very
liberating. It was a change for me to
just concentrate on singing rather than
playing as well, and gave me a sense of
freedom that Ive rarely had. I felt I was
a bird that had been given wings.
Folk music is a versatile genre and
it sounds as if through it you have
found your freedom. What does it
mean to you to be able to write and
make music?
I think folk songs are very versatile,
mainly because they generally werent/

arent necessarily written as commercial songs. The old, traditional folk

songs were sung out of experiences
hardship, love, passion, war, work, sport
much more varied subject matter than
pop music is. Folk music is closely related to speech and, like jazz and blues,
is less formal than pop music. These
songs can be sung by anyone, by people
dont want to get up on stage; sung
solo or in social groups. Its music that
you can sing to yourself. I sang old folk
songs until I was about 23 or 24 and
when I met Ewan (MacColl) I became
more interested in writing. He used
to say that song-writing helps you to
live at the same time as yourself. The
experience of singing with him helped
me to transpose the genes of folk songs
into new songs. Writing songs that had
different constraints and goals really
helped me, as did employing some
of my musical knowledge in classical
music I was a trained pianist in writing new songs. Its a mental, emotional,
political and musical experience a
very complete process.
Have you written songs that celebrate romantic love for women?
Oh goodness, Ive written about 20
songs for my partner, Irene PyperScott, but I wouldnt describe any of
them as being gender specific; just like
most folk songs, they could be about
love between two men, love between
a man and a woman or love between
two women but Ive definitely written
them for her, with her in mind. My
poetry, on the other hand, is womanto-woman, some of it very explicit!
Im going to be putting out an album
sometime in the autumn called Love
Unbidden, which will be poetry with
five or six songs scattered throughout
it. Ive also put my songs for Irene on
various different albums. Youve made
me think perhaps its time I put them
all on one album?
Was it an easy transition for you and
those around you to move from loving a man to loving a woman?
Only in terms of the way that society looks at it. Loving a man seemed
totally natural and loving a woman

AS SHE
PREPARES TO
CELEBRATE
HER 80TH
BIRTHDAY, A
NEW ALBUM
AND A TOUR,
FOLK SINGER
PEGGY SEEGER
FINDS A
MOMENT TO
SPEAK TO JANE
CZYZSELSKA

We dont
live in a
society
made for
older
people or
for women

seemed totally natural, too. I find that

getting older and the fact that in this
last year Ive started looking like a
scarecrow, well, I think its easier for
another woman to take what I look
like now than it would have been for
a man. There are some very basic differences a womans body is like your
own, so you give what you expect and
you often expect what you give. With
a man youre dealing with something
else, especially as the man gets older.
Theres his pride and his need in
my experience, a mans need is much
more insistent than a womans. With
women, you progress at a womans
pace. In terms of a social image, you
never know what people are thinking
and so you just have to walk around
with your heart on your sleeve saying,
This is what I am. I didnt come out
as such, but I let everybody know I was
in love with a woman. My family were
very supportive. I loved Ewan dearly
and I love Irene dearly. It was different,
different but equal.
Lesbian culture is very youthoriented so I wonder if you consider
yourself to belong to a community
of lesbians? Who do you feel you
have kinship with?
Lets face it, heterosexual love is pretty
youth-orientated, isnt it? You dont
hear terribly much about 70-year-olds
or 80-year-olds who fall in love. Its
youth right across the spectrum. The
babies are running the nursery, which
is, of course, insane. Wherever we go,
we hear youth-orientated music or
male-orientated music we dont live
in a society made for older people or
for women. I was reading about how
cities are designed and its not a
priority to make women feel safe, so
therefore its not reflecting our needs.
Im incredibly fortunate to belong to
several different communities women, performers, family and sometimes they overlap and sometimes
they dont. Theyre all just as important to me as each other, though.

Peggy Seegers album, Everything Changes, is on

sale now. Peggy tours the UK from 3-28 June 2015.
For further details, visit peggyseeger.com.

PHOTO NICK ELLIOT

member of the North

American musical Seeger
family, singer-songwriter
Peggy Seeger is a folk
singer and an activist
song-maker. She plays
six instruments: piano,
guitar, five-string banjo,
Appalachian dulcimer,
autoharp and English
concertina; she has recorded 23 solo
albums and participated directly in
more than a hundred others. She lived
in England for 35 years with the singer/
song-writer Ewan MacColl and has
three children and nine grandchildren.
She now lives in Oxford with her civil
partner, Irene Pyper-Scott.

38 JUNE 2015

038 peggy seeger.indd 38

14/05/2015 17:01

Generations of love

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 39

038 peggy seeger.indd 39

13/05/2015 09:40

Into the light

I have become accustomed to the darkness, says Jesc Bunyard, with a smile.
I spent most of the third year of BA in
the darkroom. While the artist might be
toiling away in the dark, Bunyards audience gets to luxuriate in the sumptuously
rich colours of the photograms that she
produces like cells of dye, they seem
to breathe and expand as you gaze upon
them.
Photography has always run through
Bunyards practice, although filmic work
grew within the second year of her BA at
Goldsmiths (completed in 2013), where
she also set up a music group, comprising
fellow artists and musicians. Initially this
developed out of an interest for wanting
to push the photograph beyond its twodimensional boundaries, she explains. I
want the medium to be seen as something
more than just a picture you can hang on a
wall. So, I started by displaying my photograms alongside a soundtrack I created.

For Photo Piece, a collaboration with

the Angel Orchestra, Bunyards photograms were used by the musicians as a
visual score for an improvised piece,
performed just before the interval at a
classical concert, with no warning to the
audience. This intervention was described
as anarchic by one of the musicians
involved. A baritone horn player herself,
Bunyard laughs: I like to think of myself as
setting up the parameters for a work and
then unleashing it in order for it to be
experienced and participated in.

JESC
BUNYARDS
RICHLYCOLOURED
PHOTOGRAMS,
EXHIBITED
TO MUSIC,
CAPTIVATE
ANNA MCNAY

jessicabunyard.com
A finalist in the juried Art competition, Jesc Bunyard
will be showing two film works at Digital Graffiti, Alys
Beach, Florida, 4-6 June 2015. digitalgraffiti.com
She will also be showing at the Wysing Arts Centre
annual art and music festival, Space-Time: The
Multiverse, on 5 September 2015. wysingartscentre.org/
whats_on/annual_music_festival

This page:
Untitled (Cross),
2014, Digital Film
Next page left to right and
top to bottom:
Untitled,
C-Type Photogram 1-6,
2013

40 JUNE 2015

040 portfolio.indd 40

14/05/2015 17:16

| PORTFOLIO | JESC BUNYARD |

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 41

040 portfolio.indd 41

13/05/2015 09:39

ecently this
magazine posted
a news story
from its website
divamag.co.uk
to its Facebook
page, reporting
on a study that
found people
who mentioned
a prominent role
in a university LGBT society on their
CV were 5% less likely to be offered
a job interview. I was surprised that
the majority of the comments werent
concerned about the findings. Instead,
they disagreed with the research based

NEW
RESEARCH
SAYS SOME
EMPLOYERS
DISCRIMINATE
AGAINST LGBT
JOB-SEEKERS.
BUT IS IT TRUE
AND DOES IT
MATTER?

WORDS DR EMILY
NORDMANN

on their own positive experiences

of job-seeking or hiring with some
describing the research as scaremongering and suggested that this type
of discrimination doesnt exist. I find
this incredibly worrying and wanted to
clarify what the research actually did,
and make the case for why this type of
research isnt scaremongering but is
really, really important.
The study was conducted by Dr
Nick Drydakis from Anglia Ruskin
University. Drydakis recruited 144
third-year students from across the
UK. Seventy-two of the students CVs
mentioned a prominent role in their
universitys LGBT society and the other

72 a role in a human rights organisation. Drydakis created 72 pairs of students, one LGBT, one non-LGBT, who
were matched on skills, experience,
age, gender, ethnicity and academic
grades. Cover letters and CVs were
then checked by the HR department to
make sure that one of the pair was not
better than the other, regardless of
LGBT association. The only difference
between the pairs was whether they
mentioned the LGBT society.
The students applied to 5,549 different firms, with each firm receiving
an application from a matched LGBT
and non-LGBT student. Drydakis found
that those who mentioned having a

42 JUNE 2015

042 employment.indd 42

13/05/2015 09:39

| FEATURE | EMPLOYMENT RESEARCH |

role in an LGBT society were 5% less
likely to be offered a job interview
than those who didnt. He also found
that LGBT students were offered
interviews for jobs that paid less than
the jobs non-LGBT applicants were
offered interviews for. Additionally,
LGBT CVs were less likely to be offered
interviews for positions in which
stereotypical masculine or feminine
personality traits were highlighted in
the job description.
Why am I so worried about the
comments that were written below the
news story? There are a few reasons.
First, theres some misunderstanding
of what the study did. Some people
asked, Why you would mention your
sexuality in a job interview? If this was
the case, Id agree that talking about
your sexuality in an interview where
its not relevant would be inappropriate. Other comments mentioned
sexual orientation questions on equal
opportunities forms that employers
could use to discriminate. Dr Drydakis
didnt look at interviews or equal opportunity forms. The only difference
between the LGBT and non-LGBT
applications was the role in an LGBT
society. This is a crucial point. None of
the LGBT applicants explicitly revealed
their sexuality in an interview or on an
equal opportunities form. They simply
noted that they had a prominent role
in an LGBT society.
The reason that we do research
is so that we can try and control for
all other factors that might affect the
outcome, so that we can determine
whether one thing makes any difference. For this study, the ability, skills,
experience, age, gender, ethnicity and
academic aptitude of the applicants
were controlled by matching the CVs
into pairs. By conducting the study in
this way, the only difference between
the two groups is the manipulation
the type of student society so
if theres a difference between the
groups results then its extremely
likely that its caused by that manipulation. This research is really important
because it suggests a very subtle type
of discrimination that employers themselves may not even be aware of.
Whats particularly concerning is
that students are actively encouraged
to take roles in university societies and
to put them on their CV. I teach second
year psychology students and only a
few weeks ago we had a class on how

to enhance their employability one

of the things stressed was this type of
extra-curricular activity. If a student has
put their time and effort into taking a
role that requires leadership and organisational skills, why shouldnt they put it
on their CV? This research indicates its
not quite as simple as that.
The second thing I found worrying
was the number of people who felt
that their own positive experience of
being out whilst job-hunting means
this type of discrimination doesnt
exist. Theres a saying, The plural of
anecdote is not data, which basically
means that just because you know
someone who smoked 40 cigarettes a
day for 40 years and died peacefully in
their bed at the age of 104 it doesnt
mean that cigarettes arent bad for
you. We cant rely on personal stories
to get a true picture of discrimination
because they dont control for all
those other factors like age, skill and
ability, and theyre not representative
of the bigger picture.
This study recruited participants
from all across the UK and sent out
applications to thousands of companies. A 5% reduction in interview offers
translates to 1 out of 20. As an individual, its small enough that youre unlikely to notice but when we apply that
figure to the entire LGBT population,
thats thousands of interview offers
that arent being made. Without these
types of studies its very hard to know
that discrimination is occurring at the
level of interview offers. Its easier to
see when an interview panel is being
homophobic, or if you get the job and
suffer discrimination in the workplace,
and the Equality Act (2010) is in place
to protect us against this. But to notice
the discrimination requires you to get
a foot in the door.
Personally, I have never experienced
discrimination because of my sexuality
when it comes to job-hunting. I went
to my interview at Aberdeen dressed
like the lovechild of Bette and Shane,
and got the job. I am out to all of my
colleagues and my students, and six
years later I have a PhD, a promotion
and a permanent contract. But this is
the great thing about well-conducted
research: it doesnt care about your
personal experience. If its done well,
it just reports the facts, and we need
the facts.
The Equality Act (2010) means its
illegal to refuse a job applicant on

I went
to my
interview
dressed
like the
lovechild of
Bette and
Shane, and
got the job

the basis of their sexuality. The act

does not mean that discrimination
doesnt exist. Studies like the one by
Dr Drydakis allow us to see the bigger
picture and ask questions. Are employers aware that they are discriminating
against LGBT applicants? If they are,
this is serious because its illegal. If
theyre not, what can we do to reduce
unconscious discrimination?
When I asked Stonewall for their
view, they told me: These figures go
to show that lesbian, gay, bisexual and
trans people are still far from equal in
society. Wed argue that these organisations who do discriminate on the
grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity are, perhaps deservedly,
missing out. A diverse workforce can
both boost innovation and, and can be
more representative of your market
and client or customer demographic.
In other words, this type of research
provides organisations like Stonewall
with evidence that a problem exists or
persists, and helps them to target their
campaigns.
Theres a popular belief that
companies have quotas for recruiting
LGBT employees; this is simply not
true. Organisations may have targets
for a diverse workforce and try to provide an LGBT-friendly workplace, but
discrimination laws work both ways:
you cant legally hire someone because
theyre LGBT.
Finally, this research is important
because, if youre applying for a job
in the UK, you should know this is a
potential issue. Many people said they
wouldnt want to work for a company
that would discriminate on the basis
of sexuality. I agree. If Id been asked in
my interview why I was wearing a shirt
and tie, I would have responded, Because I look fabulous, and walked out.
But that would have been my informed
decision because the discrimination
would have been clear.
For some people, equality and the
right to put your experience on your
CV is worth not getting a job. For
others, its not worth it, and thats
rightfully their decision. But in order to
make that decision and enact positive
change, we have to be objectively
informed.

What do you think? Tell us at

letters@divamag.co.uk.
Dr Emily Nordmann is a Teaching Fellow in
Psychology at the University of Aberdeen.
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 43

042 employment.indd 43

13/05/2015 09:39

| FEATURE | LESBIANS IN PRISON |

ike any gay lady worth her

dungarees, I love a good
prison drama. My brother
and I used to stay up late
watching episodes of
Prisoner Cell Block H on the
newly-launched Channel 5,
and I had my first lesbian
epiphany while watching
Bad Girls. Fifteen years on,
that love hasnt diminished. I inhaled
season two of Orange Is The New
Black in one day.
Im not alone. As we go to press,
lesbians around the world are foaming at the mouth as we edge closer
to season three of Orange, and this
infatuation with incarceration shows
no sign of letting up. But as much as
I love these shows, theres also something I find deeply troubling about the
trivialisation of prison life, and the way
its portrayed as a hot-bed of lesbian
sex. What about the real women? What
about their stories?
Twenty-nine-year-old Sophie
Barton-Hawkins spent three years
inside. Articulate and softly spoken, I
find it hard to imagine her behind bars.
I cannot relate to who I was then, she
tells me.
Raised in Gloucestershire, Sophie
had a good upbringing and despite
being a sole carer for her mum, who
had MS, from the age of 11, she got a
good education and held down jobs.
But things soon began to spiral out of
control. Struggling to cope with being
gay in what she calls a very white,
very conservative town, combined
with losing her mum at 18, Sophie
found herself with a massive cocaine
addiction. I hid a lot in drugs, she
says. I was really angry.
It was only a matter of time before
she found herself in serious trouble.
But it wasnt drugs that landed Sophie
in prison, but arson.
I was in my friends block of flats
and we were off our faces, she says
quietly. There were some bins outside
the building and I set fire to them. I
have no idea what was going through
my mind. Thankfully no one was
hurt, but the judge took a dim view of

WERE
FASCINATED
WITH PRISON
DRAMAS,
BUT WHAT IS
THE REALITY?
FORMER
PRISONER
SOPHIE
BARTONHAWKINS
OPENS UP
ABOUT HER
TIME BEHIND
BARS

WORDS CARRIE LYELL

You gotta
do what you
gotta do
to survive.
Different
rules,
different
world,
different
law

her reckless behaviour and aged just

21, Sophie was sentenced to concurrent six-year, five-year and four-year
sentences. What was that like? A little
scary, she says. I felt so out of my
depth.
Held on remand for six months,
on her first day in prison, Sophie was
strip-searched the most degrading experience ever, she says: I
remember standing there crying and
screaming and bawling, Im not taking
my clothes off, I dont want you to see
me naked.
Her anger was at boiling point, and
Sophie was moved between prisons
three times due to unruly behaviour.
At one point she was even branded
the worst female inmate in the prison
system. My reputation definitely
preceded me, she says. The staff
knew of me, theyd all be warned that
I was coming in, so they were already
waiting for me to fuck up. To cut up. To
screw up.
On one occasion, Sophie kicked the
legs out from an officer and cracked
her head open. I feel really bad about
[that], she says remorsefully. I did
stuff in prison that I wouldnt ever do.
Ever do. Anywhere else. I dont fight.
But in certain situations you have to
resort to violence and morally that
completely went against everything I
believed in. But you gotta do what you
gotta do to survive. Different rules,
different world, different law.
Once inside, it took Sophie a while
to settle into prison life. I remember
my first two weeks, I felt like an alien,
she says. Confused by the prison lingo,
and feeling out of her depth, it was
another six months before prison felt
normal. I [became] very numb to
seeing people getting battered, she
tells me. I became very numb to hearing girls having drugs that theyd put
up themselves removed with a plastic
spoon. I became very immune to
peoples mental health problems. You
become very numb, I think. Quite deadened to a lot of extreme behaviour.
But despite many parts of her experience being genuinely harrowing she
shows me her scars from self-harming

Real
life
behind
bars

44 JUNE 2015

044 lesbian in prison.indd 44

13/05/2015 09:38

PORTRAIT CARRIE LYELL

Looking forward: Sophie BartonHawkins reflects on life after prison

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 45

044 lesbian in prison.indd 45

13/05/2015 09:38

If you dream
of having a baby
and need IVF
give yourself the
very best chance
We offer donor insemination
treatment, IVF with donor sperm
or treatment through a known
donor. Our egg sharing programme
provides free IVF treatment
for women who are under
35 years old and
qualify as egg donors

Tel: 0207 616 6767

carefertility.com/London
Our London clinic: CRM CARE London, Park Lorne, 111 Park Road, London, NW8 7JL
DV228-DISPLAY.indd 46

12/05/2015 17:26

| FEATURE | LESBIANS IN PRISON |

she says she doesnt regret it.
I look back on prison fondly. You
can have the funniest times, she
smiles. New Years Eve was great.
We were all running around, making
toilet roll streamers, launching toilet
roll down the landing. Wed all bought
little bits on canteen, like Wotsits, so
we had a buffet party and all the black
women were winding and grinding, we
had a little catwalk up and down the
landing. It was like being a child again.
After a difficult start, Sophie
somehow managed to turn her life
around. She taught herself how to
play guitar, began to write poetry
and became involved with projects
like Women In Prison. Her behaviour
calmed, and within a matter of months
became what she jokingly refers to
as the poster girl for prison reform.
She made some friends, and there was
romance, too. I had a lot of relationships, she laughs. So the hot-bed of
lesbian sex thing is true, I ask? She
shakes her head. They werent really
sexual. You could probably have a lot
of sex in prison [but] whether youd
want to have sex with a lot of the
women in prison is a different matter.
Theres a lot of hepatitis.
As well as relationships between
prisoners, Sophie says there were also
prisoner-staff relationships, echoing
storylines like Daya and Bennett in
Orange. When I was in my last prison,
there were at least five [male] officers
who got suspended for having sex with
female inmates. Relationships like
that of Nikki and Helen in Bad Girls
werent so common, though. I didnt
know of any female staff-to-female
inmate relationships, she says. Being
a lesbian in prison was quite hard.
Does she watch those shows? Yes,
Sophie says, but doesnt think they accurately convey the lows experienced
by women inside. The lowest points
are always shown when the doors are
open, Sophie says. Reality is, you get
off the phone, youll cry, youll go back
to your room and within five minutes
youre locked up. So whatevers just
been said in that phone call, no one
knows about apart from you. It doesnt
do justice to the lowest points, at all.
Is there anything they get right? I
think its helpful to show that women
do stick together. And that we are
fucking resilient. She pauses for a
minute before going on. And you do
get the mother hens. You can kind of

RESOURCES
Women In Prison
womeninprison.
org.uk
Bent Bars LGBT
letter writing
project
bentbarsproject.
org
St Giles Trust
stgilestrust.org.uk
Prisoners
Families
prisonersfamilies.
org.uk
Prison Reform
Trust
prisonreformtrust.
org.uk
Koestler Trust: Art
by Offenders
koestlertrust.
org.uk

Even
now, five
years after
getting out,
Im still
adjusting

tell who the good mums are by how

they react to the younger inmates.
I had a couple of people who were
essentially my prison mums, they were
mainly lifers [who were] removed
from their kids, and I was about the
same age, so they took me under their
wing, gave me tobacco when I ran out,
and we had a very good relationship.
I could go to them if I was upset but
then if theyre locked up as well, you
cant go to them.
I think the TV shows do show that
women do stick together, and they do
show that women are bitchy, and it
does show that there is violence. You
dont get raped in the showers [though],
because thats just not the way it works.
Youre going to get raped in your cell
with a plastic spoon to get drugs out of
you. So I think the stuff theyre trying to
shock people with isnt shocking.
While it took Sophie six months to
adjust to life inside, it took much longer to adapt to life outside following
her release. Even now, five years later,
Im probably still adjusting, she says.
But I think some people just dont
adjust. She tells me about one woman
she knew whos been in prison for 10
years, and doesnt know when shell be
released. Facebook didnt exist when
she went in, Sophie says. Howd you
explain Facebook to someone whos
never been on it? The last 10 years, the
world has moved so quickly, that when
she gets out shes more likely to go
back into prison because she just wont
understand. She will be like a fish out
of water.
Sophie was lucky. She had support
from family and friends, managed to
save up money which allowed her to
get her own flat, and says shes never
struggled to find work because of her
criminal record. I use prison as my
unique selling point, she says.
Her experience has allowed her to
work with female offenders, supporting them with drug and alcohol abuse,
and shes also been a mental health
community support worker and a troubled family keyworker. For that job, I
remember going to the interview and
they said, What can you bring to this
team that no one else will have? and I
said, Well, I can bring you a knowledge
of what life is like being inside a prison
cell, because I guarantee most of the
people Im gonna work with are going
to have some form of criminal background and I understand how much

of a negative impact having a criminal

record can have.
Sophies trying to put prison life
behind her and today, she enjoys a
happy family life with her partner and
13-year-old step daughter. Its a bit
weird Im suddenly a proper adult!
she laughs. But prison has changed
her. The relationship does struggle
because Im so closed. And whenever
I see any major drama or emotional
outburst, my gut instinct now is just to
switch off.
But without any counselling, how
does she cope? When youre in prison,
you hear all these stories we had female child soldiers from Sierra Leone,
and [their experiences] were proper
heartbreaking and harrowing. But you
cant process it when youre in prison
because youre so wrapped up in your
own world.
While shes never been diagnosed
with PTSD, Sophie says she suffers
from flashbacks. I wonder whether its
similar to a soldier coming back from
war and trying to adjust to a civilian
life? Sophie nods. Youre just not
the same. I saw a girl get smashed over
the head with a fire extinguisher, and I
literally saw her skull open. If you see
something like that on the street, you
look away, but in prison you cant. I
think the extreme levels of violence
and depravity that some women can
the lengths that some women will get
to is quite shocking, and I think thats
what I struggle to deal with because
I look at a lot of people now and go,
Not sure if I can trust you. Because Im
constantly thinking of all the people
Ive met in prison.
With the female prison population
increasing dramatically year on year, I
wonder if its time to turn off the TV
for a while and do something to help
these women, many of whom are
vulnerable and there because of male
violence. The best way to support
people is just to give them a chance,
Sophie says. Judge them on their
merit, not on their past, and if you
have the opportunity to get involved
and volunteer with an offender,
ex-offender, then I think its worth
doing. If someone can give up two
hours of their time to meet someone
whos come out of prison, just so that
theyve got someone whos removed
from their friendship circle to talk to
and bounce ideas of, I think thats
really valuable.
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 47

044 lesbian in prison.indd 47

13/05/2015 09:38

With more than 50 Pride events in the

UK alone, knowing whats on and when
can be a bit overwhelming. Fear not
weve compiled all the dates in one
easy A-Z, so you can stop panicking
and get back to outfit-planning.

BARNSLEY

BELFAST

BIRMINGHAM

MANDELA GARDENS | 6 SEPTEMBER

Bringing a splash of colour to South Yorkshire since

2009, Barnsley is a lovely local Pride for those who
dont want to travel too far.
tinyurl.com/barnsleyDIVA
THE SQUARE | 24 JULY

Details havent been released yet, but this 25th

anniversary special is bound to be full of surprises.
belfastpride.com
CITY CENTRE | 23 MAY

If Jimmy Somerville and Boney M on the main

stage dont do it for you, perhaps a Pride Dog
Show or Miss Wet T Shirt will.
birminghampride.com

BLACKPOOL

WINTER GARDENS | 13 JUNE

Two words: The Krankies.

blackpoolpridefest.com

BOURNEMOUTH

BRADFORD

EAST CLIFF | 10 JULY

Bourne Free does Broadway who needs New

York?
bournefree.co.uk
CENTENARY SQUARE | 30 MAY

X Factor rejects Diva Fever and a Tina Turner lookalike? Were there.
bradfordpride.org.uk

BRIGHTON

MADIERA DRIVE/PRESTON PARK | 1 AUGUST

Considered to be one of the best Pride events in

the world, this years theme is Carnival of Diversity.
Grammy award winner Jess Glynne performs.
brightonpride.org

BRISTOL

CHESTER

CASTLE PARK | 11 JULY

You had us at Ladytron.

pridebristol.co.uk

CASTLE SQUARE | 3 OCTOBER

Its the last Pride of the season, so go along and

wave that rainbow flag one last time.
chesterpride.co.uk

10

CHESTERFIELD

QUEENS PARK | 26 JULY

Chesterfields first ever Pride event is sure to be

special.
chesterfieldpride.co.uk

DIVAS HANDY
PRIDE GUIDE
HELPS YOU
ORGANISE
YOUR DIARY
WITHOUT THE
DRAMA

WORDS CARRIE LYELL

11

CORNWALL

TRURO LEMON QUAY | 29 AUGUST

With LGBT rights being eroded across the world

and tension bubbling closer to home, Cornwalls
theme of solidarity is more important than ever.
cornwallpride.com

12

COVENTRY

FARGO VILLAGE | 27 JUNE

This family-friendly Pride is the first in Coventry,

and were looking forward to finding out what
surprises they have in store.
facebook.com/coventrypride

13

CUMBRIA

CITY CENTRE | 20 JUNE

Kelly Llorena? Marc Almond? Save us a spot by the

main stage.
cumbriapride.org

14 CYMRU

CARDIFF COOPERS FIELD | 15 AUGUST

Eternal! Stooshe! Misha B!

cardiffmardigras.co.uk

15

DUBLIN

16

DURHAM

CITY CENTRE | 19 JUNE

Celebrate the movement for marriage equality in

Ireland with a weeks worth of fun and frivolity. Full
event listings will be announced later this month.
dublinpride.ie
MILLENNIUM SQUARE | 31 MAY

After a successful inaugural year in 2014, weve

got a feeling 2015 is going to be even better.
facebook.com/durhamprideuk

17

EDINBURGH

CITY CENTRE | 20 JULY

This special anniversary event marks 20 years of

Pride in Scotland with a wonderful line up of local
talent.
prideedinburgh.org.uk

18 ESSEX

CENTRAL PARK, CHELMSFORD | 15 AUGUST

Were going for the Jessie J tribute act.

essexpride.org

19 GLASGOW

GLASGOW GREEN | 22-23 AUGUST

Scotlands largest Pride is shaping to be the best

yet with a headline performance by DIVA favourite
Heather Peace.
pride.scot

20 GLOUCESTERSHIRE

GLOUCESTER PARK | 13 JUNE

The UKs leading Pink tribute act? Say no more.

glospride.org.uk

21 GRIMSBY

MERIDIAN PARK, CLEETHORPES | 5 SEPTEMBER

Its a while away yet so no details have been

announced, but keep your eyes on the website for
more info.
grimsbypride.co.uk

22 HULL

BAKER STREET | 18 JULY

This free event will feature a colourful parade

representing all areas of the LGBT community. Why
the Hull not, eh?
prideinhull.co.uk

23 KENT

MARGATE MAIN SANDS | 29 AUGUST

Nothing beats a Pride like a Pride by the sea.

kentpride2015.com

24 LEEDS

LOWER BRIGGATE | 2 AUGUST

30,000 people came out last year, and with headline acts including Union J, Livin Joy and Angie
Brown, Leeds looks set to break that record.
leedspride.com

48 JUNE 2015

048 pride round-up.indd 48

13/05/2015 09:37

| FEATURE | PRIDE ROUND-UP |

27 LIVERPOOL

PIER HEAD | 1 AUGUST

33 PORTSMOUTH

LONDON

34 READING

Living in the first city in the UK to introduce rainbow street signs in its gay quarter, Liverpudlians
know how to throw a good party.
liverpoolpride.co.uk

28

CENTRAL LONDON | 27 JUNE

The capitals event is the biggest of them all, and

even Biblical rain showers dont dampen Londons
Pride. Keep an eye on the DIVA website for headliners as they are announced.
prideinlondon.org

29 MANCHESTER

CITY CENTRE | 28 AUGUST

This Big Weekend in Manchester is always unmissable, and this year will be no different, as Texas
headline.
manchesterpride.com

30 NEWCASTLE

TOWN MOOR | 17 JULY

Belinda Carlisle and B*witched? Why AYE man.

northern-pride.com

VICTORIA PARK | 20 JUNE

Its Portsmouths first Pride in 12 years, and

organisers will be hoping for big crowds.
tinyurl.com/PortsmouthDIVA
KINGS MEADOW PARK | 5 SEPTEMBER

Love a musical? Youll love this years event. Note:

making a song and dance is encouraged.
readingpride.co.uk

35 SALFORD

PEEL PARK | 26 JULY

This wonderful pink picnic is perfect for families

and those who want to take it easy after a partyhard Pride season.
facebook.com/peelparkpinkpicnic

36 STOKE ON TRENT

NORTHWOOD PARK, HANLEY | 18 JULY

Stoke on Trent Pride has quickly grown into one of

the biggest and most vibrant annual community
festivals.
stokeontrentpride.org.uk

37 SUNDERLAND

GALLEYS GILL | 27 SEPTEMBER

At just four years old, its one of the newer events,

but Sunderland Pride is friendly, welcoming and
growing all the time.
sunderlandpride.com

38 SWINDON AND WILTSHIRE

TOWN GARDENS, QUARRY ROAD | 8 AUGUST

Dont think much of Pride performers? Apply now,

and you could be on the main stage at Swindon
and Wiltshire!
swindonwiltshirepride.co.uk

39 TOTNES

TOTNES, DEVON | 5 SEPTEMBER

Community art, panel discussions, workshops and

informative talks as well as a procession and after
party? Sounds good to us.
proud2beproject.org

40 WALSALL

GALLERY SQUARE | 29 AUGUST

Non-stop music and entertainment across four

arenas this August Bank Holiday? Count us in.
walsallpride.org

41 WARWICKSHIRE

PUMP ROOM GARDENS, LEAMINGTON | 4 JULY

25 LEICESTER

VICTORIA PARK | 5 SEPTEMBER

Sam Bailey is headlining, and were agog for more

details to be confirmed.
leicesterpride.com

26 LINCOLN

CITY SQUARE | 27 SEPTEMBER

X Factor winner Sam Bailey gets around, doesnt

she? Headlining what is sure to be a memorable
event.
lincolnpride.co.uk

31 NORWICH

THE FORUM | 25 JULY

Brilliant local acts make Norwich the place to be

this summer.
norwichpride.org.uk

32 OXFORD

CASTLE QUARTER | 6 JUNE

It might be smaller than some of the other Pride

events, but this community led event is perfectly
formed.
oxford-pride.org.uk

Drop The Label for this years event which includes

a trans area, fairground attractions and other
family-friendly activities.
warwickshirepride.co.uk

42 YORK

KNAVESMIRE | 20 JUNE

2015 event will see this historic city awash with

rainbows to mark its progress as one of the UKs
most welcoming places for LGBT residents and
visitors.
yorkpride.org.uk

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 49

048 pride round-up.indd 49

14/05/2015 17:22

She pulled quickly away, saying, Id

never date a bi woman I dont trust
them. Her previously amorous glances
had hardened, and she seemed suddenly regretful that shed bought me
that glass of wine. My heart sank, the
same way it had sunk so so so so many
times before. Oh dear. Its not always
easy being a chick who swings both
ways in a lesbian/gay space. The unfair stigma, labelling us slutty/untrustworthy/confused/tourists/yawn can
really start to grate. Credit to em: a lot
of gay girls dont judge us. And we love
you for that. But many sadly still
do, meaning that bisexual spaces are
crucial places for a lot of us to relax,
feel comfortable and meet like-minded
people. So whats on offer?
Probably the most well-known bi
event in the UK is BiCon, which has
taken place annually albeit under
different names at different venues
across the country since 1984. Libby
is one of the enthusiastic volunteers
responsible for organising this years
event, which will be held between 14-16
August at the University of Nottingham (2015.bicon.org.uk). LGBT spaces

CHARLOTTE
DINGLE
BLASTS OFF
IN SEARCH
OF BISEXUAL
BARS, CLUBS,
CAFES AND
FESTIVALS

should be a safe space for everyone

included in that acronym, but more often than not its pretty much LG(bt),
she sighs. Ive faced more prejudice
from within the LGBT community than
I have from straight people. Its great
to be in a space where you know youll
be accepted. BiCon is a really diverse
event: everything from BDSM to making your own finger puppet to being
genderqueer in a binary world.
BiReCon was set up on the back of
BiCon in 2008 at the request of BiCon
organisers who wanted to build links
between activists and academics,
says organiser Helen Bowes-Catton.
Although there are still workshops to
discuss ideas, like there are at BiCon,
its essentially a more academicallyfocused version of BiCon. BiReCon is
biennial and takes place just before
that years BiCon, with the next scheduled for 2016. Like BiCon, it is held in
different venues around the UK.
Katy Harrad is the co-organiser of
another big bi get-together, BiFest.
The last BiFest took place in Birmingham in November last year, she explains. Prior to that there was a May

event in Wales. Im hoping there will

be one in London this year, although I
cant promise. The bi community has
very little access to funding, which is
rather limiting. (For updates, email
info@london.bifest.org.) Big Bi Fun Day
is a similar bi festival run by Sandra
Hopkins, which will celebrate its sixth
anniversary in Leicester in May (bigbifun.tk). Big Bi Fun Day revolves around
sitting in the garden chatting, playing
board games, doing craft activities and
generally relaxing, says Sandra.
Bi Coffee London does what it says
on the tin (bi.tocotox.org/
bicoffeelondon): bisexuals, in the
capital, fuelled by caffeine. I thought
it would be good to have a bi space
that wasnt alcohol-based and was a
little more inviting for shyer people,
explains founder Nye Rothwell. There
are far more bi people outside the bi
community than there are inside it. For
people who are coming to terms with
their sexuality, its good to talk about
it with people who are just like them in
approachable surroundings. Bisexual
Underground is Bi Coffee Londons ethanol-friendly sister (bisexualunder-

50 JUNE 2015

050 bi spaces.indd 50

13/05/2015 16:59

| FEATURE | BI SPACES |
moter Robin Kendall. But Im passionate about providing this space for bi
women because I recognise that they
arent always accepted in LGBT spaces.
So far its gone down really well and
weve had great feedback. Attendees
are so excited to be interacting with
other bi women, saying that a lot of
bi events theyve previously attended
have been predominantly male.
Greedy is (historically) probably the
most famous bi club-night in the UK,
but it has unfortunately had venue issues and is on hiatus for now (bivisible.
com/greedy). Its wonderful just to be
in a room where its assumed youre bi,
rather than gay or straight, enthuses
founder Jessica Burton. Most people
whove come to Greedy for the first
time have never experienced that before. Unfortunately we had a transphobic incident at our previous venue and
that, coupled with the fact that the
venue favoured a more popular night
over ours when it came to booking
in advance, means were looking for
somewhere else to run the night.
Club Skirt somewhat controversially caters for women who might

Its great
to be in
a space
where
you know
youll be
accepted

not be happy attending a more traditional bi event, or even identifying as

bi, and who are primarily after sexual
encounters (skirtclub.co.uk). We ask
guests to rate themselves on the
Kinsey Scale when they apply for membership, says Genevive LeJeune, who
is responsible for setting the London
night up. Many place themselves as a
one mainly heterosexual but with
slight homosexual leanings. Bi-curious.
Skirt isnt aimed at people looking for
relationships. Its pure indulgence.
Bi events are more often than not
far less widely publicised than they
deserve and as a result are not always
very well-attended. A tragic situation
indeed when numerous studies show
that bisexuals make up over half of the
LGBT population. So you know what to
do. Weve told you where to go see
you there! And if theres nothing
nearby, why not set up your own?

Charlotte Dingle is editor-in-chief at Biscuit

magazine, thisisbiscuit.com.
For bi listings visit bicommunitynews.co.uk.
What are you thinking? Drop us a line
at letters@divamag.co.uk.

ILLUSTRATION FERNANDO SAFONT

ground.org). Its a relaxed pub meet,

every second Tuesday of the month at
the Blue Posts, just off Londons Oxford Street, organiser Vicki McDonald
tells DIVA. We play boardgames and
chat. There are typically about 10-20
attendees.
BiTopia is another informal
discussion-based event, operating in
Nottingham (nottinghambi.wordpress.
com/bitopia). I started Nottingham
BiTopia after moving here for work in
2013, says its founder, Hannah. There
werent any active bi groups in the East
Midlands and I needed somewhere
safe to hang out and meet other bisexuals. Other people felt the same. A lot
of bisexuals dont know any other bis,
so I wanted to bring everyone together
so we could support each other. Our
first meet-up was in January 2014 and
weve just celebrated our first birthday.
We have a pub social once a month.
Fancy drinking a little later into
the night? Eighty Three provides a
space for bi women at Club Aquum in
Clapham in south London, on the last
Thursday of the month (elysionevents.
co.uk). Im not bi myself, reveals pro-

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 51

050 bi spaces.indd 51

13/05/2015 16:59

Avi and friend at Rumpus,

Highbury & Islington

52 JUNE 2015

052 90s photos.indd 52

13/05/2015 09:35

Reeling

| DISPLAY | LESBIANS IN THE 80S & 90S |

with
the
years

LONDON IN
THE LATE
1980S AND
EARLY 1990S
WAS ONE OF
THE BEST
PLACES TO
BE A LESBIAN.
INTERSEX
ARTIST DEL
LA GRACE
VOLCANO,
THEN
IDENTIFYING
AS A DYKE,
CAPTURED
IT ALL

Its hard to believe that over three

decades have passed since my shutter
first clicked on lesbian London. One
of the first photographs I made there
was of Julia taking a disco nap at the
Bell in 1982. Where are all those dykes
and other queer creatures of the night
now? For the small town California
grrrl (I once was) London in the 80s
and 90s was wild ride, fuelled by mindaltering politics and substances!
I arrived in the UK in 1982 with my
first serious girlfriend, Mandy, whom
I met at Scotts Bar in San Francisco.
I renounced my previous SM dyke
affiliations (Samois) for her and moved
into a west London lesbian separatist
collective. My politically incorrect past
followed me and lets just say my six
months apprenticeship as a separatist
were instructional and, actually, an
experience Im glad to have had. When
Mandy dropped me like a stone in a
pool of sapphic possibilities, I rode the
ripples and made some waves with
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 53

052 90s photos.indd 53

13/05/2015 09:35

| DISPLAY | LESBIANS IN THE 80S & 90S |

lovers all over the London compass.

I stuck around for two years before
returning, the morning after the night
before the big hurricane of 1987, to become a permanent European resident.
By sheer kismet I found myself
living in a flat behind the Rainbow in
Finsbury Park, with a gaggle of dykes
who ran the infamous lesbian sex club,
Chain Reaction.For the next few years
we engaged with all the big issues of
the day, marching to free Nelson Man-

dela, making trouble at the Poll Tax

Riots and, yes, working for the right to
fuck how and who we wanted. In 1989
there was an attempt to ban us from
the Lesbian Strength March, until they
learned that a group of neo-Nazis were
headed our way and we were suddenly
invited to man the frontlines.
Chain Reaction was a safe space
for dykes to be sexy, butch, femme or
whatever, and incidentally was the first
lesbian venue in the UK to welcome

54 JUNE 2015

052 90s photos.indd 54

13/05/2015 09:36

DOWNLOAD NOW
ONLY 2.49 WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE
NORMALLY 3.99

Why read DIVA Digital

Instant delivery to your
mobile, tablet or PC a week
before general release
Save up to 48% with a
digital subscription
Gain exclusive access
to bonus videos, picture
galleries & audio clips
Read in sharp definition
anytime, anywhere
DIVADIGITAL.CO.UK
BONUS DIGITAL CONTENT
IN THIS ISSUE:
RUBY TANDOH TALKS CAKE, SOAK
SINGS HER WAY INTO YOUR HEART, AND
PEGGY SEEGER IS MUSIC TO OUR EARS.
HUNGRY FOR ORANGE? CHECK OUT THE
SEASON THREE TRAILER PLUS WATCH
RUBY ROSES SHORT FILM BREAK FREE
ABOUT GENDER FLUIDITY.

DIVA 228 DIGITAL.indd 2

35%

Save over
on the cover price!

AVAILABLE ON

13/05/2015 12:27

56 JUNE 2015

052 90s photos.indd 56

13/05/2015 09:36

| DISPLAY | LESBIANS IN THE 80S & 90S |

Julia takes a disco nap at the Bell, 1982

transwomen. Most of the photographs

I made were sex scenes staged specifically for the camera. The plan was to
make a book about our version of
lesbian sexuality, considered a dirty
secret by some, but no feminist
publisher would touch it. It was Gay
Mens Press which finally took a chance
and Lovebites hit the streets in 1991. It
generated far more controversy than
anyone expected. Gays The Word, Sisterwrite and Silver Moon bookshops
all refused to stock it, citing fear of closure or political differences. In America
it was briefly banned and in Canada a
few gay and lesbian bookshops cut out

what they considered offensive and

sold it anyway!
Fast-forward to 2015 and it seems
remarkable that any of those images
were subject to so much outrage and
censorship. And today I find it hard
to pinpoint exactly what the red hot
issues actually are!Many of the rights
we fought for were won; some, like
marriage, are now inscribed into law.
When I was young I remember thinking,
Where have all the old dykes gone?
Now that I am an old hermaphrodyke,
I think that maybe... we got jobs, got
clean and/or sober(ish), transitioned,
had kids or pets, developed health

problems or even other parts of our

personalities. Right now, and for the
foreseeable future, my primary identity is inextrictably linked to parenting
two evolving human beings. As someone who is both gender-independent,
genderqueer and intersex, MaPa seems
to fit like a warm glove.
My decades of dyke decadence
have served me well. While I still dip
my painted toenails into the sapphic
waters now and again, a top-up is all
this MaPa requires.

dellagracevolcano@me.com
facebook.com/dellagracevolcano
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 57

052 90s photos.indd 57

13/05/2015 09:36

More information on p5 | divadigital.co.uk

New face at Litchfield:

Ruby Rose plays Stella

58 JUNE 2015

058 ruby.indd 58

14/05/2015 17:32

WORDS JANE CZYZSELSKA, CARRIE LYELL, ANISA EASTERBROOK, PHOTOS JOJO WHILDEN

a ruby in
the rough
When I found out I would be interviewing Ruby Rose, I was a little
nervous. Not just because shes a
super mega star whos pals with the
likes of Ellen Page and Katy Perry, but
because Ive got a bit of a crush on
her. Not only is she beautiful, shes
also my hairspiration, and I think we
could have something really special.
What if she turns out to be a
dick, I wondered, as the phone line
crackled before connecting. What if
shes not all that? I neednt have worried, because as soon as we started
talking I knew this was no crush. I
was in love.
If youre not familiar with Ruby,
you soon will be. The 29-year-old
found fame presenting MTV in her
native Australia, but shes set to become a household name worldwide
as she joins the cast of the Netflix
smash hit and everyones favourite
show, Orange Is The New Black.
Stella Carlin is a cool, charismatic,
androgynous inmate set to stir things
up for Piper and Alex when she arrives at Litchfield. Shes very fun to
play, Ruby tells me. I found her very
likeable.
As well as presenting, Ruby
has also spent much of her career
modelling and DJing, but besides a
small role alongside Christina Ricci
in Around The Block, shes not done
much acting. How did Orange happen?
I was approached to audition,
she tells me. Thats pretty cool, I say.
I was obviously ecstatic about the
idea of just auditioning, let alone
getting the part. Ruby sent a tape of
herself to Orange HQ, and expecting
a call back at most, was stunned to
be offered the part straight away. It

was really astonishing.

Some characters in Orange, like
Big Boo, were written for the actors.
How much of Stella is Ruby? We
definitely have similarities, she says.
In mannerisms and aesthetically we
are both leaning on the androgynous
side. What else? We have the same
sense of humour and wit. Shes very
good with numbers, which Im not,
she laughs. Shes a lot more cocky
than me, she has more confidence
than I do, but generally speaking,
there were a lot of things that I could
draw from.
Did she do much research for
the part? My mum taught in prison
pretty much my whole life, Ruby
tells me. I asked her a few questions
and had a lot to draw from, having
grown up hearing stories and knowing about what it was like for her to
go to work [as an art therapist].
She must have a sense, then, of
how realistic Litchfield is? Says Ruby:
[Its] a minimum security type place.
Theyre not big-time criminals, so its
a looser system. But its definitely not
like that on the inside, I dont think.
If you were planning on going to
prison hoping for the Orange Is The
New Black experience, you would be
sorely disappointed.
How does she think the show
compares to those of her homeland,
like Prisoner Cell Block H or Wentworth? You know what? I havent
seen Wentworth, she confesses.
Ive been meaning to for so long I
actually really wanted to be on Wentworth. But they said, We dont know
if Australia would really believe Ruby
Rose in prison or whether theyd just
see Ruby Rose. But thats what acting
is! she laughs. Making people be-

CARRIE LYELL
CHATS TO
RUBY ROSE
ABOUT FAME,
FAITH AND HER
NEW ROLE AS
STELLA CARLIN
IN ORANGE
IS THE NEW
BLACK

How
much of
SteLLa
is Ruby?
We both
lean
on the
androgynous
side

| COVER STORY |

lieve it. Then I moved to America and

within a year I had Orange come back
to me and was like, see? There you
go. All it takes is a little faith.
Speaking of faith, its the theme
that runs through the new season
of Orange. What does that mean
to Ruby? For me, it means a lot of
different things. Were constantly
trying to put our faith in something,
whether thats faith in a higher
power or faith in ourselves or faith
in another person or thing or place.
Whats that higher power? God?
Yeah, for me its God, but I have
my own interpretation. More like a
feeling than picturing what he looks
like as written by whatever particular
people in whatever book.
Orange Is The New Black is the
most popular show on Netflix, and
the multi-award winning series has
redefined TV and how we watch it.
Why does she think its so popular?
Well, its brilliantly written, for
starters, Ruby says. And very well
shot. They use a lot of fantastic
directors and wonderful writers, but
mainly Jenji [Kohan] is a genius. Shes
a flat-out genius. The things she did
with Weeds and what she does with
Orange, its just phenomenal.
She has turned a very interesting story and a good book into a
wonderful series, and it interests everybody because a lot of people relate
to different characters in the show.
It crosses all types of sexuality, age,
religion. Having Laverne [Cox, who
plays trans inmate Sophia Burset] in
there, having different contrasts of
people and ethnicities I think its all
inclusive.
Rubys not the only famous face
joining the show this season. Lori
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 59

058 ruby.indd 59

13/05/2015 10:56

| COVER STORY |

Petty, best known as Tank Girl, is

also coming to Litchfield following
a guest appearance in season two.
What did she think of Rubys Tank
Girl tattoo on her back? It was so
weird because I didnt know she was
going to be on the show, Ruby tells
me. I was walking around probably
topless or in a bra or something, and
one of the cast members was like, Errrm, is that Tank Girl? You know Lori
Petty starts tomorrow? and I was
like, Oh. My God. Nobody tell her.
Keep it cool, keep it on the downlow.
But of course the next day on set
she came up to me and said, Are you
the girl thats got my face tattooed
on her back? and Im like, Oh man.
Someones ruined my cover.
What about the rest of the cast?
Who was her BFF behind the scenes?
Oh god, I couldnt choose one, she
laughs. Thats such a trap! Youre
trying to get me in trouble! I spent
a lot of time with Jackie [Cruz], who
plays Flaca. I spent a lot of time with
Adrienne [C Moore, Black Cindy] and
then Yael [Stone, Morello], whos
also Australian, but I hung out with
everyone. Vicky [Jeudy] who plays
Janae, and Samira [Wiley] who plays
Poussey every single person I spent
as much time with as possible.
What was it like getting all lovetriangled-up with Taylor Schilling and
Laura Prepon? Without giving away
any sexy spoilers, Ruby says: It was
great. Laura, because she is so skilled,
so talented, and shes been doing this
for such a long time. Its an honour
to work with her and be able to work
off her, and Taylor is also so talented
and great to work with.
Speaking of love, Ruby and her
lady Phoebe Dahl got engaged last
year following a whirlwind romance.
Like proper lesbians, they moved in
together quickly and were engaged
after three months, before theyd
even said, I love you. We did a lot
of things really quickly, Ruby admits.
But at the time it just happened so
naturally that I couldnt imagine it
any other way. Hows the weddingplanning going, I ask? It was much
better before I started Orange! she
laughs. Were kind of hoping things
will quiet down towards the end of
the year and we can pick a date.
It must be hard to maintain a
normal, grounded relationship in
the public eye. Whats the secret?

I was
very
young
when I
started
to question my
gender.
I felt
like a
fraud

Therapy! Ruby laughs. I see a

therapist, she sees a therapist. Im a
big advocate of seeing someone to
talk to, whether its a counsellor or
whatever. We both try to stay really
humble and level-headed and not
read too much into articles that are
written or comments that are posted
and just keep it between us whats
happening with us.
How do they decide whats for
sharing, though, and whats for
them? I wanted people to know we
were together because I think its
important to have a strong presence
in the public world of gay couples.
Its really tough if everyone is in the
closet, and then no one growing up
has anyone to look up to. Further on
from that its definitely important
to keep some things personal and
private. Is that hard, in the age of social media? Social media is always a
learning curve for me, laughs Ruby.
People react to things I do in ways I
could never imagine and other times
they dont react to things I thought
they would, so yeah, still learning. Its
a challenge.
As well as being open about her
sexuality, Rubys also been outspoken about her struggles with gender
identity most famously with her
viral film, Break Free.
I was very young when I kind
of started questioning the fact
that I didnt really feel like I related
to the other girls at my school,
she says. Not knowing at that age
much about gender except a carbon
cut-out of what a man should be
and what a woman should be, I
instinctively thought, Well hold on
a second. Im into what guys do and
I feel better when I appear more
boyish, maybe I should be a boy. I
should have been born a boy. I felt
uncomfortable being a girl and felt
uncomfortable being around other
girls. I felt like a fraud.
In time, Ruby learnt to embrace
her masculine and feminine sides,
and managed to find peace with her
gender identity without the need
for hormonal or surgical interventions. She says: It probably wasnt
until I was well into my teens that I
decided actually, I would stay as I was
and then I could really embrace the
androgyny and not make a decision
on changing gender. I could stay
quite gender-fluid. The older I get,

the more at home I am with who I am,

but Im always straddling that line of
masculinity and femininity.
What advice would she give to
someone reading this who might
be experiencing similar dysphoria?
It depends on where youre at with
it, Ruby says. If youre confused or
youre upset, or if youre depressed
by it or freaked out by it, its important to find somebody to talk to,
whether its a doctor or a therapist
or a friend or a family member. Dont
try to push down those feelings and
emotions, and dont try to be something that youre not. Find someone
safe to talk to about it and you can
go from there. And I think if its somebody thats really adamant and 100%
sure about what they want, whether
thats to transition or change their
pronouns or whatever it is, I support
doing that and finding a really solid
support group and doing it the most
healthy and safe way.
Depression is also something
Rubys battled. Why was it important
for her to talk openly about that?
Probably the same reason I am so
open and public about sexuality I
didnt see much of that happening
when I was in Australia. I was given
opportunities to talk about things
and it felt weird just using those
platforms to speak about products
or shows people should watch. It just
seemed a bit empty, and I knew that
was something that was a big part
of my life so it seemed really weird
not to express that. I couldnt see any
harm coming out of it. Harm maybe
on my side, but harm to the community and to the people I wanted
to actually lift up? I could only see
positives.
Back to Orange, and its incredible
impact. As a lesbian playing a lesbian,
how important is it for visibility and
representation? Its huge, Ruby
says. And its been a very long time
since weve had a show that has
depicted lesbian relationships well.
The L Word was amazing, but that
was some time ago.
I love being part of something
that brings the community together,
and its definitely a bonus being able
to watch someone who is gay and
theyre [playing] gay, just because it
sends a really powerful message.
Is she excited or nervous about
the level of fame and recognition

60 JUNE 2015

058 ruby.indd 60

13/05/2015 10:56

playing Stella will bring? Both,

Ruby laughs. Nervous and excited is
my favourite concoction of things to
feel! Im really lucky and blessed and
everything that comes with it is icing
on top of what was and is a fantastic
journey of being educated in a new
craft and inspired by these new
friends and working with the best
writers and directors in the business.
All of that outweighs anything that
gets me too nervous.
And with the news that Orange
has been signed up for a fourth
season before the third has even
hit screens, I wonder, will Stella be
sticking around? I cant tell you
Ruby teases. The wait, I tell her, is
agonising. She laughs. Its agonising
for me too, trust me.
Yep, its definitely love.

Looking for love or trouble?

Ruby Rose brings the drama
to Orange Is The New Black

Orange Is The New Black, seasons one, two and

three are available now at Netflix.com.

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 61

058 ruby.indd 61

13/05/2015 10:54

21ointb
things

you nEEd to
know about

HOW
ORANGE IS
THE NEW
BLACK
CHANGED
EVERYTHING.
WELL, FOR
NOW, THAT
IS. WE CANT
WAIT TO
SEE WHATS
IN STORE
WHEN THE
NEW SERIES
DROPS ON
O-DAY, 12
JUNE

So were agreed; this beige flatters

no one. Who votes for teal?

Like the BBCs Lip Service and ShowTimes

The L Word before it, Orange Is The New
Black has garnered lesbian and bi fans
around the world, with Netflix claiming
the show is its most popular yet. And
although viewing figures for the show are a
closely guarded secret, we do know that the
pioneering TV service now has 60 million
subscribers worldwide, the bulk of which
presumably have access to the show.
Former commissioner of LGBT programming at Channel 4 Jacquie Lawrence explains
whats behind the OITNB success story: As a
pure subscription service Netflix is liberated
from the tyranny of ratings, so can take
creative risks with both content and talent
inconceivable to advertiser-funded models.
And, she says, coupled withNetflixs usual

thoughtful judgement regarding form, narrative and characterisation in a show that,

although not lesbian-specific, has enough
significant lesbian content for lesbians to lay
a claim to it, it satisfies the current fascination for genre-busting that mashes comedy
with drama (like HBOs Girls) and toys with
the structure, giving as much prominence to
backstories as it does the contemporaneous
storylines.
With a cast of characters who span age,
race, sexuality and class, the shows diverse
mix appeals to a wider audience, which, Lawrence notes, is a comfort, because OITNB is
proof that there is an audience for dramas
where a myriad of lesbian characters and
stories can flourish, and a challenge because
broadcasters who do rely on advertising

revenue may still be unable or disinclined

to risk the $4 million it takes to make one
episode of OITNB.
We hope DIVAs definitive guide to all
things OITNB gets those not yet familiar
with the show up to speed with the lives
(and lifers) of the women at Litchfield Penitentiary and with the talented actresses
who make the show what it is.
Unsurprisingly, OITNB has spawned a
wealth of fan fiction and fan art as well as
tributes on social media channels. Whats
particularly gratifying is that so many
actresses on the show are out and proud;
proof perhaps that the combination of a
strong story, fearless commissioners and a
revolutionary TV format can indeed change
lives. (JC)

62 JUNE 2015

062 oitnb.indd 62

14/05/2015 17:39

| COVER STORY |

BIG BOO

LEA DELARIA

Comedian, actress, bebop singer is

there anything Lea DeLaria cant do?
Known to many of us as Litchfields Carrie Big Boo Black, the butch dyke who
knows a thing or two about screwdrivers, Lea aint no wallflower. Bursting
onto the small screen in the early 1990s
on The Arsenio Hall Show, she was out
and proud before it was hip to be gay
and shes never let up since. With appearances on TV shows as diverse as Sex
And The City, Californication, Law And
Order and Will And Grace, shes proven
she cant be pigeonholed and we love
her for that. We also love her big, loud
potty mouth and her unapologetic butch
swagger. Those who follow her on
Twitter will already know that she
recently popped the question to her
fashion editor girlfriend Chelsea Fair-

less at the Screen Actors Guild Awards

after-party, in front of fellow OITNB cast
family. Everyone saw how emotional
I was at the SAG awards. I was so filled
with love. I turned to her at the Netflix
party that night and asked her to marry
me. We announced it to all of our friends
there, she revealed to E! News. Lea is no
stranger to the theatre, either, and has
appeared in a string of Broadway shows,
while in the UK she sang and performed
with former girlfriend Janette Mason,
one of the UKs greatest living jazz
composers and pianists. (JC)

PIPER CHAPMAN TAYLOR SCHILLING

Thirty-year-old yoga-enthusiast Taylor is best known for playing Piper
Chapman but began acting at school in a stage production of Fiddler On
The Roof. Following a BA and entry onto a graduate programme at New
York University to continue her acting studies, she soon left the course to
start auditioning and supported herself as she broke into acting through
work as a nanny. Her TV and film credits have seen her play Nurse Veronica Flanagan Callahan in the NBC medical drama Mercy (alongside Kate
Red Mulgrew, who played her mother). She co-starred opposite Zac Effron in the rom-com The Lucky One in 2012 and had a role in Ben Afflecks
film Argo in the same year. Like many of her OITNB co-stars, she too was
nominated for an Emmy and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in
a TV Series, and with the rest of the OITNB alumni shares a Screen Actors
Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy
Series. This year we found out that Taylor is dating super-cool Sleater-Kinney front-woman and Portlandia actress/writer Carrie Brownstein. Taylor
fun fact: she told ET Canada that she has not watched Orange Is The New
Black. Like ever. My plan going into the next season is to make sure and
watch [series] one, two and three, so I have a lot of television watching to
do. Ah, but will she binge-watch it like the rest of us? (JC)

THE

ALEX VAUSE

WORDS JANE CZYZSELSKA, CARRIE LYELL, ANISA EASTERBROOK, PHOTOS JOJO WHILDEN

LAURA PREPON

Devoted OITNB fans cant hardly even

because *sigh* Alex. Thats Alex Vause,
people. Thirty-five-year-old hottie Laura
pronounces her last name Pree-pawn. So
thats cleared that up, then. The straight
lesbian icon who plays badass former
drug dealer Ms Vause started out modelling, aged 15, but soon realised that
acting was her passion. From the age
of 18 to 26 she appeared on American
TV hit That 70s Show and following a
string of appearances in shows including
Medium, House MD and Castle, she
landed the plum role of Alex Vause. A
vocal ally of the LGBT community, she
told AfterEllen, I love being a lesbian
icon, its awesome. Cool cat Laura didnt
waste any time preparing for the part
with Taylor, as J Halterman reports,
jumping straight into the action with
Taylor on their first day on set, only to
(happily) discover that it was amazing...
we were so comfortable. The main thing
I learned was whether its a man or a
woman, if [chemistry is] there, its there.
Crush material for many a DIVA reader,
Laura and Taylors famous on-screen
chemistry naturally gave rise to the ship
Vauseman. Of course, the sailing is
not smooth on the good ship Vauseman
since Nicky expressed her desire for Alex,
but when asked who shed prefer for
Alexs love interest in season three, in an
interview with Cosmopolitan last year,
she teased: Wait and see. (JC)

CAST
Sister insider: Samira Wiley (left)
and Uzo Aduba share an intense
moment but what does it mean?

POUSSEY

SAMIRA WILEY

Born Samira Denise Wiley, our favourite German-speaking inmate is a graduate of the Duke Ellington School
of the Arts and the Juilliard School. The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted her as the face of PayPals
recent TV ad campaign. Her mother and father, co-pastors of the Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, are
staunch supporters of the LGBT community and have presided over many a same-sex union in their DC church.
Also known as Poussey shes the doe-eyed, soft butch were crushing on. Before we discovered her in OITNB,
she played a role in the campus comedy, The Sitter. Since she came out publicly in September last year, our crush
got a little bit harder. More so still when we found out she was dating OITNB writer Lauren Morelli. A firm fixture
in series one and two, Samira was promoted to a permanent character in series three and like you, DIVA couldnt
be happier. Also an advocate for LGBT equality, Samira received a gong for Visibility from Americas Human
Rights Campaign and she told Out magazine about her religious views. I feel like oftentimes in the church
people get caught up in literal translations of the Bible. But thats not the home I grew up in, she says. I was
just taught that love is the most powerful thing. And being able to see that and see my parents on the forefront
of that made such a big impact on my life. Watch out for her in a future issue of DIVA. (JC)

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 63

062 oitnb.indd 63

14/05/2015 17:42

NICKY NICHOLS

NATASHA LYONNE

UZO ADUBA

Uzo Aduba is best known for her

character Suzanne Crazy Eyes
Warren in Orange Is The New Black.
Born and raised in Massachusetts,
the small-time actress boomed to
fame after receiving a SAG award
for Best Actress in a TV comedy
for her role as the pie-throwing,
Piper-obsessed inmate on OITNB.
Crazy Eyes knack for poetry,
braided hair and an endearingly
complex personality soon made her
one of the most entertaining and
best-loved characters on the show.
From aggressive to kind and caring,
from protective to vulnerable, Uzo
Aduba plays her character like a
pro. Before OITNB, Aduba began
her climb to fame in theatre with
a performance in Translations Of
Xhosa, which won her a Helen
Hayes Award nomination for Best
Supporting Actress. Her first appearance on television, however,
wasnt until 2012, when she played
a nurse in police crime series Blue
Bloods. What next for the actress?
Were set to see a lot more of Crazy
Eyes in season three, and the new
trailer hints that she may even be
blessing us with some alien erotic
literature... (AE)

THE

CRAZY EYES

CAST

Born Natasha Bianca Lyonne Braunstein, the Jewish Talmud and

Aramaic scholar, expelled from school for selling marijuana, is a
former DIVA cover star whos been on our radar for some time. We
first saw her, aged 16, in Woody Allens musical comedy Everyone
Says I Love You, a film which led to her appearance in a ton of
other films over the next 10 years, including lesbian director Jamie
Babbits But Im a Cheerleader, in which she played gay, as she
has done since on several occasions. A cooler-than-cool straight
ally, Natasha has won many a lesbian heart, not least because, like
many of us, shes a bit of an outsider. Open about her struggles with
drugs and alcohol and spending some time in a drug and alcohol
treatment centre, shes had an interesting life. Described by director
Abel Ferrara, with whom she worked in 4:44 Last Day On Earth, as
a real actor with uncommon talent (we agree) shes co-starred
alongside movie greats including Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts,
Liv Tyler, Tori Spelling, Tim Curry, Willem Dafoe, Anita Pallenberg.
Joining the cast of OITNB as Nicky the lesbian hipster and one of
Pipers cellmates, following her appearance on writer Jenji Kohans
Showtime dramedy Weeds, shes also been nominated for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy
Series for her portrayal of Nicky Nichols. This year shell appear as
Madison in Carrie Brownsteins Portlandia, proving that Natasha is
everyones cuppa. (JC)

Whats next for Sophia?

Actress Laverne Cox knows...

SOPHIA BURSET

TOP5
THERES A LOT OF
ORANGE FANFICTION
TO SIFT THROUGH,
BUT LIKE THE TRUE
PROFESSIONALS
WE ARE, DIVA TOOK
ONE FOR THE TEAM.
HERE ARE THE TOP
FIVE PLOTS OUT
THERE, ACCORDING
TO ANISA
EASTERBROOK.
ENJOY!

LAVERNE COX

Emmy-nominated Laverne plays bisexual

inmate Sophia Burset, a trans woman sent to
prison for credit-card fraud. Previously appearing on TV show I Want To Work For Diddy,
the genial trans rights activist has produced
and hosted VH1 TV series TRANSform Me
which made her the first African-American
transgender person to produce and star in
her own TV show. Both series have been
nominated for GLAAD Media Awards and add
to the Alabama trailblazers impressive stash
of awards amassed since OITNB first hit our
screens in 2013. Lavernes eloquent commentary on trans rights has seen her challenge
chat show hosts obsessed with trans peoples
genitals, not to mention the discriminatory
public restroom legislation, about which she

says: We just want to go to the bathroom.

Its a way to sort of scapegoat us We are
the ones that are really unsafe. In the first
eight weeks of 2015, seven trans people were
murdered, almost one a week. Were the ones
whose lives are in danger. So to portray us as
potential predators is unfortunate. Laverne
has also kicked ass answering other dumb
questions such as: Was 2014 a watershed
moment for trans people? Her response? I
would say that 2014 was a watershed moment for visibility, but the record unemployment rates, homicide rates and discrimination
that we experience, that has not changed.
So we need more of whats happening in the
media in terms of visibility to affect policies
and how we treat transgender folks. (JC)

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

FANFICTION

If youre looking
for a detailed
and intimate sex
scene between
Piper and Alex,
Fembucks story is
everything youre
looking for.
archiveofourown.
org/works/884749

I could not resist

putting this one
in. Here is a
whole story which
combines Orange Is
The New Black and
Harry Potter. You
are welcome.
archiveofourown.
org/works/3835426/
chapters/8557816

If youre looking
for more of an
action thriller vibe
based in Litchfield,
then Reasons To Be
Forgiven might be
your style.
fanfiction.net/s/
11118378/2/ReasonsTo-Be-Forgiven

64 JUNE 2015

062 oitnb.indd 64

13/05/2015 10:46

| COVER STORY |

THE

story so far...

S1 RECAP

Before you get stuck in and lost in the new Orange Is The New Black,
lets take a walk down memory lane and recap whats happened
so far.Season One is where we first became completely hooked
on Alex and Piper. In the first episode we learn all about Pipers
secret double life as a lesbian drug mule and through a series of
flashbacks discover more about her relationship with Alex. But the
season isnt just about them we get to know all the characters
and how they ended up behind bars, whether it be drugs (like
Nicky), stealing, or even murder and we fall in love with them all.
Whatever the crime, each and every inmate shares a unique story
with the audience. Throughout the series, Piper struggles with her
own sanity, culminating in an explosive season finale which left us
begging for answers and desperate for the next season. (AE, CL)

S2 RECAP

In Season Two, we see a totally different side to Piper. After beating Pennsatucky til
she has no teeth left, she returns to Litchfield thick-skinned and carefree, surviving
being pushed away by both Larry and Alex, and even Pennsatuckys violent ambush.
After being left to fend for herself, the annoying and feeble Piper is long gone and
has been replaced by a hardened, badass Piper who is feared by other inmates. Shes
not the only badass new inmate Vee turns out to be extremely bad news. Sadly,
we dont see much of Alex in this season as she pulls a sneaky one on Piper and is
released. And while the season focuses mainly on Vee and Reds rivalry for Top Dog,
Nicky and Boo provide some light relief, competing in an entertaining sex contest as
they battle to see who can sleep with the most women. We also see much more of
our favourite duo, Taystee and Poussey, even if they arent always getting along.The
season ends in a very satisfying way, but was all as it seemed? Find out on 12 June in
Season Three. (AE, CL)

Felt like Taystee and

Poussey didnt get
as much screen time
as you had originally
hoped for? Fear not
someone has written
a 4,000 word piece
about just those two.
archiveofourown.
org/works/1849837/
chapters/3978856

S3

PRECAP

We dont know much of

what Season Three has
in store for us, which
makes us both nervous and
excited. But we can pick out
the little we do know from
the trailer and interviews to
piece some things together.
For starters, our main girl
Alex is back on the Litchfield
scene. Secondly, can we just
address the fact that Queen
Ruby Rose is definitely going
to appear? DIVA obsessed over
this Australian model and DJ
(is there anything she cant
Is the good ship
Vauseman on the rocks?
do?) and its as though our
prayers (or Google searches)
have been answered. We dont
know what Ruby will be doing, or
whether shell be hooking up with
anyone, but rumour has it that
shell be the new replacement for
the love triangle that originally
consisted of Piper, Alex and Larry.
Sorry, Larry. We also know, from
the trailer, that Boo gets a new
feminine make-over (courtesy of
Sophia), Crazy Eyes starts creating
erotic sci-fi fiction and we see a
lot more Poussey! Other new faces
include Oscar-winning actress Mary
Steenburgen, new correctional
officer Marsha Stephanie Blake and
comedian Mike Birbiglia, who will
all be playing roles currently unknown to us. Mysterious. Not long
to wait now, stay strong. (AE)

Nicky and Morello

your favourite duo?
Then youll love this
fanfiction story, titled
Whatever You Want
Kid.
fanfiction.net/s/
10491031/1/WhateverYou-Want-Kid
Watch the fork: Uzo Aduba
(right) and Adrienne C Moore
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 65

062 oitnb.indd 65

14/05/2015 17:44

time for a search

oitnb

A
P
R
U
B
Y
R
O
S
E
Z
U
O
G
Z
R
M
D
G
P
E

wordsearch
Laura Prepon
Big Boo
Chicken
Chocolate Vanilla Swirl
I Threw My Pie For You
Litchfield
Ruby Rose
So Rude That One
Taylor Schilling
Vauseman

sicknote
Pulling a sickie to
bingewatch Season
Three? Cut out and
keep our special
OITNB sicknote

H
O
A
Y
T
Q
Y
K
C
H
I
C
K
E
N
L
K
V
I
F
K

K
W
L
F
L
R
G
N
I
L
L
I
H
C
S
R
O
L
Y
A
T

E
E
F
J
N
V
O
X
R
G
N
Y
W
O
Z
P
G
X
B
R
H

Y
C
P
K
O
L
V
V
Y
O
B
F
T
L
S
Q
Z
P
I
H
C

G
D
S
H
U
A
E
X
S
O
V
W
D
H
K
Q
E
G
P
S
J

U
N
U
O
E
V
D
L
E
I
F
H
C
T
I
L
D
O
C
H
W

H
C
E
B
C
I
A
W
W
X
S
Z
E
F
S
I
N
H
C
W
D

Q
T
R
U
O
W
K
T
F
G
A
H
K
E
M
V
E
I
R
C
D

MEDICAL
CENTRE
To whomever it may

oitnb

U
O
Y
R
O
F
E
I
P
Y
M
W
E
R
H
T
I
K
U
S
O

F
K
E
R
F
L
B
X
N
G
S
N
A
M
E
S
U
A
V
V
Q

N
O
P
E
R
P
A
R
U
A
L
D
O
R
Z
K
P
Y
V
F
Q

F
M
E
W
M
B
W
N
G
H
R
X
O
C
B
N
R
H
F
P
A

K
F
B
R
J
R
I
H
P
Q
Z
U
C
F
Q
P
H
P
E
N
W

X
N
M
I
C
O
E
N
O
T
A
H
T
E
D
U
R
O
S
A
T

X
F
K
Z
G
S
Q
T
B
H
B
L
W
R
M
S
W
S
J
L
Z

Y
R
M
W
O
B
B
I
Q
R
K
M
P
S
W
Q
K
O
J
N
Y

L
A
W
E
N
P
O
A
F
A
N
E
A
E
S
Y
T
W
I
L
N

T
Z
C
L
Y
V
X
O
M
E
K
M
P
N
L
W
A
A
W
H
C

concern,

WORK

This is due to a seve

re
PIPER PAINS

L
R
I
W
S
A
L
L
I
N
A
V
E
T
A
L
O
C
O
H
C

Excused Absence

Please excuse __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __
SCHOOL

T
I
K
L
R
Z
U
T
X
Z
L
Q
Q
H
F
O
R
Y
V
Y
A

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

COLLEGE

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

CHORES on 12 Ju

ne 2015.

__ __ from

and highly contagious

case of

MORELLO MUMPS

which may last for se

veral days/weeks.

LITCHFIELD LURGY

We strongly recomme
nd that anyone close
to __ __ __ __ __ __ __
as a friend, colleague
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
or lover also take tim
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
e
off as a precaution, an
excitement, distraction
such
d those showing symp
etc) should adhere to
toms (high levels of
a strict quarantine pe
riod of up to a week
in bed with Netix.
Please do not hesitate
to get in touch if you
have any queries reg
arding __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ s
treatment.
Kind regards,
Doctor D Magazine,

MBChB, pHd, ABC,

BFG.

66 JUNE 2015

062 oitnb.indd 66

14/05/2015 17:45

| COVER STORY |

ORANGE
ART ATTACK

No show in history has inspired as much fan art as OITNB, and we love
these cartoons by Scottish-based superfan Victoria Haigh. Ive always had
a love of womens prison dramas, she told us. Theres something about
women behind bars that inspires my creativity. After bingewatching the
first season of OITNB, Victoria created Litchlife as a way to pass the time
before the next series, and using a mixture of hand-drawn and digital
graphics came up with these incredible pop art and comic book inspired
pieces. Victoria says: Its fantastic to see so many females working on a
hit show and my art is a celebration of that. We love em. (CL)
Find Victoria on Twitter at @stonecoldpiper.
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 67

062 oitnb.indd 67

13/05/2015 10:47

| FEATURE | CONTENT |

68 JUNE 2015

068 bare reality.indd 68

13/05/2015 09:34

Bare
Reality

A HUNDRED WOMEN SHARE THEIR BREASTS, THEIR EXPERIENCES

AND THEIR FEELINGS IN LAURA DOSWORTHS NEW BOOK

We see images of breasts everywhere in the media and yet real breasts are taboo, hidden
away, notes feminist photographer Laura Dodsworth. Out this month, her book Bare Reality
aims to shatter this taboo, presenting un-airbrushed photos of 100 womens breasts, alongside
their owners honest, brave and revealing stories.
In the following edited extracts, three women talk about their relationships with their
breasts, and those of others.

I STOPPED WEARING BRAS WHEN I STARTED TO THINK ABOUT THE POLITICS OF BODY IMAGE
Age 45 | No children

Id describe my breasts as small. I was very

self-conscious at school when all the other
girls started to wear bras and I didnt need
one. Flat-chested comments were made at
school. The word small has stayed with
me all my life. Growing up you become more
comfortable in yourself generally, you move
away from that peer pressure.
In my late teens I became a feminist and
started to think about the politics of body
image. I stopped wearing bras, because I didnt
need them anyway. That was quite liberating.
I didnt want to be forced into bras. But it was
also sexuality. There is something quite sexy
about seeing the outline of a breast without a

bra, and that was part of my emerging sexuality.

I wear a very thin T-shirt bra when I go to
work, because of the nipple thing. Im in a
senior position, and have to speak at conferences. I dont want my nipples to stand out.
People think thats inappropriate. Its interesting, because theyre just your nipples really!
As a woman you have to work harder to
be taken seriously. I dont want people to
look at my chest, I want them to look at my
face. You make compromises. I also dress
more femininely at work. I think you have to,
to be heard. Thats not comfortable with my
politics at all. As a lesbian, Im not interested
in being attractive to men, but you have to
fit into a box. If I wore jeans, with my nipples
poking out, no one would listen to me. Its like
men having to wear ties.
My partner really likes my breasts. I dont
get very aroused through my breasts, theyre
not a big deal for me. They are for her though
thats always a balancing act! I really love
her breasts. Breasts are quite often involved.
I tend to rely on my girlfriend to check my
breasts for lumps. Its more fun that way!
[laughs]
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 69

068 bare reality.indd 69

13/05/2015 09:34

d
Go an
p
r lineu
see ou
k
st.co.u
e
F
L
.
w
ww

32 Artists and Bands, Authors, Cabaret, Camping, Cinema

Comedy,Dance, Discussion, DJ's, Dog Show, Family Area
Live Art Battle, Performance, Poetry & Spoken Word
Solos area, Sports, Games and Workshops
ALL INCLUDED IN TICKET PRICE!
Uttoxeter Racecourse, Staffordshire (Near Alton Towers) onsite rail train station.
Additional extras Baby Sitting, The Retreat, Caravans, Hotels & Yurts.
Weekend tickets 99. Day tickets available. Under 16s free

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 68

12/05/2015 17:26

| FEATURE | BARE REALITY |

IVE GOT A GREAT PAIR OF MELONS

Age 40 | One child

I absolutely adore my breasts. I think

theyre fantastic. Ive always loved
them and thought they are an amazing
part of my body. Theyre big, so Ive
had to learn to be proud of them.
I have a good relationship with my
boobs. Ive got a great pair of melons!
One of my breasts is bigger than
the other, and I like that. Ive always
liked that they are perky and big and
they look fantastic. The only thing
about having big boobs on a small
frame is its all on your back and
shoulders. Im inclined to stoop my
shoulders, not sit up straight.
Last weekend, I realised with horror
that they are beginning to sag slightly.

That was quite an interesting revelation. I wonder if its because Ive lost
weight, or it could just be age-related?
Now theyre touching my stomach, and
I dont like that feeling.
I always felt that because I love my
boobs I would like to breastfeed. My
boobs should be great for breastfeeding! I wanted to give them their natural
job. When I had a child I was really
excited about it, but unfortunately I
could never fully breastfeed. I had to
mix bottle and breast. Hospitals, midwives, breastfeeding experts... no one
ever identified the issue. There are just
a small number of women who cant.
There wasnt enough milk, and Im not
sure why.
Im single and Ive had three years
being single, and I think, Shit! What will
a partner think of them? They didnt see
them when they were perky and gorgeous. That was the loss I was feeling
when I noticed they were sagging.
I had a seven-year relationship with

a man, then a seven-year relationship

with a woman: they are my two longstanding relationships. I think a lesbian
might apply the same judgements
about breasts as a man, but it would
depend on whether shes had children
or not, and most lesbians dont have
children. Thats the reality. I share
more commonality with single mothers first and foremost.
I remember a woman I dated had
really saggy boobs. She hadnt had
children, but she had been very big
and lost weight so dramatically that
her boobs sagged down to her belly
button. I remember thinking, Wow, Ive
never seen that! But it didnt matter,
I fancied the pants off her. Id like to
think that someone could think of me
like that, and understand. Sex is sex,
and you can have great sex regardless
of what they look like.
My boobs are important in a sexual
relationship. Ive got friends who can
come if their breasts are touched!

Im the stereotypical butch lesbian. Because I am obviously gay, some

random men think it is absolutely fine
to come up to me and go, Your tits are
massive! Can I have a grope? If they
could hear themselves and hear what
theyve just said. Imagine if I asked to
hold their penis. If it gets to the stage
where I am going to get into an argument with someone, my friends will
step in and help. Ive literally been in
the corner of a room and people have
been groping me.
If I could have my breasts removed,
I would. Which is bad because my
partner has had breast
cancer three times and had a
mastectomy.
She never removes her
sports bra, not even when
she goes to bed. I respect
that, because I know how
I feel about my clothing. If
thats what she needs to
make her feel comfortable
thats fine. It hurts me that
she cant see how beautiful
she is [cries]. Im getting all
emotional now. I accept her
as she is.

My breasts dont feature sexually in

this relationship. Im aware of not wanting to flaunt them. I dont walk around
with my boobs out. Its not me anyway,
but it would feel like kicking someone in
the teeth. Ive got breasts that I hate and
she has had to go through horrific times
to do with her breasts, which she lost. It
makes me feel guilty.
Because I have rejected my breasts
they arent erogenous. My nipples are
numb. I dont get any sensation from
them. I got a nipple pierced, and
everyone was asking if it hurt. I just
didnt feel it at all.

BECAUSE I HAVE REJECTED MY BREASTS THEY ARENT EROGENOUS

PHOTOS LAURA DODSWORTH

Age 31 | No children

I absolutely hate my breasts. I would

give them up tomorrow. Im 40GG and
Ive been this size since I was 14. I had
to give up running in my teens because
it was so painful and I couldnt find a
good enough sports bra. When you
run they constantly jig, and because
of the weight of them there would
be a pounding pain in my shoulders
and back, and shooting pains in my
breasts. I gave up sport and got bigger
and bigger. I went to the doctor when
I was 15 and pretty much begged for a
reduction, but they said no.
I have a lot of issues relating to my
breasts. For one thing, I like wearing
mens clothes and its hard to find
clothes that fit. I spend my whole time
trying to cover up my breasts. I find
mens clothes really comfortable.
My therapist tried to explore this
with me. Really, its purely because
they are more comfortable. Mens
T-shirts are also funnier. I dont want
to wear a sparkly girly t-shirt. Sports
Direct is my Mecca. I should be their
spokesperson, except Id be the fattest
spokesperson going. I dont want to be
a man, but I dont feel comfortable in
womens clothes.

Bare Reality:
100 Women,
Their breasts,
Their stories
is published by
Pinter and Martin
on 4 June, 25. 1
per book sold is
donated to Breast
Cancer UK.
pinterandmartin.
com/bare-reality.
html
barereality.net

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 71

068 bare reality.indd 71

13/05/2015 09:34

Queer
FASHION WEEK

QFW2016 takes place 14-17 April, 2016.

queerfashionweek.com

MOVE ASIDE,
MILAN.
LATERS,
LONDON.
THE ONLY
FASHION WEEK
WE CARE
ABOUT IS
QUEER

WORDS CARRIE LYELL

PHOTOS SONIA AVILA, NYE LYN THO

The first ever Queer Fashion Week was

such a massive success, were already
counting down to the next one. Held in
Oakland, California, the four-day event
attracted over 1,500 people and
welcomed 20 designers, 150 models
and 20 vendors of all ages, sizes and
races. Americas Next Top Model
finalist Cory Wade, who hosted the
Friday fashion show and walked the
runway on Saturday, said: Its
important that we emphasise that it
isnt [about] how we classify our
sexuality [but by] just showing
everyone that we are just as good and
just as qualified to be those household
names, this could potentially change
the fashion industry in a very, very
positive way.

72 JUNE 2015

072 style.indd 72

13/05/2015 09:32

| STYLE | QUEER FASHION WEEK |

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 73

072 style.indd 73

13/05/2015 09:32

| TRAVEL | EGYPT |

Hieroglyphics,
high-rises and
hibiscus tea
LIZ CARR
DISCOVERS
THE EGYPT OF
THE PAST IS
THE ONE SHE
LIKES BEST

GETTING THERE

Liz Carr travelled

with Memphis Tours
(memphistours.co.uk/Egypt).
British Airways flies direct
from London to Cairo in just
over five hours
(britishairways.com).

Ive wanted to cross Egypt off my travel to do list

for years but I havent, for various reasons the
Home Office warnings; bubbling civil, political and
religious unrest; disapproval of us homosexual
types; graphic travellers tales of stomach upsets
AKA Egyptian Mummy Tummy. The list is long.
This year, however, fortified by a why the hell
not? attitude and a suitcase full of Immodium, I
decided to take a trip with my partner to Cairo and
Luxor.
As a wheelchair user, travelling to a country
not known for its accessibility, I decided to book
everything except the flights through Memphis
Tours, an Egyptian company which has a transit van
with a ramp and years of experience, including with
disabled tourists.
Yet it was, from the outset, a rather intimidating
affair. Our Cairo hotel was next to the Museum of
Egyptian Antiquities and Tahrir Square, site of the
2011 revolution against President Mubarak and the
ousting of President Morsi in 2013. To get there, we
were driven through various roadblocks of tanks
and heavily-armed security. Our Nile hotel was
surrounded by a four-metre-high electric fence. The
doorman wore a fez (locally known as a tarboosh)
and assisted us through the airport-style security
to a lobby filled with men, most of them smoking. I
felt like I was in a 1970s movie all that was missing
was Gene Hackman.
On the first morning in Cairo we went to the
Egyptian Museum, which houses over 150,000 artefacts and enough large crates, dust and disarray to
make us feel like Indiana Jones. We headed upstairs
to view Tutankhamuns treasures I wanted to see
his golden death mask, recently in the headlines
when museum staff accidentally broke off the

74 JUNE 2015

074 travel.indd 74

13/05/2015 09:30

PHOTOS JO CHURCH

protruding beard and stuck it on with

something like Pritt Stick. My favourite
King Tut discovery, however, was the
collection of walking sticks found
in his tomb. With his dodgy knee, it
seems the great pharaoh was a disabled person, too.
What I had really come to Egypt
to see, though, were the pyramids.
Id heard how commercialised this
ancient wonder had become and that
McDonalds was directly opposite.
But none of this took away from the
absolute thrill I felt the first time I saw
that pointed pyramid pushing through
the high-rises. The city has expanded
to the edge of the Giza Plateau, the desert home to nine pyramids and their
guardian, the now-noseless Sphynx,
but, when youre there, walking
amongst these 4,500-year-old giants,
you feel as though youre in the middle
of time and history itself.
In contrast to fast-paced, concrete
Cairo, Luxor is lush and green. As we
drove beside the Nile, we overtook
donkeys carrying oversized sugar canes
and coloured pick-up trucks stuffed full
of cattle. But more important to Luxors
economy than farming is tourism,
though since the recent revolutions,
this has dramatically declined and the
financial desperation was evident in
every encounter we had.
We also saw very few women during our trip. None of our guides were
women and jobs often done by women,
like hotel maids, shop assistants and
restaurant staff, were instead done by
men and usually men with wandering hands. It seems almost unimaginable then that over 3,500 years ago,
Egypt was ruled by a woman, Queen
Hatshepsut (or Hat Cheap Suit, as
our tour guide taught us to help with
remembering her name). She transformed herself into a pharaoh to take
power over all of Egypt during a period
of great prosperity. Like women today,
however, she struggled to be respected. She had to remove the trappings of
her gender and put on the male regalia
of kingship including the pharaohs
false beard. Her achievements are
recorded in the most colourful of images at the Mortuary Temple of Queen
Hatshepsut, an immense three-storey
structure which, to my joy, we accessed
via two of the largest and oldest ramps
in history.
When we ventured out independently from an organised tour, we were

Clockwise from left: Liz at the

Mortuary Temple of Queen
Hatshepsut; (this page)
Hieroglyphics from the Mortuary
Temple of Queen Hatshepsut;
(inset) Liz and partner Jo and
the Pyramids of Giza;
car and camel at the Giza Pyramids;
Cairo gift shop goodies

hounded. Once the doors opened,

musicians played and expected a tip.
Taxi drivers shouted and honked for
our attention. Horse and cart drivers
promised us good price. Shop owners
tried to lure us inside with cups of
hibiscus tea. Felucca cruise captains
tried to wheel me onto their boats.
Women cried because we didnt buy

In contrast
to fastpaced,
concrete
Cairo,
Luxor is
lush and
green

A NOTE ON WOMEN AND

HOMOSEXUALITY IN EGYPT
Whilst the Red Sea resort areas are apparently fairly liberal, in Cairo and Luxor
(and in places of worship) we kept our
legs and arms covered and had scarves
to cover our heads. As lesbians, we were
aware that although homosexuality
itself isnt illegal in Egypt, homosexual
acts in public are. Even though we
didnt encounter any trouble because
of our sexuality, I did find it stressful in
a country where being who we are is
disapproved of and criminalised.

from them. Strangers walked with us,

then demanded we paid them. Staff
from our hotel tried to take us to the
spice market, to their cousins wedding,
to Banana Island, to their familys restaurant. The peanut seller followed us
with his trolly. Close to tears, we found
refuge in the Winter Palace Hotel and
when we left, three hours later, there
were still people waiting outside.
Safely back with our tour guide, we
travelled to the Valley of the Kings,
home to 63 tombs, most famously
Tutankhamuns, discovered practically
intact by Howard Carter in 1922. I
assumed the tombs of Egypts
pharaohs would not be wheelchair
accessible and certainly Tutankhamuns was not. However, apart from a
small step here and there, the three we
entered were creatively ramped so I
was able to wheel deep down into the
bowels of the earth through hieroglyphic-decorated passageways. This
unexpected experience was the
highlight of our time in Egypt.
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 75

074 travel.indd 75

14/05/2015 17:52

| CITY GUIDE | OXFORD |

Oxfords best-kept secrets

Dreaming spires are all well and good,
but sometimes you want something
a little less obvious (and much less
phallic). Luckily, theres more to Oxford than Harry Potter film locations,
college walking tours, and falling off
a punt into the river (all fun exercises
in their own right). Theres also miles
of sprawling countryside which offers
much-needed escape from the hoards
of tourists locking selfie-sticks on the
cobbled streets, as well as prime spots
for walks, bike rides, fresh air, pub
stops and the most amazing vegan
breakfasts.

JOANNA
BENECKE
KNOWS HER
OX FROM
HER FORD

STAY
The latter is available from Heyford
Vegan B&B (heyfordveganbedand
breakfast.vpweb.co.uk), in the picturesque village of Lower Heyford (think
thatched cottages, fields of sheep,
people stopping to wish you good morrow). Run by the lovely and inspiring
Green Party candidate Jenny Tamblyn,
this dog-friendly, solar-powered, ecoconscious B&B offers accommodation
from 35-55 a night you wont find
better value for miles including an
outstanding breakfast crafted from
the finest organic ingredients. Dont
miss the pancakes. Or the sweetcorn
fritters. Or the potato cakes made with
spuds grown in Jennys garden. The
village is well connected: a 20-minute
car drive takes you into central Oxford,
there are plenty of trains and buses,
or opt for the scenic route by biking
along the canal.

WAY

Direct trains to
Oxford run regularly from London
Paddington.
The Oxford Tube
(oxfordtube.com)
coaches run 24
hours a day from
London Victoria to
Oxford, with pickup stops along
the way. Book in
advance via (uk.
megabus.com) for
fares from 1.

GAY
Oxford LGBTQ pub The Jolly Farmers
(facebook.com/JollyFarmersOxford) is
located near the recently revamped
tourist attraction/trap (delete as
applicable) that is Oxford Castle.
The Jgerbombs are free-flowing
and frequently on special deals, and
theres a programme of quizzes and
live acts. For a night of dancing, Plush
(theplushlounge.co.uk) is Oxfords largest and most popular LGBTQ venue,
open Fridays and Saturdays. Want
to party on a school night? Theres
usually a substantial studenty queer
quota at Baby Love (baby-bar.co.uk/
babylove.html). One of the citys best
lez-spotting sights is the Gardeners
Arms, a pleasantly musty olde pub
in Jericho (laidback arty area to the
north of the city centre). As Oxfords
only all-veggie pub its a popular
hangout for queer first dates and
meet-ups, set to a soundtrack of Morrissey and The Clash and the vegan
burger with chips is greasy heaven
(thegarden-oxford.co.uk).

PLAY
Britains first public museum, the
Ashmolean (ashmolean.org), founded
back in 1683, holds an eclectic mix
of global art and artefacts. A special
exhibition of Great British Drawings
is on until 31 Aug, featuring some
rather lovely Rossettis and Millais
(for fans of Pre-Raph ladies with
flowing tresses). If you like your
museums and your women weird

and pickled, head to the Pitt Rivers

(prm.ox.ac.uk) which specialises in all
things odd. If you want to see a witch
in a jar, this is the place for you.
To avoid the worst of the tourist
throngs, its best to give the pedestrianised Cornmarket a wide berth,
unless its to visit Fairtrade at St
Michaels (fairtradeatstmichaels.co.uk),
a calming haven in amongst the
high-street brands, where you can pick
up ethical goodies at reasonable
prices. If you find yourself in North
Oxford, Summertown houses some
excellent charity shops. Rummage for
vintage finds at local hospice charity
Helen & Douglas House, which also has
a central branch in the covered market
(oxford-coveredmarket.co.uk), before
swinging by Modern Baker
(modernbaker.com) where you can buy
pricey but delicious artisan breads
like the gluten-free and ambitiouslytitled Life Changing Loaf. To the east
of the centre, Cowley Road is the place
to go for hipster bars, cheap eats and
the citys only independent cinema,
Ultimate Picture Palace (uppcinema.
com). For a tasty meal, shun the big
chains and head to Jericho where you
can enjoy a Lebanese feast with
many vegan options at Al-Shami
(al-shami.co.uk), Greek delights at
Manos (manosfoodbar.com), or crepes
at The Old Bookbinders
(oldbookbinders.co.uk), before heading
back to Heyford to fall asleep
dreaming, not of spires, but of vegan
breakfast sausages.

76 JUNE 2015

076 city guide.indd 76

13/05/2015 09:29

HOT HOTEL

PROVINCETOWN

Love the vibe in boutique hotels, but the

privacy and personality of a B&B? Funky,
design-led B&Bs, The Salt House Inn and
Eben House in Provincetown, Massachusetts, could be right up your proverbial.
Whats more, the latter is recently opened,
with five-star amenities. Its a 14-bedroom
site, originally built in 1776 as the home of
seafarer Captain Eben Snow; each room is
individually designed, inspired by original
features. As if Provincetown wasnt
already cool enough.
salthotels.com
NEWSFLASH

FIRST CLASS

| TRAVEL |

DONT MISS

MACAU WALKING ROUTES

Its a tiny island off Hong Kong, full of shops and casinos, but the 11 square
miles of Macau is a lot more than just the Vegas of the East. Most recently
its become an unexpected gem for walkers, with new easy-to-follow tours
launched for those wishing to explore Macaus lesser-known districts, get an
insight into local life and take in hidden gardens, magical temples and stunning Chinese and Portuguese architecture and monuments. Whats more, you
can download all eight maps onto your phone.

CITIES TALKING

If youre often frustrated with group

guided tours in foreign cities, then its
time to download the smartphone app
Cities Talking for the small sum of 4.99.
Next time youre wandering around
Berlin, Barcelona, Athens, or Bruges (to
name just a few), treat your ears to some
up-to-date info on-the-go and take one
of the apps walking tours. Youll hit all the
famous places as well as a few lesserknown spots, but, unlike with a human
guide, you can press pause (or stop)
whenever you want.
citiestalking.com

Chapel of St Francis
Xavier, Coloane

macautourism.gov.mo

ECO CORNER

NEW EUROSTAR ROUTES

Its hard to believe there were days when an eco-friendly journey to Southern France meant a two-day
car journey, via ferry. But Eurostars service just got a whole lot better as in May they launched their new
year-round service taking passengers direct from central London to central Lyon, Avignon or Marseille.
Simple check-in, lowered carbon footprint, and a lot less faff than flying.
Not to mention the joy of actually being able to see where
you are going Journey times are impressive:
London-Lyon 4h41, London-Avignon
5h49, London-Marseille 6h27 (thats
basically the time it takes to drive
from our dear capital to North
Yorkshire, with a little traffic). Return fares start
at 89 return for Lyon
and 99 return
for Avignon and
Marseille, with up
to five services a
week.
eurostar.com

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 77

077 first class.indd 77

13/05/2015 09:28

| DIRECTORY |

DIRECTORY
TO ADVERTISE CALL Jo vasconcelos
TEL 020 7424 7451
EMAIL Jo@divamag.CO.UK

CLASSIFIED FEATURE - Kent Pride 2015

Celebrating diversity in the community
In the far eastern end of Kent, where LGBT services are few and far
between, there is a rainbow storm brewing!
On 29 August 2015, Margate will be the home to Kents biggest
Pride festival. With acts like Stooshe and 2 Shoes performing
along side a fabulous array of drag queens and local talent. It is
bound to be a good event for all of the family, with a childrens
area and some very special guests!
With support from the local council, police and task force, we
aim to not only bring you the BEST Pride event we can offer but
also provide the LGBT community of Kent with opportunities to
connect with services which are not readily available in the area.
The event is free and we welcome everyone to attend! The day
kicks off at 9.30am and scheduling information will be posted
online closer to the day.
With lots of magical events happening on the run-up to Pride,
including competitions and give aways, head over to our Facebook
page and keep your eyes peeled!
Get involved with Kent Pride!
Despite the collaborations, we are looking for donors and
sponsors for our event. If this is something you would like to do,
please donate online at www.gofundme.com/Kentpride or
contact us using the details below.
We have stalls available to hire and are looking for LGBT-related
businesses or organisations to fill the spots.
Would you like to work for Kent Pride?
We are currently looking for volunteers to become part of our
ever-growing team. Please send a CV to our email and we will get
back to you.
For more information on Kent Pride, please see our website:
www.kentpride.co.uk
Contact us:
Kentpride@outlook.com
01227 656 277 leave a message and we will get back to you.
facebook.com/kentpride2015
Twitter @kentpride2015
78 JUNE 2015

DV228 DIRECTORY.indd 78

15/05/2015 12:30

| DIRECTORY |

A-Z CLASSIFIEDS
BESPOKE TAILORing

Counselling

Bespoke Tailoring
with a twist

visit our friendly studio at:

Shop 10, Bush Walk, Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 1AT
(1hour from London, 15mins from Reading)

Like Us

0118 979 3880

www.goodrichbespoke.co.uk
kerry@goodrichbespoke.co.uk

Civil Partnership

Follow Us!

walking
therapy
Individual Therapy
Life Changes
Creative Blocks
Group Therapy
Memory Group/
Older People
LONDON/HASTINGS AREA
alena.dierickx@gmail.com
alenadierickxtherapyservices.co.uk

CELEBRANT

ARE YOU A
COUNsellor?
ADVERTISE
YOUR
SERVICES
HERE
CELEBRANT

Reach gay women

internationally
with a classified
advert.

Call Jo on:

020 7424 7451

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 79

DV228 DIRECTORY.indd 79

15/05/2015 12:45

| DIRECTORY |

A-Z CLASSIFIEDS

Jewellery

Counselling

Introductions

PERSONALs
LEGAL
Bespoke Introductions
For Lesbian Professionals
Our client is an interesting,
successful and well-educated
gay woman of 37 years of age
living in Oxford. Attractive with
wide interests, which include a
love of travel, the arts, good
food and music, she is looking
to meet someone special to
share her life and interests.
Preferably based in Oxfordshire.
No Fee Required.

We are a long established practice specialising in the following areas:

Family Law
Divorce, civil partnership,
relationship breakdown,
ancillary relief, prenuptial
and cohabitation
agreements.
Housing
Possession, eviction,
homelessness and disrepair.

Children
Child arrangements orders
(used to be residence and contact),
specific issue orders, prohibited
steps orders, wardship, inherent
Jurisdiction of the High Court.

Please call Bloom and Cadogan:

020 3008 6388 or email:
suzanne@bloomandcadogan.com

Removals

SHIRLEYS
removals

Will and Probate

Wills, probate, intestacy,
powers of attorney.

We have been moving...

Everything, Everywhere...
For lesbians and gay men
for 25 years.

Amongst our solicitors are members of the Family Law Panel, the Advanced Family
Law Panel, the Children Panel and the International Child Abduction Unit Panel.
All of our solicitors are members of the Specialist Resolution Accredited Scheme.

LIGHT/MEDIUM & HEAVY DUTY

LONG/SHORT HAUL
FREE ESTIMATES
WITHOUT OBLIGATION
DSS WELCOME

Gillian Radford & Co

453 Harrow Road, London W10 4RG
E: info@gillianradford.co.uk T: 020 8960 4366
W: www.gillianradford.co.uk

020 7254 5580

FAST, EFFICIENT
FRIENDLY & RELIABLE

www.shirleysremovals.co.uk
shirleys.removals@yahoo.co.uk

Motoring

ADVERTISE
YOUR SERVICES
HERE !

Commissions in gold, platinum & silver

As well as working with stones,
award winning Diana Porter will hand etch
customers own choice of words around rings.

Reach gay women internationally

with a classified advert.

brochure & enquiries 0117 909 0225

www.dianaporter.co.uk

80 JUNE 2015

DV228 DIRECTORY.indd 80

Diva_1.2page_2014.indd 1

Call Jo on:

020 7424 7451

21/10/2014 10:17:21

15/05/2015 12:36

| DIRECTORY |
Shopping

A-Z CLASSIFIEDS

Bath

TRAVEL UK & IRELAND

Clyde Trilogy
by
Norman Deeley
Erotic adult crime mysteries
*Murder on the Isle of Arran
*Murder on the Isle of Bute
*Murder on the Isle of Cumbrae

Norfolk

Available
Amazon.co.uk/.com/Kindle

Brighton

TRAVEL UK & IRELAND

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 81

DV228 DIRECTORY.indd 81

15/05/2015 12:36

| DIRECTORY |

TRAVEL UK & IRELAND

WALES

Lake District

ADVERTISE YOUR
HOLIDAY
DESTINATION HERE
Reach gay women
internationally

DIVAMAG.CO.UK
Call Jo on:

020 7424 7451

Spain

CONDITIONS FOR
ADVERTISING
All advertisements are
accepted subject to the
publishers standard terms
and conditions, copies
of which are available
on request. In particular,
cancellation of advertising
must be received in writing
at least four weeks prior to
copy date to stop or
suspend insertion.
For a copy please write to:
Jo Vasconcelos, Millivres
Prowler Group, Spectrum
House, Unit M,
32 - 34 Gordon House Road,
London NW5 1LP

Spain

Cardigan Bay
Vegetarian Guest House
A Haven of Rural Seclusion
Yoga Retreat 22-1-28 July
Marie 01239 811 155

o ve r t he ra i n bo w wa l e s . c o . uk
Licenced for Wedding Ceremonies

TRAVEL WORLDWIDE

TRAVEL WORLDWIDE

Bamb

Country House Holiday Studios

Exclusively for lesbians
Spectacular mountain and coastal scenery
Quality self-catering suites
Stunning pool and terraces
Perfect location to enjoy the coast,
beaches, mountain villages and historic cities
Complete privacy and relaxation
Fabulous company, conversation and laughter

www.bambu-resort.com
Andalucia, Spain

82 JUNE 2015

DV228 DIRECTORY.indd 82

15/05/2015 12:38

| DIRECTORY |

CLASSIFIED FEATURE - The Knoll, Lakeside in the Lake District

the perfect choice for intimate weddings and house parties

So as the trees start to come back to life and we eagerly await the
daffodils, we thought it time to catch up with our friends at DIVA
magazine, especially as this month features weddings.
Small weddings and house parties are our speciality. Were a
dedicated team of women who can cater for your every need on
that special day. Prices start from 4,000 to hire our facilities for
two nights. Check out our Facebook page for pictures of some of
the wonderful events we have hosted.
If youre just looking for somewhere special for a romantic break,
we have eight individually appointed bedrooms and our Retreat
a chic and cosy apartment with lounge/dining, log burner,
kitchenette, large bedroom with dressing area and a fabulous hot
tub with private terrace. Perfect for a break away from it all with
all the luxuries and tranquility youd want. With gorgeous food,

afternoon teas and stunning Lake District scenery, youd be mad

not to!
We are also offering our legendary New Years Party for
women on 31 December and 1 January. It always goes down a
storm and the all-inclusive two-night New Year package will
let you sample the Knolls fantastic food. Call now as its a
popular event!
You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook for forthcoming
events and general chat.
www.theknoll-lakeside.co.uk
Telephone 01539 531 347 and ask for Jenny, Denise or Moira
Email info@theknoll-lakeside.co.uk

DV228 DIRECTORY.indd 83

DIVAMAG.co.uk 83

14/05/2015 15:21

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 84

14/05/2015 12:14

| THE QUICKIE | EROTIC FICTION |

Afternoon tea in Giverny

A TOURIST
DISCOVERS
UNEXPECTED
PLEASURE IN
AN ARTISTS
GARDEN

PHOTO PIERRE-TIENNE NATAF

SHORT STORY
PENNY WARD

Lightheaded,
I bent to
feel petals
against my
lips

Monets garden at Giverny is one of

the most beautiful places on the earth,
especially when the sun is shining, the
flowers in full bloom and the air warm
and soft on your skin. Almost lightheaded, I bent to feel petals against
my lips, breathing in their scent. The
waterlily pond is out of this world. I
felt as if I was part of it. I noticed a
small space on a bench and squeezed
in. The insects hummed, I drowsed,
able to largely ignore the crowds pushing along the path in front. I took out a
sandwich, and had a bite.
Non, madam! This is museum. Pas
de manger! The tour guide pointed
a shaking finger at me. I swallowed,
put the rest away, apologised in my
school-girl French. She marched on,
her cheeks purple with indignation.
Shes a nun. Ignore her.
I looked at the woman sitting next
to me, Rubenesque, queenly.
Probably taught by one, anyway. I
laughed. Its so lovely sitting here, and
I was hungry, and you know how you
want what you want
She smiled back. I realised that my
leg was pressed against her thigh, and
that it probably had been since I threw
myself down 30 minutes before. She
had that wonderful wide smile like
Whoopi Goldberg. I wanted to make
her laugh, just so I could watch the
smile widen and her soft, heavy lips
open to reveal her even white teeth.
I wondered what it would be like to

kiss those lips, and, as my eyes moved

down over her breasts and her rounded belly, wondered what it would feel
like to sink into all that flesh. My eyes
travelled back to her eyes, and she
bent closer and whispered, I have cake
in my bag. Come on!
I followed her, without question.
I watched her buttocks sway, and
wondered how it must feel to be so
big and heavy. But she was graceful,
and seemed comfortable in her skin.
She suddenly stepped off the path,
and led me under a weeping willow,
pushing the branches aside like a door.
The ground was soft, the light filtering
through the leaves dappled our faces.
She sat down, her skirt ballooning, and
pulled me down beside her. Her eyes
met mine, and I wondered if my gaydar
was on leave... had I found une dyke
francaise?
We both smiled.
No cake? I asked.
You hungry? Her soft lips met
mine, and like a baby latching on, I
nuzzled them, my tongue meeting
hers, then we spilled backwards, and
my hand moved down over her breast,
her dress pushed easily out the way,
and I found this amazing, wonderful
globe of soft, smooth skin, her nipple
dark and huge and Im sucking it, while
she pulls my shorts and pants off...
rolls me over so she is beside me, and
we are kissing, and the kissing is the
best. We separate while I tug my t-shirt

over my head, then I am back, licking

her skin, tasting salty sweat and I am
groaning... then gasping as her fingers
slide down and into me, her thumb on
my clitoris insistent, rhythmic, and she
muffles my cries as I come by pushing
her nipple back into my mouth.
You still hungry? she rolls onto
her back, and I push her skirt up,
noticing the heavy thighs, no pants!
The thick pubes, her belly-dancingbelly my body seems so thin next to
hers, but I like how different we are,
somehow we match, yin and yang. My
small breasts and pink nipples catch
her attention and I gasp as she rubs
one between finger and thumb. I break
away, bend and eat my cake, the taste
sweet and her flesh so soft, so soft
that I am drowning in it, and she lies,
barely moving except for the twitches I
feel in her vagina... which build up and
up until I am not sure who is coming,
except we both are because her hand
has found my clitoris and I am so, so
happy, so replete
Angelique! The tour guide peers
through the branches. Stop distracting the tourists with all that noise!
I of course, am stark naked, but my
lover of that moment has tucked away
her breast and pulled down her skirt
and smiles innocently.
And you, the guides lips twitch
slightly as her eyes meet mine. Have I
not already told you not to eat in
Monets garden?
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 85

085 the quickie.indd 85

13/05/2015 09:26

PROVINCETOWN
your vacation just got sexier

ptown.org

A Peccadillo Pictures Release

Appropriate Behaviour

OPENING DOORS
LONDON

A Film by Desiree Akhavan

HHHH
HeyUGuys

HHHH
Grazia

HHHH
Time Out

Audacious, Warm funny

funny & unique and honest
Lena Dunham

Little White Lies

10 YEARS OF
SUPPORTING
THE OLDER
LGBT
GENERATION
Help us support those who fought for the freedoms
and protections we enjoy today by donating to our
Raise a Glass campaign.
openingdoorslondon.org.uk/donate--now
openingdoorslondon.org.uk/donate
020 7239 0400

Out June 29 Pre-Order Now

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 86

Follow us on Facebook
and Twitter.

12/05/2015 17:27

| QUEER GROOMING |

is anything
ethical?

BEAUTY

t may well be the pinnacle of firstworld problems, but sometimes

being an ethical consumer is hard.
Yes, there are many ethical companies out there, but, sadly, choosing
which to shop from is often a matter
of compromise: buy fairtrade products
produced abroad to help boost the lives
of workers across the globe, but incur
ecological damage due to long-distance
transportation costs; buy from local British companies and they will usually have
imported certain ingredients, and may
not be able to monitor what conditions
these were produced under; buy vegan
mineral make-up to save animal lives and
worry that the minerals used may have
been mined by Indian child labour.
GOT
And thats just the tip of the iceberg:
GR
A OOMING
is the packaging recycled/recycla?
QUESTION
ble? Is the ink used toxic? Is the
EMAIL EDIT@
company owned by an unethical
DIVAMAG.CO.UK OR
TWEET JOANNA
umbrella organisation? Does a
brand sell on Amazon or deal with
other businesses with dodgy ethical reputations? Do the products cater to all ethnicities? Are models who promote healthy
body images used in the promotional
material? Do the ads promote unpleasant
gender stereotypes? You can take things
further and see it as unethical to buy an
ethical product from a shop that stocks
or markets any unethical brands until
finally shopping for anything at all (be it
Joanna Benecke is a
clothes, home furnishings, technology or
writer with a green tea
beauty) becomes an impossibility.
addiction who believes
But enough with the depressing truths.
grooming doesnt have
I still believe that attempting to make
to be a dirty word.
ethical choices can make a positive dif@joannabenecke
ference. Each time you pick brands that
are fairtrade, organic or cruelty-free, you
are sending a signal to other companies
that these things are important to you. If
youre unsure about the ethical standard
of any product, contact the company and
ask. Store a template email in your drafts
folder so you can whoosh it off quickly.
If a company doesnt reply, or replies
evasively, contact them again saying you
wont buy their product unless they can
reassure you. If they dont, or cant, then
they dont deserve your custom.

JOANNA BENECKE TACKLES A THORNY QUESTION

ETHICAL OLD FAVOURITE

Green People
A pioneering force in green beauty since 1997,
founded on the principle that performance and ethical practice should never be sacrificed for profit. No
SLS, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, alcohol,
GMO, synthetic fragrances or colourants are used.
Fairly-traded ingredients are sourced whenever
possible. They never test on animals and have a
tab on their website so you can find
the vegan products easily. Check out
innovations like the Light Hold Styling
Gel, 11.95 (one of the few vegan gels
available, it doubles up as a leave-in
conditioner), and the Gentle Cleanse and
Make-up Remover, from 11.95, which
is alcohol-free yet powerful enough to
remove waterproof mascara.
greenpeople.co.uk

Premae Skincare
Founded in 2011, the worlds first allergen-free beauty brand (no treenuts, soy, wheat,
oats, gluten, parabens, petrochemicals or SLS) is British, but sources certain
ingredients from Uganda where theyve set
up a social enterprise, including a training
programme for vulnerable young people.
Premae is 100% natural and certified
vegan, offers a recycling incentive where
customers can send their empties back
and receive a discount, caters to all skin
tones and uses a range of ethnicities
in their marketing. Their innovative
MM Foundation (29) is made from
Ugandan mango butter, comes in
15 shades, and is gentle enough to
sleep in if you forget to wash it off.
Im also a fan of the Plush Extraction
Mask (25) which manages to reduce
oil at the same time as hydrating
problem skin.
premaeskincare.com

NEW KID ON THE

ETHICAL BLOCK

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 87

087 grooming.indd 87

13/05/2015 09:26

g uid

to

go

in

d own
88 JUNE 2015

088 sex-life.indd 88

13/05/2015 09:25

efore I can write this article I

need to get Aerosmith out of
my head. The chorus to Love
In An Elevator (livin it up
when Im goin down) has
made me chuckle, but the
vision of those ageing rockers is not helping me when
it comes to writing about ladygarden
loving. Perhaps if I recall the first time I
found myself face-to-face with another
womans pussy that will help? She
was kneeling above me, straddling my
head, my hands were holding her hips,
and I was excited and anxious in equal
measure. As she lowered herself closer
to my mouth I remember thinking, Oh
heavens, what do I do now?
Theres often an assumption that
one woman just knows how to touch
and pleasure another woman. However, I doubt there are many of us who
are flexible enough to lick our own
genitals, so there is a great likelihood
that the first time we find ourselves in
the lucky position of being able to explore in this way, it will be with another
woman. And, given that everyone has
different anatomy and preferences,
the tenth woman you go down on can
be equally as an exciting and nervewracking experience as the first.
This guide aims to outline some
general ideas and techniques you might
want to consider. It also asks you to
think about going down safely both
in terms of physical and emotional
wellbeing. It is not a definitive this is
how to make her come with your expert
cunnilingus skills article because I
dont believe it is possible to write a
one-size-fits-all guide in that way. There
may, however, be something here that
you havent tried before, or would like
to find out more about. I recommend
Felice Newmans The Whole Lesbian Sex
Book if you want to read more.
Lets start with a broad definition of
oral sex: the use of one persons mouth
to sexually stimulate the body of another. This includes kissing her mouth, nibbling her earlobes, licking the insides of
her thighs, sucking her nipples and lots
of other glorious mouth-to-erogenouszone possibilities. To get more specific,
cunnilingus can also include: rubbing
your face against her vulva; flattening
your tongue and licking the whole of
her pussy slowly and wetly; sucking
her labia into your mouth; flicking her
clitoris with the tip of your tongue; and
pushing your tongue inside her.

| SEX/LIFE | ORAL SEX |

Mouth to body contact can be
hugely sensuous and teasing. The feel
of your warm, wet tongue and lips on
her skin, gradually making their way
down her body, can create a wonderful anticipation in her about how it
will feel when you finally reach her
cunt. And you can take delight in all
the incredible sensations your lips and
tongue experience on their travels:
different textures and temperatures,
and also the different tastes youll find
as you explore her skin.
If either of you are concerned
about taste or smell, you can always
have a shower or bath beforehand,
but it can also help to get familiar with
what your natural scent and flavour
are. You can taste yourself on your
own fingers when you masturbate,
and on the lips of your lover when she
comes up to kiss you.
Getting face-to-face with someones genitals is an extremely intimate
and vulnerable experience. Allowing
yourself to be seen in this way requires
trust and a willingness and ability to
communicate what you both do and
do not want and like. Does that feel
good for you? can be a simple checkin question, along with the invitation,
Tell me if you want me to do something differently.
Be willing to experiment with different sensations. Does she like you
gently nibbling on her labia? Does she
like you sucking firmly on her clitoris or
circling your tongue wetly around it?
How does it feel to her if you hum while
your mouth is pressed against her, or
if you blow a tickling stream of air over
her sensitised clit? Does she like it when
you make your tongue rigid and push
inside her, or does she prefer all of your
attention focused on tracing out the
shaft and shape of her clitoris?
You may want to intersperse your
oral loving with kisses to her thighs, her
belly, her breasts, and her mouth. You
may want to suck her fingers into your
mouth and let her experience the inner
heat and wetness of you there too.
Make sure you are both comfortable
with pillows and changes to position
as required. Its not fun to give yourself
a stiff neck or cramp so find a position
and angle that works for you both. You
may want to lie between her thighs
with her hips lifted on a pillow. You may
prefer to kneel at an angle beside her
and lower your head down to her; or to
kneel on the floor while she lies with

ORAL SEX,
CUNNILINGUS,
MUFF-DIVING,
EATING PUSSY:
ANNA SANSOM
GIVES US THE
LOW-DOWN
ON GOING
DOWN

Allow time
to build her
arousal:
back off,
tease, go
forward,
then tease
some more

her pussy close to the edge of the bed.

You can straddle her or have her straddle you: the 69 position can be a lot of
fun but it can also be hard to concentrate on all the sensations of giving and
receiving at the same time. Its quite ok
to take turns; theres no rule that says
you have to come at the same time.
Oral sex is something to be
savoured, not hurried. Allow time to
build her arousal: back off, tease, go
forward, then tease her some more.
You can add finger stimulation too:
your fingers stroking her alongside
your tongue, or penetrating her in
rhythm with your licks. Oral sex with
fingers inside can feel amazing ask
her if thats what shed like.
Fundamental to all of the above is
the need to make an informed decision
about safer sex practices. Cunnilingus
can transmit herpes and HPV (a virus
linked to cervical cancer). If blood is
present, there is also a risk of possible
transmission of HIV, hepatitis C, and
hepatitis B. You can use protective barriers between mouth and genitals: dental dams, a cut up vinyl or latex glove,
or a cut open condom; and gloves for
penetration. Make sure the dental
damn/barrier is not accidentaly turned
over (ie the side that has been in
contact with genitals should not also
come into contact with the mouth) and
a drop of lubricant between the barrier
and genital side can feel nicer for the
one receiving oral sex.
Yes, licking a dental dam does not
feel the same as having direct mouth to
genital contact, but it can also be erotic
in its own right if you choose to see it
that way. Discussing safer sex (knowing
your own STD status and asking for
that of the person you are having sex
with, and then making a joint, informed
decision about how to proceed) is a
part of sexual negotiation. I know it can
feel awkward or like a mood-breaker
but the risk of initiating that conversation is far preferable to the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
In fact, perhaps its helpful to think
of oral sex as using your mouth to
have a conversation first and foremost
and, if that goes well, then you can
enjoy all the other pleasures it can
bring.

Anna Sansom writes about sex every month in

DIVA and at divamag.co.uk. Got a subject youd
like her to explore? Email anna@divamag.co.uk or
tweet @ladygarden69.
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 89

088 sex-life.indd 89

13/05/2015 09:25

| Dating | dial a diva |

To browse new ads before they go into print call 0906 753 4404.
Calls to 09067 numbers cost 77p per minute at all times.
PLACE AN AD
BY PHONE - CALL FREE ON 0800 839 158 OR BY SENDING THIS
TEXT DVDATE FOLLOWED BY SPACE , THEN YOUR AD, TO 85010 (50p)
Example DVDATE Sassy, sexy F, 25, seeks F for larks & love. Brighton.

Youll receive a text with instructions & a request to record a voice greeting, this is essential for
your ad to appear in print. Placing an ad will cost 50p per text. Youll also receive alerts to voicemail msgs , 50p per text received. To cancel this service text STOP to 85010.

RESPOND & LISTEN

TO ADS BY PHONE BY CALLING 0906 200 8396

1.02/min. Hear what advertisers say about themselves & reply if you like what you hear.

OR VIA TEXT - SEND DV FOLLOWED BY A SPACE THEN THE BOX

NUMBER AND YOUR MESSAGE , TO 84010 (1.50).
Example DV 227045 Hi, saw your ad, want to talk?

Mobile numbers remain confidential. Advertisers receive replies direct to their mobile.
Replying to an ad will cost 1.50 per text. To cancel this service text STOP to 84010.
This is a phone and text service only. Written replies will not be Answered.

ADVERTISERS!
COLLECT YOUR MESSAGES ON 0906
MUSIC LOVER
Fun, outgoing F, 41. Seeks F for nights
in/out, socialising & cinema. Mancs.
Box 291609
AFFECTIONATE, CARING, POSITIVE
AFFECTIONATE, CARING
F, 50s, SOH & integrity, loves
F, 51, seeks genuine, similar F for
countryside, animals. WLTM fem F,
f/ship & maybe more. Belfast.
50s, to share love & happiness on
Box 357756 * DV 357756
lifes exciting journey. Surrey.
LOVELY
Box 178830
F,
27, seeks similar F for f/ship, fun &
KIND, SENSITIVE
more. Wrexham. Box 620424
F, 46, likes meals out, cinema,
shopping & the seaside. Seeks caring, SINCERE, GAY
F, 36, seeks gay F for f/ship, nights
honest, reliable F for f/ship & r/ship.
out, meals out, etc. Rhyl. Box 163669
Essex. Box 609985 * DV 609985
SLIM, FEMININE
CUDDLY, BUBBLY
Bi F, 48, seeks similar F for fun, f/ship
F, 44, 57, loving, with big heart.
Seeks similar, honest, kind F. W Mids. & maybe more. Central Mancs.
Box 301282 * DV 301282
Box 874664
DEEP, PASSIONATE
QUIET, SINCERE
F, 54, seeks stimulating F with
F, 23, likes a few drinks out, seeks
something to say for conversation &
lovely F for fun times & a reason to
more. SE Ldn/anywhere. Box 269592
be. Ayrs. Box 357879
SPIRITUAL, SINCERE
HONEST, FUN
F, 38, single mum, likes travel &
F, 43, likes socialising & lots of
writing. Seeks F for coffee, chats,
laughter. Seeks F for great r/ship.
possibly intimacy & more. Co. Down.
Mancs. Box 741884
Box 861404 * DV 861404
THROUGH THE MIST
Attractive F, 52, 55, hazel eyes, seeks GROUNDED, GENUINE
F, 38, seeks F who is kind to strangers
F for f/ship & r/ship. Glocs.
& keen to share their best memories
Box 145226 * DV 145226
with someone special. London.
FRIENDLY, HONEST
Box 223704 * DV 223704
F, 24, student, seeks F for f/ship &
AMIABLE, HONEST
intimacy. Cardiff. Box 599721
F, 45, seeks genuine F for good f/ship
BI-CURIOUS BUXOM
& r/ship. Slough. Box 188074
F, 52, size 18, seeks bisexual, or
FEMININE, YOUTHFUL
curious F, 50-65, for f/ship & fun
times. Hull. Box 417395 * DV 417395 F, 51, GSOH, thoughtful, n/s, has
ME, likes animals & mystery. Seeks
BIG & BEAUITFUL
F, 49, big heart, fun, seeks F to be her understanding, caring F, 38-55, for
laughs+. Lpool. Box 913989
soul mate. Bham. Box 400696
* DV 913989
CONTACT ME
POSITIVE, OUTGOING, PROFESS
Butch F 54. Enjoys walks in the
country, meals out, poetry & theatre. F, 51, seeks F for dancing in the
kitchen, dog walks on the beach,
Seeks like-minded F. Mancs.
good food, laughter & romance.
Box 515033 * DV 515033
Newcastle. Box 436275
GOOD-LOOKING
ATTRACTIVE, FEMININE
Mixed-race F, late 30s, passionate,
F, 52, but not into dresses & skirts.
honest & caring. Seeks feminine, gay
Seeks similar F, for nice meals &
F for fun, maybe r/ship. Stoke-oncoffee. Gloucs. Box 298545
Trent. Box 196228 * DV 196228
* DV 298545
LOVING, CARING
KIND, CARING
Sincere, faithful F, 62. Enjoys music,
walking & the beach. Seeks F partner F, 45, likes cats, seeks F for loving
r/ship. Stockport Box 442022
with similar interests. Kent.
ATTRACTIVE, FEMININE
Box 537564 * DV 537564
F, 49, likes the gym, reading &
HONEST, SENSUAL
holidays. Seeks feminine lady for
F, 63, 58, medium build, seeks
good r/ship. Yorks. Box 999700
similar F for good r/ship. Ldn.
* DV 999700
Box 584603
JUST HAVENT MET YOU YET
GENUINE, FUN-LOVING
Caring, genuine F, 53, 53, likes the
F, 52, likes cinema, nights in & out.
outdoors, holidays & the coast.
Seeks F for fun times & possible
Seeks similar F for laughs & r/ship.
r/ship. Mancs. Box 523480
Cheshire. Box 220543 * DV 220543
* DV 523480
DARK-HAIRED, SOCIABLE
LIFE, LOVE & HAPPINESS
F,
45, 51, medium build, likes soSincere, loving F, 56, seeks lovely,
cialising, travel & motorbikes. Seeks
laid-back, feminine F to share life,
love & happiness. Exeter. Box 623594 similar F for r/ship. W Ldn, Surrey.
Box 187431 * DV 187431
* DV 623594

Maybe more

SINCERE, QUIET
F, 61, GSOH, has two dogs, seeks F for
good f/ship & further. Omagh/Co.
Tyrone. Box 660622 * DV 660622
BOYISH SINGLE PARENT
F, 52, enjoys the gym, fishing, pool,
nights in/out, seeks honest F, similar
age, for f/ship, maybe more. Swindon.
Box 271087 * DV 271087
BABYFACE FEMALE
Lonely F, 37, seeks mixed race F for
good lasting r/ship & shared future.
Coventry. Box 100798 * DV 100798
HONEST, LOYAL, CARING
F, 62, n/s, large build, enjoys walks,
theatre & film. WLTM F, 60+, for a
forever r/ship. Kent. Box 704273
CREATIVE, OUTGOING, FUN
F, 30s, staffie owner, loves DJing,
clubbing, singing, drawing &
socialising. WLTM loyal, mixed-race
gay F for r/ship. Cov. Box 783205
* DV 783205
LOVING, LOYAL, FAITHFUL
F, 42, n/s, enjoys all the good things
in life, seeks F, 36-48, for f/ship, fun
times & maybe more. Devon.
Box 868555 * DV 868555
COSY NIGHTS IN
Sincere F, 62, medium build, likes
animals, walks & some reading. Seeks
n/s F f/ship & good r/ship. Warwicks.
Box 733509 * DV 733509
LOUD, PROUD, CONFIDENT
F, 40, bubbly, likes dance & films.
Seeks F for wild nights out &
passionate nights in. Milton Keynes.
Box 273975
FUN, TOMBOY
F, 36, likes football, cinema & nights
out. Seeks feminine F, 30-40, for
r/ship. Mancs. Box 798661
* DV 798661
SINCERE, BLONDE
F, 37, single mum, seeks honest,
loving F for real r/ship. Kent.
Box 853359 * DV 853359
LIPSTICK LESBIAN
Attract, easy-going F, 50s, likes most
things, seeks sim late 40s-50s F. Text
preferred. Gloucs. Box 704295
CARING, LOYAL & HONEST
F, 69, loves good books &
conversation & WLTM a free-thinking
F with a sense of fun for f/ship,
maybe more. Fife. Box 342583
* DV 342583
BISEXUAL
F, 58, seeks lady, 45-60, for f/ship,
maybe more. Nottingham.
Box 957270 * DV 957270
YOUNG-AT-HEART FEM
F, 51, likes most things, seeks similar
F for f/ship, maybe more. Glocs.
Box 403344
BI-CURIOUS, SOCIABLE
F, 32, likes socialising & partying.
Seeks F to see what happens. Ldn.
Box 470300

753 4404 77p/min

HONEST, EAGER
F, 43, seeks F for long-term, lasting r/
ship. Darlington. Box 204027
HONEST, SINCERE
F, 50s, likes days out, animals & cosy
nights in. Seeks feminine, gay F, 4060s, for fun & hopefully r/ship. Notts.
Box 161268 * DV 161268
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
F, 53, slim build, WLTM F for f/ship,
hopefully leading to LTR. W. Yorks.
Box 411452
FRIENDLY, KIND
F, 52, 55, medium build, seeks
similar F for mutual happiness &
contentment. Mancs. Box 792911
* DV 792911
GENUINE, FUN
F, 45, seeks F for socialising, laughter
& r/ship. Mancs. Box 498200
* DV 498200
EASY-GOING, NICE
F, 45, likes a laugh & socialising. Seeks
F for fun & possible r/ship. Mancs.
Box 789818 * DV 789818
OUTGOING, FULL-FIGURED
Attractive bi lady, 57, seeks F of
similar age for fun nights & more.
Cotswolds. Box 515282 * DV 515282
100% GAY
F, 54, seeks solvent, gay F for good
laughs & r/ship. Mancs. Box 870496
* DV 870496
SENSUAL, HONEST
F, 52, medium build, seeks F for good
times, maybe more. Soton.
Box 499883
GENUINE, FRIENDLY
F, 75, non-drinker, seeks F companion,
GSOH, with car, for cinema, good
food & more. Devon. Box 828190
HONEST, BISEXUAL
F, 49, 54, large build, seeks nice lady
for f/ship & maybe more. Powys.
Box 807825
ENTIRELY HONEST
F, 55, 510, has a dog & cat, likes long
walks, a bit disabled, seeks F for good
r/ship. Darlington. Box 381150
TEETOTAL, HONEST
F, 72, n/s, likes holidays, socialising &
conversation. Seeks loving, caring F
for good r/ship. Lancs. Box 822209
SINCERE, LOVING
F, 62, likes animals, quiet evenings
& occasional meals out. Seeks F for
loving r/ship. Herts. Box 405562
FRIENDLY, PLUMP, PRETTY
Bisexual lady, 61, seeks similar F for
fun times. Gloucs. Box 237013
OUTGOING, BUBBLY
F, 49, fun, likes nights in/out &
socialising. Seeks similar F for great
r/ship. Co. Down. Box 657198
* DV 657198
KIND-HEARTED, HONEST
F, 33, 58, medium build, likes walks,
cinema & nights in. Seeks lovely F for
r/ship. Co. Antrim. Box 194316

SINCERE, HAPPY
F, 50s, likes gardens & travel. Seeks
nice F for something intimate.
Belfast. Box 372189
LOVING, CARING, GAY
F, 52, likes meals out, cinema & walks.
Seeks caring, loving F for r/ship.
Lancs. Box 745729 * DV 745729
PROFESS, LIFE-LOVING
F, 60s, likes beach walks, golf &
photography. Seeks kind, affectionate lady, GSOH, for r/ship. Hants.
Box 457627
SPECIAL, WARM PERSON
F, 51, likes culture, theatre, socialising,
not a big drinker, seeks F for good
times, socialising & intimacy.
Edinburgh. Box 143401 * DV 143401

No Strings

ATTRACTIVE, BISEXUAL
F, 60s, has a partner, seeks similar,
bisexual lady for adult fun & f/ship.
N. Surrey/Middx. Box 812077
FEMALES RULE!
F, 22, seeks F for great times. Bham.
Box 556726
EASY-GOING, SOCIAL
F, 35, likes concerts, shopping &
meals out. Seeks feminine F for fun
times. Mancs. Box 123477
LONG BLONDE HAIR
F, 36, genuine, broad-minded, enjoys
swimming, music & horse-riding,
seeks F for fun times. Suffolk.
Box 255518

Just Friends

CONVERSATION & LAUGHS

Sincere F, 44, into food, cinema
& drinks. Looking to put a group
together of like minded Fs, 35-55,
for f/ship. Sheffield. Box 210859
HONEST, FRIENDLY
F couple, 46, love music & meals out.
Seeks like-minded F friends for nights
out in Glasgow. Box 282737
* DV 282737
LIFE BEGINS...
Animal-loving F, 33, seeks friends
for socialising, laughter, intelligent
conversation & a little bit of mischief.
Somerset. Box 757543 * DV 757543
SINCERE, TRUSTING
F, 48, likes the outdoors & learning
Spanish. Seeks Fs for chats & genuine
f/ship. Ldn. Box 359170

Customer Services:
Dating FAQs & Advice Line

0906 200 1036

Calls cost 1.02/min plus network extras

Complaints & Service Provider

0330 333 6946

CALL CHARGES: Calls to 09062 cost 1.02/min at all times (BT Premium Rate). Calls to 09067 cost 77p/min at all times. Calls to 0800 are free. Payphones & non BT network provider charges may vary, 0800 numbers may be chargeable
from mobiles. TEXT SERVICE: Replying to an advert is charged at 1.50 for every text response received. Advertisers will be charged 50p for every text response received and 50p for texts alerting them that they have a voice message.
Please take care to follow the instructions as all messages are charged for, including error messages - charges dependent on shortcode. All texts sent must be no more than 160 characters & your standard network charges apply. SMS
shortcodes are reverse billed at the following rates: 85010 - 50p; 84010 - 1.50. Available on all UK networks. 18+ only. Service provided by ATS, PO Box 788, London EC1V 7ZA. Disclaimer: DIVA Magazine assumes no liability for the
content of, or reply to, any personal advertisement. The advertiser assumes complete liability for the content of all replies to any advertisement or recorded message and for any claims made against DIVA Magazine as a result thereof.
The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold DIVA Magazine harmless from all costs, expenses (including our solicitors fees), liabilities and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser, or
any reply to such advertisement. By using Dial-a-Diva, the advertiser agrees not to leave his/her telephone number, last name, or address in his/her voice greeting message. Your ad may appear in other publications.

90 JUNE 2015

DV228-090.indd 90

14/05/2015 16:44

| ADVICE | ASK JANE |

DIVA editor Jane Czyzselska is a qualified

integrative counsellor, registered with the
BACP. Jane cannot offer individual responses
or answer every single question. Please
note that by submitting your question to
Jane, you are giving your permission for
her to use your question as the basis of her
next column, and your story will be shared
on Facebook for advice from readers. Jane
may not be able to tell you that she is using
your question, but will try to email you the
reply if she does. All questions will be kept
anonymous and key details and facts may be
changed to protect your identity. You can find
out more about Janes counselling services at
shoreditchtherapy.com

NO PROBLEM

NEWLY OUT, IM STRUGGLING TO FIND LOVE

Hi Jane,
Ive just turned 25 and recently made
the decision because of a late realisation, to currently only date women. It is turning out to be a minefield.
Ive already had my heart badly
broken and now there is another
girl I really like but shes giving me
mixed signals. Im wondering if its
my fault, am I being too vague? But
if I am too heavy Ill just freak her
out. Im at a loss. Im really searching
for my first meaningful relationship
but worried Im never going to get it
right. I have no idea how to date and
am worried that my late coming out
and the fact Ive had flings with men
before will put everybody off. Your
words of reassurance and wisdom
would be greatly received.
Thank you.
Confused and alone

IF YOUVE
GOT ISSUES,
WE CAN HELP

PHOTO HOLLY FALCONER

READERS REPLIES
Im 53 and came out two years ago. I dated three
women the first year and was about to give up when I
met and fell in love with another woman. We dated for
a year. I recently made the decision to be single again
because although I loved her I felt we were in differentplaces and we were trying to make something
work that wasnt going to. All I can say is that for a long
time I was worried that by coming out so late I may
have missed my chance to find love with a woman. But
its not too late. Dating is just difficult. Hang in there!
Wishing you the best on your journey!
Stephanie Ellison Macleod

Dear C&A,
You say that your decision to only
date women is a late realisation and
yet you are only 25 years old, it may
feel as if youre a late-comer but I can
assure you that women come out at
all ages.
Im curious to know what brought
on this realisation and I wonder if
its realistic to assume that dating
only women will protect you from
heartbreak? Relationship breakdown
is an equal opportunity chagrin, Im
afraid. Few, regardless of sexual preference, are immune if we dare to open
our hearts to another person. Love
is not a guarantee or a given. Love is
a sharing of ourselves, our lives, all
that we are, or wish to share. And as
the saying goes, the path to true love,

whatever that might mean to you, is

rarely smooth.
If the woman you like is giving you
mixed messages, ask her what her
mixed messages mean. Do you know if
shes gay, bi or heterosexual? What is it
that youre being too vague about?
Perhaps youre putting a lot of pressure on yourself to search for your first
meaningful relationship? Could you
take a chance, an adventure in love,
and see what the two of you can cocreate? Love is always a risk, but thats
what makes it so exciting.
You say youre worried youll never
get it right but if this is only your second time with a woman, then you are
at the start of a journey with her, and
if it doesnt feel right, then you can
both seek other women who may suit
you better. If you dont try, if you dont
practice and take risks and have courage, how will you learn to be the person you want to be in a relationship,
to ask for who and what you want?
For some people the answers to these
questions are very clear and for others
it is a learning curve, a case of trial and
error, but there is much satisfaction to
be had on these pathways.
Many womens magazines will ascribe certain dos and donts to dating
but I think you are your best resource.
If you try something and it feels right
but it doesnt work with the woman
you mention, the two of you arent
perhaps destined to date. If lesbians
reject you because you have only just
turned your attention to women, they
arent for you. No one has the right to
judge your love choices, not lesbians,
not anyone. Have courage, take some
emotional risks, have fun along the
way and dont look back.

Be yourself, be happy doing the things you love,

get out and meet people. I volunteered in a LGBT+
organisation. Dont actively look for a relationship. A
relationship will find you if you are just being yourself
and being happy. Enjoy being single; relationships are
great but hard work! Having been with men doesnt
make any difference. I was with a man for 15 years. I
have loved and been loved by women over the years
and its been amazing!
Julie Kast

DIVAMAG.CO.UK 91

091 no problem.indd 91

13/05/2015 09:24

The British are coming!

No need to go abroad we have 25,000 vials of British donor
sperm at your service at londonspermbankdonors.com

LSB_Diva_285x210_May2015.indd
1
DV228-DISPLAY.indd 92

14/05/2015 12:11
10:59
14/05/2015

| FITNESS | FREERUNNING |

PHOTO PARKOURGENERATIONS.COM

Free as a bird
Say the word freerunning to most people and theyll reference the dare-devil,
high-speed chase (over rooftops, walls
and up a crane) in the opening sequences of the Bond film, Casino Royale.
But theres far more to this cheap
and community-led movement discipline, also known as parkour, than
adrenalin and kamikazi jumps.
It all started just outside Paris in the
1980s, when a group of bored teenagers
began to set challenges for one another.
Jump onto that ledge. Climb up that
tree. Now land and go straight into a
somersault (and offset the impact of
your fall). The French police hated them,
called them anti-authoritarian and tried
to outlaw the whole thing. But it didnt
work and now parkour is gathering momentum around the globe. It was initially
male-dominated but in 2013 UK research
revealed that the number of female
parkour practitioners is increasing steadily turns out were pretty good movers
and jumpers too as are those of over
25 years old (like, um me).
But its still all very new. The quick
spread of interest in freerunning has
taken place mostly in the last decade
and is largely thanks to education
provider Parkour Generations, which
has created classes (10 for drop-in),
monthly memberships (prices vary)
and standardised qualifications for
instructors. This means that those of
any age or ability can now take classes
in parkour and learn what its all about

LUCY FRY
GIVES
FREERUNNING
A TRY AND
DISCOVERS
AN ADDICTIVE
NEW SPORT

Its a mindful way to

exercise
that
requires
and builds
focus

(quite literally) from the ground up.

Though at its most brilliant and extreme parkour can involve free climbing and backflips, really its just as authentically practiced on a kerbside or
by a bench at its heart its concerned
purely with promoting natural human
movement, playfulness and being in
tune with ones environment.
But trust me: learning to move with
elegance over a fallen tree branch, or
to jump with precision from one bollard to another may get you a YouTube
channel of your own but its still far
from easy. Just as a lunge is made
harder (more painful and effective) the
slower you do it, so too a jump on and
off the pavement is made trickier when
you are required to land with perfect
balance, soft knees, and, ideally, a big

FREERUNNING / PARKOUR
Great for: rebellious types who find
the gym boring
Not for: anybody with existing joint issues made worse by high impact training
Strength: 4/5
Cardio: 3/5
Fun: 5/5
Addiction risk: 3/5
See parkourgenerations.com and
facebook.com/shecantrace for more
information about womens parkour
events and classes.

smile just because you can.

And the risk factor? At the beginning at least, its minimal, probably
far less than youd encounter playing
rugby or hockey, for example. Yes,
a decent parkour coach will gently
encourage you to knock-knock on
the door of fear (and see what lies
beyond), but youll never be yelled at
to go harder or forced to do anything.
Whats more, this is probably the
most eco-friendly way of training Ive
yet to come across, and parkour practitioners (AKA traceurs and traceuse)
are, in my experience, particularly
respectful of both their environment
and those with whom they share it. Its
a mindful way to exercise that requires
and builds focus and a kind of flow as
you learn to move naturally over varying terrain, adapting your training to
suit the environment you find yourself
in and not the other way around.
As for the aesthetic and health
benefits? When practiced regularly
parkour training enhances mobility,
strength and stamina, without causing
your heart to burst out of your chest.
Its a slow burn kind of thing my
experience is that Im so busy focussing
on getting my body over that damned
wall, or under that rail, that I dont even
notice how tired I am until I get home,
when its time for sofa, lots of protein
and an episode of OITNB, because
thats how all movement ninjas relax
these days, dontchaknow.
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 93

093 fitness.indd 93

14/05/2015 18:03

DV228-DISPLAY.indd 94

12/05/2015 17:27

| THE GEEK |

TECHNOLOGY

kitchen tech

Kitchens are great places for gadgets. If

youre anything like me, though, gadgets
soon lose their shine and end up jammed
at the back of a drawer. I wanted to tell
you that kitchen gadgets have come a
long way, but my trawling of the internet
has thrown up its fair share of throwbacks,
the Babushka doll pepper mill being
among the least awful. Thankfully, Ive
also rounded up some more modern
offerings. Some of them are pre-production, or may not be available in the UK
yet, but oh boi, are they purty!

NOTHING IS SIMPLE
ANYMORE, NOT EVEN
ICE

THE INTERNET IS COMING TO YOUR KITCHEN

A CHOPPING BOARD,
BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

A new innovation for whisky drinkers

has arrived. Now, as a self-respecting
Highlander, I dont put ice in my whisky, but for the purposes of research
Ill try most things. Apparently, no
type of water is ideal for whisky.
Mineralised waters taint it with
WHATS
their own characteristics,
YOUR CURRENT
ION?
whereas the reported smoothGEEKY OBSESS
KNOW!
ME
T
LE
ness and low mineral content
GEEK@DIVAMAG.
CO.UK
ofVEENVelvet andVEENEffervescent (basically fancy mineral
waters) allow you to detect even the
subtlest of nuances in the drink. If you
feel like splashing out on expensive
water for your whisky, I would recommend it. Hic. veenwaters.com
PS. Whisky in Scottish Gaelic is Uisge
beatha, which literally means
Water of life.

Check out orangechef.com for a product to make your jaw drop. The
Countertop is a fancy chopping board which tallies up nutritional info
from the foods added to any bowl on its connected food scale. The
information is then transferred to an iPad app so you know
exactly how many carb, fat and protein
calories are in your food. It will give you
recipes, connect to the new Apple Watch
and a Jawbone, and even uses Near Field
Communication (NFC) to communicate
with smart blenders and crockpots (or
slow cookers, in UK speak). It is insane
what this thing can do.
A cheaper option, but still cool, is the
Obsessive Chef chopping board. If you
dont like a chive out of place, try this. Its
like graph paper, on wood. Marvellous, and available all over the net.

A FORK, BUT NOT AS

YOU KNOW IT
The HAPIfork, is an electronic fork which helps you
monitor and track your eating habits. It alerts you
with the help of indicator lights and gentle vibrations when you are eating too fast. The HAPIfork
comes with apps plus a coaching program to help
improve your eating behavior. The idea is that the
slower you eat, the easier it to lose weight and the
better your digestion. If I am honest, it looks like a
replacement for my mother telling me to slow down
at the dinner table. If you want that kind of torture,
check out hapi.com/product/hapifork.
The cheaper alternative is a smaller plate, or in my
case, a pair of chopsticks.

A FRYING PAN, BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

You thought a frying pan was just a frying
pan, didnt you? You are wrong. The
world is about to meet an intelligent frying pan which checks
temperatures and lets you know
when your steak/tofu/leaves
are done. Then it sends you a
message via an app. I wonder
if it is dishwasher-friendly.
It hasnt hit the shelves yet,
but when it does, I think the
internet of things revolution
might be complete.

Rhoda Meek is an IT
consultant and designer
with a social media addiction, a crochet habit,
a RaspberryPi and two
left feet.
wodieskodie.com
@wodieskodie
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 95

095 geek.indd 95

13/05/2015 09:23

DIARY

May / June

23.05

THROUGH LEES LENS

Scottish National Portrait Gallery,

Edinburgh

Lee Miller took over 1,000 photos of

Picasso, he painted her six times. This
intriguing exhibition zooms in on the
relationship between these two surrealists
and is well worth a peep!
nationalgalleries.org

25.05

DUSTY THE MUSICAL

Charing Cross Theatre/London

ALL THE FILM,

MUSIC, ART,
COMEDY,
ACTION AND
ACTIVISM
YOU COULD
WANT...

It was only a matter of time before

someone had the brilliant idea to produce
a West End show about the life of 60s bisexual music icon, Dusty Springfield. More
brilliant still is the resulting fusion musical combining the latest in 3D technology
and digital media with live performance,
music and dance. Dont miss Dusty come
back to life in this spectacular new show.
ticketmaster.co.uk

26.05

BLACK LIVES ON CAMERA

Nottingham Contemporary,
Nottingham

This mini film festival celebrates experiences of black gay men. Films spotlighted
include Looking For Langston, Isaac Juliens
extraordinary 1980s portrait of black gay
poet and Harlem crier Langston Hughes.
nottinghamcontemporary.org

27.05

FACTS AND FIGURES

Serpentine Gallery, London

Lynette Yiadom-Boakyes (pictured) one-day paintings ask what it

really means to represent a figure on canvas. Her work vigorously
readdresses historical failings to represent peripheral identities in the
establishment.
serpentinegalleries.org

Send your listings to

dora@divamag.co.uk
For weekly listings,
visit divamag.co.uk

Hackney Attic, London

Creating chaos outside given frames with

and by Londons Leading Queer Artists.
Comedy. Performance Art and Visuals. You
cant rehearse this shit.
tinyurl.com/DIVAqueerexperiments

30.05

PARKALIFE

Kraak, Manchester

A night for girls who are boys who like

boys to be girls who do boys like theyre
girls who do girls like theyre boys. Party

WORDS DORA MORTIMER

2.06-13.09

WHATS
HAPPENING
WHERE
YOU
ARE?

COLOURING OUTSIDE THE LINES

96 JUNE 2015

096 diary.indd 96

13/05/2015 09:18

| DIARY | LISTINGS |
like its 1999, or 8, 7, 6, 5, 3, 2, or 1 for that
matter at this paean to Britpops best.
tinyurl.com/DIVAbritpop

31.05

PINS & NEEDLES

King of Hearts, London

Yeah tattoos, female liberation and

feminism! Things and Ink and the Feminist
Library have penetrated the King of Hearts
for a day of feminist tattoo flash and a
panel discussion on tattoos and the body
in the feminist movement. Dexter Kay
and Lou Hopper will be needle wielders
in chief.
tinyurl.com/DIVAfeministink

6.06

SING OUT!

Theatre at the Mill, Newtonabbey

Join QUIRE Belfast, Northern Irelands

lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans choir, for
a concert swimming with pop classics.
Gloria, Dublins LGBT choir will have a part
in the proceedings to mark QUIREs 10th
birthday!
quire.org.uk

27.06

PRIDE IN LONDON

Central London, London

And so begins a summer of not dressing for the rain and sharing toilet cubicles with strangers. Yeah, Pride!
Even if you dont do Pride, come out this year and show Boris and his evil developers they picked the wrong
army to mess with. See Pride round-up p48.
prideinlondon.org

9.06

19-21.06

Marlborough Theatre, Brighton

Near London, UK

FUTURE QUEERS

#TBT back to when we were told as queer

youth that it was supposed to get better.
LGBT rights have become co-opted. Join
bent angels DarkMatter for a night of poetry,
polemic, and healing (part of Pink Fringe).
marlboroughtheatre.org.uk

10.06

POUR HOMME/POUR FEMME

Southbank Centre, London

Arent gay boys nice to look at sometimes? They smell of Original Source (the
vegan type, obvs) and have really nice
hair. Perfume Genius is nice to look at
and also makes tortured pop ballads with
soaring vocals and voluminous orchestrals. Ahhhh.
perfumegenius.net

8.06

DARK HORSE

Manchester Apollo, Manchester

P-A-T-T-I S-M-I-T-H will perform her

most famous album (you know, the
one with the lez cover) in full! See one
of our greatest artists sing from one
of the greatest albums of all time. Silly
not to, really.
pattismith.net

11.06

I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE

The Green Door Store, Brighton

Aint nothin but a grrrl thing. Dedicated

to the queer, the feminist and the plain
great, FemRock Brighton presents a
swinging summer edition of their infamous punk night. Female DJs as standard.
facebook.com/FemRockBrighton

GO WILD IN THE COUNTRY!

Liberate your inner Xena, entertain your

dormant GI Jane, let loose your budding
Boudicca. Oh screw it, Just get really, really
badass at this adventure retreat replete
with hard-core activities for bovver boot
lovers nationwide.
campwildfire.co.uk

20.06

THE PINK

Troxy, London

Sink The Pink announce their Summer Ball

to the terrible and squeamish delight of a
million gay hearts. Only a month to plan
an outfit! With all the sequin suppliers on
holiday (!) Oh, the depravity.
troxy.co.uk

27.06

FINGER SANDWICHES
Burgess Park, London

Are you tired of the unbearable whiteness

of being queer, the stress of navigating
London as a queer person of colour or even
as a queer white person? Tired of the corporate, boozy Pride vibes? Queer Picnic is a
Pride by the queers, for the queers. Salut!
tinyurl.com/DIVAqueerpicnic
DIVAMAG.CO.UK 97

096 diary.indd 97

13/05/2015 09:18

NEXT ISSUE
DOWNLOAD IT ON 19 JUNE
IN SHOPS ON 25 JUNE

SUBSCRIBE NOW AT DIVASUB.CO.UK TO RECEIVE AN EXCLUSIVE COVER!

For additional exclusive video content every month, why not buy the digital issue at DIVADIGITAL.CO.UK?

98 JUNE 2015

098 next issue.indd 98

14/05/2015 18:05

DIVADATE
FREE TO JOIN
LOGIN WITH FACEBOOK
GOLD MEMBERSHIP FOR JUST 5.95
WWW.DIVADATE.CO.UK

TESTIMONIALS
I joined, met the love
of my life within a week
and 3 years on were
getting married. All
thanks to DIVA Date!
Just a little
message to say
thank you, you put
me in touch with
one of the most
amazing women
Ive ever met

DV228-COVERS.indd
DIVA
DATE 4.indd 2 99

12/05/2015
09/04/2014 14:48
11:11

DV228-COVERS.indd 100

12/05/2015 15:59