T H E BE S T- SEL L I NG GAY M AGA Z I N E

S e p t e m b e r 2 02 0

September
ROBERT SHEEHAN STYLE
Umbrella Academy’s queer special
hero on wearing women’s Over 30 pages of
men’s fashion
clothing and the secret
joy of… skipping

Look
over here!
Jaida
Essence Brooke Lynn Hytes

Hall
Douglas Stuart
Courtney Act
attitude.co.uk £5.50

All hail the new queen

of RuPaul’s Drag Race
 This issue
September 2020

p120

Travel
85 JUST THE TICKET
The latest travel tips and news
86 NAMIBIA
We escape to the world’s oldest
p38 desert, in southern Africa
96 MELISSA TILLING
p46 Tells us about her new enterprise,
Agenda Charitable Travel

09 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S LETTER Active

10 ATTITUDE LOVES
What we’re thirsty for this month 100 FIT INSIDE AND OUT
16 THE RULES Personal trainer Kevin McGuire on
…for being fashion forward fitness post-lockdown
18 THE BIG ISSUE 104 MATT LISTER
LGBT+ domestic abuse in lockdown Fitness in focus
20 COLUMNIST – MAX WALLIS 106 A PROBLEM SHARED
The ‘new normal’ 107 MENTAL HEALTH
22 BIG IN A WIG Our new series with
Brooke Lynn Hytes psychotherapist Owen O’Kane
p72 108 REAL BODIES
Features Activist Guiseppe Forchia opens up
p26 about his journey towards self-love
26 ROBERT SHEEHAN
The Umbrella Academy star on his Social
love for women’s clothes and how
skipping can set you free 112 LIFE LESSONS
38 JAIDA ESSENCE HALL Scottish author Douglas Stuart
“Look over there!” – it’s the 114 REVIEWS
reigning queen of RuPaul’s Drag Books by Uli Lenart, and films by
Race Guy Lodge
46 DEAKEN BLUMAN
On kissing guys on screen for the Style
first time in teen drama 13 Reasons
Why 118 CRUSH
54 QUEER MALAYSIA Creative collaborations
Inside the complicated lives of 120 FOCUS
the gay and trans men of Kuala Splash out on Petra Design swimwear
Lumpur 123 WATCH
64 FREEMAN GUNTER Hublot Classic Fusion Chrono Bronze
Reflects on his career as the editor 124 NAOMI CAMPBELL
of trail-blazing US gay magazine From the catwalk to your bookshelf
Mandate 126 DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH
72 EDAFE OKPORO Sparkle this autumn/winter
The former pastor sheds light on 140 FASHIONLISTA
his life growing up gay in Nigeria Fashion graduates display their wares
78 BUSINESS PROFILE 143 WARDROBE
Interior designer Bhavin Taylor Blast from the past
146 FAVOURITE THINGS 144 BEAUTY
Courtney Act Glow with the flow

6 SEPTEMBER 2020
 Meet
Christopher Tomás,
photographer
My lockdown ‘go-to’ look

the
would be a cross between HERO HOWARD
my ‘birthday suit’ and a The Disney+ doc on

team
lounge set that I would The Little Mermaid and
steam in the mornings. I Beauty & The Beast
chose it for comfort and lyricist Howard Ashman
also so I felt somewhat doesn’t shy away from
dressed up while handling his death by an Aids-
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR work from home. related illness
GO-TO LOCKDOWN
OUTFIT? SWIFT SURPRISE
Joseph Kocharian, fashion and grooming director While we bleached
My wardrobe pre-lockdown consisted of joggers, our hair and baked
tees and sweaters, so I haven’t changed up my look banana bread, TayTay
that much. Caps have helped cover five months dropped her finest
of no haircut — it’s wild right now, as is my beard. I album yet. Come on, RiRi,
love this ‘Satan’ sweater from Aries, as I feel like it’s girl, you next!
very me and really shows off my sparkly, warm and
friendly personality… BUSSY WHIP
ElectricBrands has
unveiled its new car
prototype, the eBussy.
No gays were involved in
the naming of this vehicle

Elliot Morgan,

UP &
photographer
During lockdown, I’ve been wearing
food-stained track pants, two-days- DOWN
worn t-shirts and, if I’m feeling fancy,
a nice shirt.

WHAT WE’RE ROCKING

P R I N T / O NLINE / TA B LET / M OBILE
Editor in chief Cliff Joannou
cliff.joannou@attitude.co.uk
Assistant editor Tim Heap
tim.heap@attitude.co.uk
Features editor Tom Stichbury
thomas.stichbury@attitude.co.uk
Sub editor Verity Willcocks
vwillcocks@gmail.com
Art director Gary Simons
gary.simons@attitude.co.uk
Designer Laurène Pineau
laurene.pineau@attitude.co.uk
Fashion and grooming director
Joseph Kocharian
joseph.kocharian@attitude.co.uk
Fashion assistant Sacha Dance
sacha.dance@attitude.co.uk
Web editor Will Stroude
will.stroude@attitude.co.uk
Head of digital production
Jamie Wareham
jamie.wareham@attitude.co.uk
Social media producer
Joseph Ryan-Hicks
joseph.ryan-hicks@attitude.co.uk
Travel editor/staff photographer
Markus Bidaux
markus.bidaux@attitude.co.uk
Sports editor Mark McAdam
mark.mcadam@attitude.co.uk
Editor at large Matthew Todd
matthew.todd@attitude.co.uk
Head of partnerships Mike Buckley
mike.buckley@attitude.co.uk
Commercial manager Andy Goddard
andy.goddard@attitude.co.uk
020 3598 6741
Account manager Joanna Hill
joanna.hill@attitude.co.uk
01342 872041
Account manager Sean Lineker
sean.lineker@attitude.co.uk
020 3598 6743
Sales executive Tom Doyle
tom.doyle@attitude.co.uk
01342 872 043
Managing director Darren Styles OBE
Commercial director Craig Lewis
Operations director Nigel Russell
Events manager Lesley Harris
responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs or for
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or its editors are assumed to be intended for publication in whole
or in part. The mention or appearance or likeness of any person or
Attitude, The Cowshed, Ladycross Farm,
Hollow Lane, Dormansland,
Surrey RH7 6PB
attitude@attitude.co.uk
AND BLOCKING
Subscriptions Enquiries CATEGORY IS… SNUB
attitude@warnersgroup.co.uk For the second year
01778 392005 running, the Emmys snub
Pose’s trail-blazing trans
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performers
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wear sandals, hun,
in a range of formats to people with sight loss. trim those gnarly
To subscribe to RNIB Newsagent, call the helpline
on 0303 123 9999, or email them at: toenails and take a
helpline@rnib.org.uk. rnib.org.uk
scalpel to those
dry hooves
Copyright © Stream Publishing Ltd 2020 all rights reserved. No
part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part I KISSED A GIRL
without the written permission of the publishers. Unsolicited AND I LIKED IT
contributions must be accompanied by a stamped addressed
The BBC has been
envelope if they are to be returned. We cannot accept
swamped with complaints
about a lesbian kiss on
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be taken as any indication of sexual, social or political orientation Next Step. WTF? Did we
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attitude.co.uk @attitude.co.uk @attitudemag @attitudemag

8 SEPTEMBER 2020
 Editor
in
Chief ’s
Letter

H
eroes don’t always wear capes. (Other than in my geek-inspired fantasies, of
course, in which the pervading eternal question remains: would you rather top
Thor or bottom for Superman? But I digress…)
I’ve met many inspiring individuals during my time working in gay media and in On
the various roles that I’ve had engaging with the LGBTQ community. Our experiences the
are plentiful and varied, and I’m continually overwhelmed by new stories that remind cover
me how powerful we as queer people can be, both as individuals, or united under the
banners of gender and sexual diversity.
This issue features many prodigious examples of this. In Postcards from Queer
Malaysia, we meet seven people – gay and trans men – who live relatively open lives in
a country that lags behind the progressive policies of its neighbouring Asian nations,
Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines, in terms of LGBTQ equality. These people
proudly let us into their lives, speak about Kuala Lumpur’s
burgeoning gay scene and share intimate insights into the
difficulties they face in building a life in a society that is
conditioned to despise them.
“At the centre of
We also meet Edafe Okporo, from Nigeria, who buried his these stories is the
feelings towards men and became a pastor before his sexuality same message: a
could be hidden no more and forced him to flee his native search for love – Photography Joseph Sinclair
Styling Joseph Kocharian
country for the freedom that New York offered. Today, he and not necessarily
continues his human rights work and has found peace and
balance between his belief in God and his sexual identity.
the romantic kind”
In Real Bodies this issue (which is quite possibly my favourite
feature in Attitude), we hear Giuseppe Forchia’s story. Born in
a small town in Italy, Giuseppe found himself at the mercy of an angry father, whose
predisposition to violence and aggressive masculinity put Giuseppe in danger on
many occasions. Escaping the perilous situation, Giuseppe moved to London, where he
struggled on a long road towards learning to love himself and his body.
We also feature author Douglas Stuart, whose book, Shuggie Bain, has been longlisted
for the Booker Prize. His story of growing up gay in working-class Glasgow with a
substance-abusing mother is as uplifting as it is heart-rending.
At the centre of these stories is the same message: a search for love. And not Photography Magnus
necessarily the romantic kind, but emotional, supportive, nurturing and caring love — Hastings
Jaida wears full look by
be it from a community or friends, and in spite of the protestations of anti-LGBTQ people Andrea Montoya
in society. Too often it seems that the concept of humanity is lost on many humans.
We’ve still got a way to go, but it’s through brave individuals like these, who share their
stories with us, that we can continue to make steps towards a world where we all feel
that little bit less alone.

@CliffJoannou

Photography Collin Stark

SEPTEMBER 2020 9
 L VES

GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS

Apparently, thousands of ears
were scanned to create the design
for the new Google Pixel Buds,
to make them comfortable for as
many people as possible – hear,
hear (or, rather, ear, ear) to that.
Available in two colours, Clearly
White and Almost Black, the buds
boast 12mm dynamic speaker
drivers (that’s tech talk for nang
audio) and adaptive sound for both
quiet and noisy environments. They
are also water and sweat resistant,
so you won’t damage them as you
drip your way through another set
of bastard burpees. Price: £179

store.google.com

10 SEPTEMBER 2020
 L VES

GLF AT 50: THE ART OF

PROTEST
To mark the 50th anniversary of
the Gay Liberation Front (GLF)
in the UK, comes the first ever
exhibition to focus solely on
the artwork made for and by
GLF activists from the past 50
years. Taking place at Platform
Southwark from 17-29 August, GLF
at 50: The Art of Protest features
paintings, sketches, print work,
placards, posters, banners and
interactive installations, including
this fetching watercolour by
activist Stuart Feather. No ifs or
(in this case) butts, the show is a
real must-see.

platformsouthwark.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2020 11
 L VES

JAGUAR I-PACE
The star of last year’s smash-
hit ‘Jag Race’ viral campaign
that raised £20,000 for LGBTQ
charities via the Attitude Magazine
Foundation (notching up more
viewers than BBC’s own Drag
Race), the all-electric Jaguar
I-PACE just got a major refresh
ahead of the 2021 model year. It
now charges faster and is better
connected, while still delivering
0-60mph in 4.5 seconds and a
292-mile range on a single charge.
Green never looked so good.

jaguar.co.uk

12 SEPTEMBER 2020
 L VES

HABITAT
Show your home a little bit of
love with the help of Habitat’s
autumn/winter collection. Cool,
contemporary and (our favourite
word) affordable, there are more
than 200 products to tickle your
fancy, from statement sofas to
we-can’t-wait-to-roll-around-on-
you rugs. We’ve taken a shine to
the LED garland light (£150) — the
brand has really struck gold here.
Just think, you’ll never have to
screw in a lightbulb again, *phew*.

habitat.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2020 13
 L VES

LOUIS VUITTON
MÉTÉORE EAU DE
PARFUM
In 2018, Louis Vuitton introduced
five fantastic fragrances for men.
Fast-forward to 2020, and they
have introduced a sixth, Météore.
Created in France’s scent capital,
Grasse, by the house’s master
perfumer, Jacques Cavallier-
Belletrud, the scent is bursting
with citrus aromas, with mandarin
and Sicilian orange combined with
Calabrian bergamot to transport
you to sun-drenched climes, while
Tunisian neroli, Javian vetiver and
plenty of spices add extra zest.
Eau de parfum, 100ml, price: £200

louisvuitton.com

14 SEPTEMBER 2020
L VES

COLMAR ORIGINALS
‘Futuristic heritage’ is the theme
for Colmar Originals’ winter 2020
collection. Cleverly remixing
classic styles combined with new
technologies, they’ve taken their
urban jackets to the next level.
‘Techno shearling’ bonds and
stretched fabric create a cosy,
‘teddy-bear’ effect, while the
water-repellent treatment keeps
you dry. Colmar Originals have
delivered on function without
forgetting style — as proved by
this gorgeous berry jacket.

colmar.it

SEPTEMBER 2020 15
 THE WORLD IS BURNING, SEASONS HAVE GONE.

…for being fashion forward

By Myra DuBois
In ‘time passé’, one would plan an ensemble
according to the time of year. Summer required
loose, light fabrics; winter saw us in thick, insulated
waterproofs. Fortunately, global warming has freed
our fashion choices from these impositions! It can
be glorious sunshine or torrential rain, no matter
the season. Ideally, what you need is a garment
built for both warmth and circulation — the humble
gilet, for example. If you thought you were going
to greet Armageddon in dystopian Mad Max chic,
think again.You’ll be in something sensible. RECYCLE. Sadly, we’re running out of landfills and
Greta Thunberg (probably) wants us to recycle more.
I’ve taken this very seriously and now I personally
recycle everything from milk bottles to jokes and now
FASHION! Jane Fonda set the standard this awards
season (remember that?) by giving the same frock a few
outings and Princess Beatrice (my favourite of all the
‘straight-to-video’ royals) led the way on this side of the
Atlantic when she rummaged round the attic and dug
out one of her nan’s old frocks to get married in.

ACCENTUATE WITH ACCESSORIES.

Coco Chanel would have you believe you needed
to take one thing OFF before leaving the house.
Iris Apfel has shot back that you should put
It’s the
another thing on. When I choose my jewellery
September issue, before leaving the house I select it by the kilo.
and in magazines On more than one occasion, a parent has asked
that can only if they can have their child’s ear pierced by me,
mean one thing: mistaking me for a regional branch of Claire’s
FASHUN! As a
woman in the
public eye, my CRUELTY FREE IS FOR ME! Fur has long been a controversial
wardrobe is choice. Striding down the streets of Paris, Milan or
scrutinised by Rotherham in one’s best chinchilla coat is impossible these
the public, and days without some little hippy “dressed” in hemp lurking
so I’ve developed in a doorway with a bucket of red paint ready to douse
an instinct for an innocent and very wealthy fashionista. Attempts have
fashion that been made to artificially recreate the textiles of the animal
kingdom with faux fur — sorry, but I’m not walking round in
verges on a
muppet pelt. However, a compromise is possible: ROADKILL!
superpower.
SOCIAL DISTANCING BUT Ever seen the mangled remains of a fox by the roadside?
So, who Where would you rather see your mortal remains? On the
MAKE IT FASHION. The
else would editor has asked that I side of the M1 or on the back of an underfed 17-year-old on a
Attitude don’t write anything too Fashion Week runway? I know which I’d prefer!
ask to COVID’dy, but, as a celebrity,
dispense I’ve got a responsibility to utilise
style advice my platform for the greater good.
to their At the time of publication, we’re
readers being told to not get too close
but yours together — ‘social distancing’,
truly? they call it. It’s not always easy to
enforce, but your outfit can help.
Shoulder pads are a good start.
Or a hooped crinoline skirt. Why, with
the shoulder pads and the skirt, you’ll
look like Grace Jones going to the
Met Gala as Marie Antoinette, and
who doesn’t want that?

16 SEPTEMBER 2020

BEHIND
CLOSED
DOORS
Lockdown may have
reduced the spread of
COVID-19, but it also led
to a steep rise in domestic
abuse. Leni Morris, CEO
of LGBT+ anti-violence
charity, Galop, reveals
how coronavirus has
affected our community
W
hen lockdown was
announced, there was real
concern about what that
might mean for victims of domestic
abuse. In the months since, we’ve seen
that this worry wasn’t misplaced, with
enormous increases in demand for
domestic abuse support services across
the country.
We know from a report by Stonewall
that LGBT+ people are more than twice
as likely to be victims of domestic
abuse than the rest of the population.
Sadly, then, it is no surprise that we
have seen a drastic escalation in the
levels of abuse suffered by the LGBT+
community this year.
Galop’s national LGBT+ domestic
abuse helpline supports LGBT+ victims
and survivors of domestic abuse in
the UK, and it has seen a huge rise
in demand. We’re now hearing from
double the number of people who
were contacting us at the end of
2019. Alongside the helpline, we run
a casework and advocacy service, for
those victims who need more support,
and numbers here have grown
significantly, too.
During lockdown, we saw the
amount of abuse increase, causing
people to flee their homes. Accessible
safe spaces and accommodation for
LGBT+ survivors is already limited.
We have seen people living in their
18 SEPTEMBER 2020
BIG I S S U E
cars to escape abusers, as they had
nowhere else to go. For those with
health concerns or no recourse to
public funds, this has been even
more difficult.
This type of abuse isn’t just
something that happens in
relationships. Family members and
communities can be perpetrators,
too — of so-called honour-based
abuse, ‘corrective’ practices and
forced marriage. Coming out or being
outed as LGBT+ can trigger abusive
and violent reactions,
and hiding identities in “During lockdown, we saw
lockdown has been more
difficult than usual.
abuse increase, causing
Galop runs a specialist people to flee their homes”
service for young people,
where we’ve seen the intensity of
difficult home situations increase,
with many experiencing emotional
and physical abuse while in lockdown.
In some cases, young people have had
their means of communicating with
others destroyed as part of this and,
without schools and social hubs open
to provide safe spaces, it has been very
difficult to reach them.
Abuse from family members doesn’t
stop once you reach 18, and we have
heard from LGBT+ adults who have
had to move back in with abusive
family members for financial, health,
or caring reasons. Often, these adults
don’t have access to support, because
they are outside the age bracket for
services aimed at victims of familial
abuse, and the situation can feel
pretty hopeless.
We don’t know what will happen
next in this pandemic, or what that
will mean for the LGBT+ community.
Alongside the increase in domestic
abuse, we’ve seen hate crime against
LGBT+ people escalate, and we are
supporting LGBT+ victims of sexual
violence while trials are delayed by the
backlog in the courts.
We are increasing our
capacity to support
victims as much as we
can, and our helpline
and support services
will remain open to the people who
need us. If you, or someone you know,
needs help, Galop is here for you.
The National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse
Helpline can be contacted on 0800 999
5428, by online chat on our website, or
via email at help@galop.org.uk. Galop.
org.uk also has a range of resources to
help you recognise abuse, and advice
on what to do if you need support, as
well as how to get in touch if you’ve
been a victim of sexual violence or hate
crime. If you would like to support
Galop’s work, you can do that via their
website or email info@galop.org.uk
Proudly Independent
www.ku-bar.co.uk

#INSTAMAN
@shakirbester
THERE ARE SO MANY STUNNING
SIGHTS TO SEE IN SOUTH AFRICA,
BUT WE THINK OUR FAVE MIGHT
BE CAPE TOWN-BASED MODEL,
SHAKIR BESTER
A total bookworm, he is rear-ly
into reading
Yes, this is how he sunbathes; no,
he didn’t have a clue he was being
photographed…
Turns out he is an unlikely fan of
pegging!
20 SEPTEMBER 2020
In my view
ANTHONY GILET AMROU AL-KADHI
THIS
ISSUE
MAX WALLIS JONNY WOO
Taking life one day at a
time in the ‘new normal’
Lockdown is easing – but who knows how demands that we adopt a more cooperative
long that will last? Mask-wearing is part of mindset — one of looking after each other,
the new normal, as is the sight of a visor- and taking responsibility.
wearing barman. The aesthetics of life have For now, my boyfriend, cat, dog and I
certainly altered, but plenty has changed seem to be getting on with life OK. Here’s
beyond that. hoping that a second wave doesn’t sweep
For me, lockdown was a this equilibrium away. For
huge mental drain. The first “Multiple times a what I’ve learned during this
pandemic is that nothing is
few months were mainly
spent in bed, glugging
day, I ask myself set in stone. Business deals
various bottles of beer ‘What if?’ and ‘Why?’” can evaporate within days
or wine in an attempt to of contracts being signed.
hurry up the days. Admittedly, my sofa is Lovers can get ill, and be at such a distance
very uncomfortable, but still, this is not that you are powerless to help them. And the
something I’d advise anyone doing in a great diseases still grip the world – my uncle
bid to speed up time. has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. I
Now that I’m temporarily living don’t really allow myself to think about
in the Staffordshire Moorlands, what might happen next.
with a new dog (and a slightly Our vices are amplified by loneliness
miffed cat), my mental health and the four walls we live in. We have
has improved dramatically. But spent too long cooped up in solitude
life is not without its concerns. to retreat into introversion. Humans
My finances have been shot are such social creatures that we need
to pieces after the government friends, to feel the touch of another,
offered me zero financial support, and, yes, hopefully, not to be in fear that
and my waistline has grown by at a quick snog might result in a
least two sizes. Multiple times hospital visit two weeks later.
a day, I ask myself “What Our next steps should
if?” and “Why?”. This is be taken with caution,
probably to be expected but let us also be
after a pandemic has a little hopeful,
ravaged the world, let us long for
yet it’s important one another
to maintain again, and
perspective and to focus on being
remember that I got with friends
off relatively lightly. whenever
Hopefully, what it’s sensible.
will happen next is Here’s to love,
a strengthening of to dancing,
my mind and body. friendship
I will run, drink less and health —
booze and eat more and here’s to
healthily. Looking my new family:
beyond myself, human, feline
though, society and canine.
 INVESTMENTS
MORTGAGES
PENSIONS
LIFE INSURANCE

STRAIGHT
ADVICE
ATTITUDEFS.CO.UK
01342 850 432

Attitude Financial Services Limited is an appointed representative of Quilter Financial Services Limited and Quilter Mortgage Planning Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Guidance and/or advice offered is subject to the UK regulatory
regime, and is therefore targeted at consumers based in the UK. Enterprise Investment schemes (EIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCT) invest in assets that are high risk and can be difficult to sell such as shares in unlisted companies. The value of the investment and the income
from it can fall as well as rise and investors may not get back what they originally invested, even taking into account the tax benefi ts. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. The value of pensions and investments and the income they
produce can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than you invested. Tax planning is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Tax treatment varies according to individual circumstances and is subject to change. Registered company name: Attitude Financial Services
Limited. Registered as a Limited Company in England and Wales No 11695594. Registered Address: Woodlands House, Beeches Lane, Cowden, Kent TN8 7LA
 Brooke
b
Lynn Hytes
All hail the queen of the
north! After reaching the final
of season 11 of Drag Race,
Brooke Lynn Hytes tried
RuPaul’s towering heels on for
size to host the Canadian
version of the show —
we’re sure Mama Ru is
very proud!
Describe yourself in three
emojis.
Describe your drag style in five
words.
Boss ass bitch on arrival.
What were your rejected drag
names?
Jackie D, Carmen and Bianca.
What do you wish you had known
before entering Drag Race?
How much money it was going to
cost to put together my package!
Finish the sentence: Being
Canada’s most famous drag
queen is like…
…being America’s second
favourite drag queen.
What keeps you awake at night?
Dick.
What’s the worst thing someone
could say to you in bed?
“OMG! Are you Brooke Lynn
Hytes?!”
How would (or does) your
Grindr profile read?
“Why are you talking to me
without a face pic?”
Biggest turn-on?
Confidence.
And turn-off?
Clinginess.
If you could be any inanimate
object in the world, what would
you be?
A tree. Because you just keep
growing.
What would the film about your
life be called?
I Am Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t
Wanna Come.
22 SEPTEMBER 2020
“My spirit animal would be my cat,
Henry. He can get fat and lazy and
live off someone else’s dollar”
What’s your spirit animal?
My cat, Henry. He can get fat and
lazy and live off someone else’s
dollar. Sounds great.
What does your heaven look like?
A beach.
And hell?
Nashville on a Saturday night.
You’ve started a cult. What is it
about?
Worshipping the perfect lace
front wig.
Your house is on fire. Which three
items do you save?
My cats, my green card and my
passport.
You’ve got 24 hours to live. How
do you spend your day?
A quick shopping spree, a pack
of cigarettes, a venti caramel
Frappuccino and a good dick.
You’re dead (sorry). What does
the epitaph on your gravestone
read?
“There’s always All Stars…”
And what were your famous last
words?
“If you can’t love yourself, then
you’re probably an asshole.”
If you were reborn as a famous
person, past or present, who
would it be and why?
Rihanna, because she’s Rihanna!
What would be your superpower
be and why?
Mind control. You can just make
people give you things.
You can turn back time. Where
do you travel to?
The 1970s. They look pretty
cool.
You’ve been abducted by aliens.
What’s your parting message to
Earth?
To quote the great Juice Boxx,
“Bye, cunts!”
What’s the tastiest thing you’ve
ever had in your mouth?
Hattie B’s Nashville hot chicken.
Which dessert would you be and
why?
Cherry Pie, ’cause I can be a little
sour, and am always tart.
What cocktail best describes you
and why?
I’m a no-bullshit, Old Fashioned
kinda girl.
When was the last time you
served someone their just
desserts?
I don’t have to: karma takes care
of that!
@bhytes
Series 1 of Canada’s Drag Race is
now available to watch on BBC
iPlayer
 INVESTMENTS
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 Robert wears
trousers, by
Dsquared2,
necklace,
Robert’s own

DESTINY’S
CHILD

26 SEPTEMBER 2020
 ROBERT SHEEHAN

Robert Sheehan talks

cults, clothing — or lack
of it — and the secret of
instant happiness as Klaus
Hargreeves returns to our
screens in Netflix’s The
Umbrella Academy
Words Darren Scott
Photography Joseph Sinclair
Styling Joseph Kocharian

>

SEPTEMBER 2020 27
he last time Attitude got up close and
personal with actor Robert Sheehan, it
was in a London hotel (chaperoned, thank
you), where he joked that Netflix wouldn’t
allow him to do interviews for The Umbrella
Academy in the nude.
Now, almost a year and a half later, we find
ourselves in his living room. Sadly, only via
video call – and, yes, his clothes are still on.
At least, until we eventually got him into the
photo studio for his Attitude cover shoot…
A runaway smash, The Umbrella Academy
is one of – if not the – biggest series
on Netflix. Based on Gerard Way’s (of My
Chemical Romance) hit Dark Horse comic
book of the same name, it’s the story of
seven super-powered adopted siblings.
Sheehan, 32, plays Number Four, aka The
Séance, who can converse with the dead.
With substance abuse problems, daddy
issues and having unexpectedly fallen in
love with another man, Four – or Klaus –
has never been so vulnerable as the show
returns for a second season.
“The vulnerabilities with Klaus were
obviously in the extreme when he was at war
and the love of his life [David] died in his
arms,” says Robert, of the Hargreeves family.
“Generally speaking, I think they’ve all been
trained to somewhat pathologise emotion, to
not really show it to people because it’s seen
as weakness.”
That’s somewhat tricky when – with Klaus
and his siblings transported to Dallas in
the 1960s to prevent another apocalypse –
forbidden love rears its head again with added
time paradoxes and a queer-bashing scene. >
 ROBERT SHEEHAN

Robert wears sleeveless

denim jacket, by Lee

SEPTEMBER 2020 29
 “They’re tough, man,” he says of the more
emotional moments. “They’re tough and then
they’re elating. They’re very elating afterwards,
there’s a sense of,” he pauses, “…emptiness,
which is nice. It’s almost like a hangover
without the headache. There’s a kind of
relief at the end of it. But I like pushing the
boundaries of that stuff and seeing what
emotional extremes – if they’re called for –
can be got to. To be honest, because I’ve been
doing it for so long, it’s kind of mother’s milk
at this stage and I like that.”
Experience aside, Sheehan reveals that it
took a while for him to really get under the
skin of Number Four.
“I wasn’t very comfortable playing Klaus
until maybe episode four in the first season,
that Klaus ends up leading his own cult,
Destiny’s Children.
“We were talking about where Klaus could
go now that he’s kicked drugs, now that he’s
not pursuing – or trying to run away from
– sobriety and run away from ghosts, ‘Well,
what can he run away from, or run toward?’.
I was really fascinated by people’s need to
worship, and I think Klaus, if he got his shit
together, he’s someone who could manipulate
a lot of people into worshipping him quite
easily. I thought that
would be a natural
next step. We see all
the global cult stuff
happening in one big
flash and then he’s

CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX@2020
because I didn’t think I was getting it back being pursued
properly,” he admits. “But that’s hyper self- again. Previously, it
critique. It’s a good thing, ultimately, because was ghosts and now
it’s the opposite of complacency. It kind of it’s cult members.” FOLLOW ME:
Klaus becomes
took me getting strapped down to a chair”, Had the show stuck a cult leader in
he laughs hard, “to fully go, ‘Ahhhh, yes! Stop to the original comic The Umbrella
Academy
fucking flailing around!’ And that was great.” book, things would’ve
Given that it’s a show with time travel at its gone very differently
core, it’s safe to say viewers haven’t seen the for the character. But a discussion between
last of Dave, Klaus’s lover from Vietnam. the programme’s creators and Sheehan took
“That relationship takes a very interesting Klaus on a new journey.
development,” he teases. “Klaus isn’t on drugs “Here’s an interesting thing for you, I
any more. I think it’s changed for the better suppose it doesn’t matter now… In truth, at
and that has changed him for the better in the time [working on season one], [the story]
that respect…” was that Klaus had had a relationship with
But lapses of a sort may be on the horizon… a Vietnamese woman, who has a child in the
“Again, caused by the Dave relationship,” he 1960s, and then he goes to find a daughter
nods. Spoilers! who’d be quite old and make contact.
In this season, there’s another form of Then it became, ‘Well, what if he had a gay
dependency that rises to the surface – in relationship in Vietnam?’ >

30 SEPTEMBER 2020
 ROBERT SHEEHAN

Robert wears trousers,

by Dsquared2, necklace,
Robert’s own

SEPTEMBER 2020 31
 “I LIKE PUSHING
EMOTIONAL BOUNDARIES
AND SEEING WHAT
EXTREMES CAN BE GOT TO”
32 SEPTEMBER 2020
 ROBERT SHEEHAN

Robert wears jeans, by

Louis Vuitton, necklace,
Robert’s own

>

SEPTEMBER 2020 33
 Robert wears vest, by
Rufskin, denim shorts,
by All Saints

34 SEPTEMBER 2020

“I was like, ‘Yeah, definitely.’ You have to
follow your nose to find the most interesting
road to take. And I found that really, really
interesting and quite subversive of the
Vietnam that’s been depicted before.”
Feedback – if indeed there was any – from
fans on the change in ‘established’ comic
book history has gone over Sheehan’s head
because he doesn’t read online comments. But
at events, he’s found the LGBTQ fanbase to be
positively vocal.
“Certainly at the [comic] cons. You get a lot
of younger people who identify in the LGBTQ
bracket. Lovely, young, queer people coming
up and saying lovely,
“YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW YOUR meaningful things.
People who are at the
NOSE to find THE MOST formative part of their
lives. That’s very nice.”
INTERESTING ROAD TO TAKE” Looking to the
future, he thinks a TV
version of the new Klaus spin-off comic, You
Look Like Death, would be “cool” and excitedly
responds to any suggestion of reprising
the role for a third season of Umbrella with
exclamations of “Of course!” and “Absolutely!
Big time!”
Time, ironically, isn’t on the side of the
creators if they want 16-year-old Aidan
Gallagher to continue playing Number Five,
however.
“We’re gonna have to get him smoking, it’ll
stunt his growth,” Sheehan jokes. “I think it’d
fit with his character.”
While in lockdown, Sheehan’s been writing
a book of short stories for the Irish market
and working with Umbrella co-star Tom
ROBERT SHEEHAN
Hopper and friend Brian Knight on a new
podcast called The Earth Locker.
“It’s sort of evolved, it’s started to become
about health,” he explains. “We’ve been talking
to a lot of experts. A lot of it’s down to just
making your life a little bit better in some
way, shape or form. There’s three hosts and
I’m kind of the ignoramus,” he jokes, “I’d likely
scan the notes, I don’t know anything, I’m
just coming on and listening to these very,
very clever people who’ve dedicated their
lives to certain things and might have some
information that could help everyone.”
When discussing the wardrobe – or lack
thereof – for Klaus, Sheehan has some
sartorial advice that may be of assistance
to readers. “It was a great big dive into these
lovely costume places, [with] racks and racks
of clothes – you could be in there for two days
solid. It became mostly ladies’ clothes, which
is actually an influence of my own, because I
really prefer how ladies’ clothes look on me,
to be honest. It’s the great secret of retail:
guys, get out there and go to the ladies’ side of
things. The cuts are much more European, if
you will. And so that quite naturally seemed
to match Klaus – low-cut jeans, cleavage, lots
of skin, lots of nudity. Which, again, reflects
my own tastes.”
Women’s jeans, we agree, are the way
forward.
“Do you find that the old John Thomas is a
little bit starved for space, or is he all right?”
he asks me.
Ummm, perhaps that isn’t as much of a
problem for me as it is for him…
He laughs. “What, do you Sellotape it back? >
SEPTEMBER 2020 35
 One time, I had these lovely girl jeans, but
they were skinny jeans as well. They were
quite Lycra-y, which kind of saved them. But
after a while I had to stop wearing them
because I had ball pains, basically.”
Ahem. Discomfort aside, has he ever
experienced prejudice because of his
appearance, given his often-feminine style
choices?
“I wouldn’t use the word prejudice. But
people have criticised how I look. I think
that’s up to them, isn’t it?” he shrugs.
Our conversation turns to queer
influences or inspirations for playing the
part of Klaus, and he refers to a film poster
he spies over our shoulder.
“That movie was beautiful, actually, Call
Me By Your Name. That was sort of a beautiful
study on love,” he says softly. “I met that
lovely actor recently, Timothée Chalamet. He’s
so sweet.”
The connection? Umbrella co-star and
clang name drop: “Mary J Blige. We were in
a place; him and Mary had met before and
Mary had introduced him [Timothée] to
Drake. He was texting with Drake and he was
so happy with himself – he’s obviously a big
fan of Drake…”
Returning to the subject of queer
influences, he continues. “I tried to not put
that kind of point on it, on the feelings
that Klaus was feeling about Dave. It was
more this kind of avalanche of love that
wasn’t necessarily welcome. Because I think
someone who was raised like Klaus and
his siblings have learned to be wary and
suspicious of love and to kind of pathologise
36 SEPTEMBER 2020
it, like, oh, this is gonna change all my plans.
But it’s love, all the same. It is what it is, man,
it makes you stick around. It’s a powerful
thing. And I think it makes no exceptions
in whose belly it occurs in. So, I just sort of
treated it like love really, you know?”
With it being yet another forward-thinking,
queer-friendly Netflix show, how would he say
The Umbrella Academy speaks to the world that
we’re living in now?
“Oh…. Ooof!” he exhales, pushing his long
hair back. No pressure, then…
“One thing I really do love about Umbrella
Academy is that there aren’t any kind of finer
points put on love
and things like that. I
think when a sibling “people have criticised
finds love, it’s not so
much like who’s it
how I look. i think that’s
for, is it for a man or a up to them”
mannequin? It’s like
some love which you just hold on to for dear
life because he’s never really had a diet of love
growing up. So, the show is delightfully and
wonderfully and aspirationally non-prejudicial
in that sense; it’s just about connection and
love. That’s all it should be about.”
Finally – Klaus mentions a ‘holy trinity’
of ‘dicks, drugs and debutantes’. What would
his be?
“Dark chocolate, skipping and tutus,” he
answers immediately. “Pink, mind, only hot
pink. I’m telling you, man, skipping is the
express route to happiness!”
The Umbrella Academy seasons 1 & 2 are
available now on Netflix
 ROBERT SHEEHAN

Robert wears jeans, by

Louis Vuitton, necklace,
Robert’s own

GROOMING Rom Sartipi,

at Gary Represents, using
Oribe Haircare and Murad
Skincare
FASHION ASSISTANT
Sacha Dance

SEPTEMBER 2020 37
Hall
of
Fame
Triumphing over some of the strongest
queens in herstory — not to mention
Miss Coronavirus — Drag Race season
12 winner Jaida Essence Hall is here to
stay and, indeed, slay
Words Cliff Joannou
Photography Magnus Hastings
Jaida Essence Hall

Jaida wears
full look by
Cong Tri >
 harisma? Tick. Uniqueness? Tick. Nerve? Tick. Talent?
Tick. Bonus point if you can also coin a catchphrase?
Check – or, rather, cheque, for all those merch monies!
Drag Race season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall cleared
her path to the throne as soon as she screamed, “Look
over there!”, during the political challenge. You could
almost hear the print presses huff and puff into action,
ready to slap the slogan onto some t-shirts.
Although a clear favourite from the start, the
costume designer and makeup artist, from Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, faced stiff competition from talented rivals
Crystal Methyd and Gigi Goode – and that shady bitch,
Miss Coronavirus – as they were pushed to their creative
limits during a one-of-its-kind (hopefully) lockdown
finale, filmed from their living rooms.
Jaida, 33, snatched the crown to enter RuPaul’s Hall
of Fame and won the hearts of Drag Race devotees
worldwide with irrefutable levels of glamour, grace
and sass. As she had been locked down in Milwaukee
throughout the pandemic, we were thrilled when she
finally had the opportunity to make it to Los Angeles for
a long overdue series of shows to celebrate her success.
Following a socially distanced Attitude cover shoot,
the essence of beauty herself sat down to open up
about the importance of having a strong support
system — whether it is her brothers (all five of them!),
her boyfriend, or her Drag Race sisters — to live your best
and most authentic life.
In the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement,
Jaida is also keen to use her platform to speak up about
racism, not only in wider society, but within the Drag
Race fandom, where black contestants are still not being
shown the respect they deserve. >

40 SEPTEMBER 2020
 Jaida Essence Hall

Jaida wears
full look by
Redaggio
 Jaida wears full Jaida wears
look by Joshuan full look by
Aponte Cong Tri

Jaida wears full Jaida wears full look

look by Cong Tri by Joshuan Aponte

“My family
never reacted
to my sexuality,
First and foremost, congratulations on your they’ve always
accepted me”
win! How nervous, excited, or daunted were
you about having to film the finale from your
living room?
I was nervous… I knew that we would do
things in a different way and need to be
more creative than we’d ever had to be before. And since this is
a competition, knowing that Crystal and Gigi are so competitive
and good at what they do, I was nervous that they might have
an edge over me. But, also, I just really want[ed] to give people a
performance [so] that they might see the world not being shut
down. And, child, I’ve worked in some very small spaces before
performing, so it wasn’t hard for me to work in those confines! As
long as I stuck to what I knew and gave a great performance, I felt
like I could hang.
What does it mean to you to win Drag Race? There always seems to be a
debate about pageant queens versus fashion queens.
I think it shows that anyone is capable of doing great things —
never count anyone out. I also want people to let go of labels of
queens because, at the end of the day, drag is just that: drag.
What have you been most surprised about since winning the show?
The love and outpouring of support from fans all over the world.
They’ve been so sweet to me, so kind and so supportive — it just
makes me smile from ear to ear, up and down.
Miss Corona sashayed into our lives and left her mark and then some.
How have you coped during lockdown?
I’m a super-extroverted person in a lot of ways, but I really love
time at home to myself. So, when the quarantine started, of course,
I wanted to be out travelling the world and working, but I was also
enjoying a little bit of time at home. It’s been a while now, but I
find that staying in touch with people through social media and
FaceTime, or messages, has kept me in a great headspace.
So… how’s your head? How have you been looking after your mental
health during the pandemic?
Mental health is so important, and when all of this started
happening, I would go live on Instagram and stay in touch with
people in the world that love and support drag and what it is that I
do. It meant a lot [to] them and kept them in a great mental health
space, but for me it was also very therapeutic.
We are so happy to finally be able to shoot you for Attitude. These outfits
are incredible — what was the inspiration for the lewks?
I wanted to show a different side of me that the world hasn’t seen
yet; something that is very editorial but which still celebrates who
I am and where I come from. My favourite look — with the braids,
a nod to the show that changed my life — was done by Joshuan
Aponte, who also did my final universe look and final lip-sync
look. He’s been instrumental in my success thus far.
Looking back, what surprised you most about taking part in RuPaul’s
Drag Race? Was there anything you weren’t prepared for?
Honestly, I went to Drag Race with the mindset that anything
was possible, and that anything could happen while filming, so
I believe I was prepared for almost anything. However, I wasn’t
completely ready for the level of talent that I had to share the
workroom space with. These girls have been competitors since
day one and even after filming and the competition, they
Jaida Essence Hall
continue to show exactly why they are so
great at drag.
Who did you bond with most on the show?
Were there any queens you didn’t necessarily
see eye to eye with?
It’s honestly so crazy, because all of the
girls got along so well. Despite any hiccups
[you] saw on the show, we all could just
have a great time, kiki and enjoy each
other’s company while competing with
each other, which is really rare. There was
only one moment that I didn’t see eye to
eye with a queen, and that was during the
one-woman show challenge — but y’all
saw how that went!
You identify as queer. What does queerness
mean to you?
Queerness, for me, means I understand
[that] love is love; that I can love
whatever brings me joy in life. It means
that I might not be what a lot of people
expect or want me to be, but [I’m] loving
all of it regardless.
Tell us a bit more about your upbringing.
When did you realise you were ‘different’?
I always felt that there was something
different about me. I have five brothers,
all of them had particular traits, and I had
a very feminine voice. I switched my hips
and had completely different interests.
Growing up in a terrible neighbourhood,
it was very easy to be a target. But despite
how different I was, I was so happy that I
had my brothers in my family to support
me, because they wouldn’t let anyone
hurt me.
Have you ever experienced homophobia?
Growing up queer, it’s sadly one of those
things we all experience, especially
when your queerness is seen in all
that you do. Being different from what
people normally saw, or what they
thought men should be, made me a
target for people. I’m thankful that I
had a family who understood that I was
different, but never made me feel bad
about it, or judged — that gave me the
confidence to be who I am and love it.
Sometimes it’s still a struggle, but every
day I’m learning to love myself more
and more.
How did your family react when you came
out?
My family never really reacted to my
sexuality in any sort of way. I was always me, >
SEPTEMBER 2020 43
 “Queens are
people, just like
anyone else … a new air and people have officially
and they’ve always accepted me for being me. and deserving had enough. I’m so grateful for that,

of love, too”
When I brought my boyfriend [to meet] them because now we have so many allies to
for the first time, there was no conversation, help amplify black voices when so many
no anything; it was just love, like it’s always people would normally ignore them.
been, and I’m so grateful for that. The Drag Race fandom has been criticised for
Can you remember your first time in drag? not embracing black queens in the way they
My first time in drag was at a show for people who have never do white queens, and you recently tweeted
been in drag before. I wanted to do an amazing production support for Asia O’Hara after she revealed
[performance], but my dancer couldn’t do it last minute, so I she’d been asked to sit out of photo ops by
was just going to drop out. [Then] I decided that, because I had fans. Have you been on the receiving end of
spent the money for my look already, I’d just go along in drag and any of that kind of behaviour before, during
support. I’m glad I did, because had I not gone, I probably would or after your time on the show?
never have done drag and found my love for it. You know, I don’t know a single black
Has being a drag performer ever been a barrier to a relationship? queen who’s not been through this
I was never doing drag until I was with my current boyfriend. He sort of thing. The thing is, so many of
was the first person to encourage me to do drag: I owe so much us don’t talk about it, because, sadly,
of Jaida to him. He wanted me to try out and do drag and that a lot of people just assume that we
was something that I did not particularly want to do, so I’m in are complaining or not working hard
a very different position than a lot of people who do drag and I enough, or simply “not deserving”, and
understand that. But what I want people to know and understand the reality is that we are some of the
is that queens are people, just like anyone else, and love is still love. most trailblazing, creative queens out
Queens are deserving of love, too, and not only when you see them there. We all deserve the same amount of
at a bar or a club — they are deserving of loving relationships and respect. Art is art and the colour of your
light in their lives as well. That’s the area where a lot of queens skin should not determine the value of
struggle because [of] the stigmas that people place on them. I’m that art.
really hoping that this can turn around. What can Drag Race fans do to better support
When did you meet your partner? black queens and challenge racism within the
I met him 13 years ago on social media — Facebook, of all places fandom, especially online?
— and we were supposed to start out as friends, but that quickly I really wish that I had the answer to that
changed. question. But, honestly, I don’t. I think
What does he bring to your life? it’s just gonna take [time] for people to
He helps keep me grounded and in a great headspace. It’s good to understand and appreciate what black
have someone you can always depend on and that you can be 100 queens bring to the table, and really this
per cent of who you are [with them and] they still love you. is not just about drag. In all aspects of life,
Black Lives Matters protests were sparked all around the world in the more people should respect the art, the
wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police in America. Did love and contributions of black people.
you attend any of the protests? What’s next for you?
Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to participate in Right now, I’m working with Voss events
any of the protests, but I have been making sure that I use my for Drive ’N Drag, which is a unique show
voice as much as I can throughout all of this to support any and that allows the audience to come in, enjoy
everyone going through this. It’s a really crazy time, between drag and a drive-through show. It’s really
COVID-19 and the events happening around the world. With the neat and [enables] people to still get their
two taking place at the same time, it can make it very difficult fix of drag entertainment. I’m so happy to
for so many people to [attend] and physically show support. But be a part of it, and it brings some smiles
I want people to know that there’s multiple ways of showing to the faces of so many people who’ve
support, especially for this cause, and always using your voice been missing out on something they love
as much as possible is the biggest way that we can help make so much.
a change. Finally… when can we expect some “Look over
Do you feel that a positive change is happening after the past few there!” merch?!
months of protests? You can actually get “Look over there!” merch
I absolutely believe a positive change is happening from all of right now on my website! I have a T-shirt
this. I [initially] believed that, once again, another man would and so much more. But we will definitely be
lose his life, and then there would be business as usual, because releasing more in the near future.
that’s how it’s been in the past. As a black person in America,
I’ve seen it time and time again. But it feels as though there’s jaidaehall.com

44 SEPTEMBER 2020
 Jaida Essence Hall

Jaida wears full GROOMING Gee Walton and

look by Cong Tri Edward Scissorhands
 Deaken Bluman

Method
Turning heads in Netflix’s 13
Reasons Why, Deaken Bluman
opens up about shooting gay
love scenes, following in the
footsteps of his acting heroes
and his own discombobulating
real-life drama…

Man
Words Thomas Stichbury
Photography Collin Stark >
A
fter some technical issues and a couple of
panicked “the link doesn’t work!!!” emails
to the publicist, I finally connect to my
Zoom call with up-and-coming actor
Deaken Bluman.
Immediate observations: one, Deaken
looks positively celestial in his light, airy
abode, and I fear I cut a Gollum-esque
figure in comparison, shrouded in the
unflattering shadows of my dingy North
London flat; and two, he is a dead spit for James Franco.
“He’s my cousin. We’re related by marriage, but not blood,” Deaken
begins, before cracking into a smile, and adding. “You’re so gullible!” No
wonder the 24-year-old star is being tipped for big things.
Living his best lockdown life in Topanga Canyon, in California, with
his wife Elin and his rescue dog, Angel, Deaken tells Attitude about his
journey so far, from sleeping in his car and writing fan letters to his
idol, Jack Nicholson, to landing his breakout role in teen drama 13
Reasons Why.
Laidback, friendly and not a little goofy, the American plays Winston
Williams in Netflix’s hit series, and the part required him to kiss a guy
for the first time. Actually, make that two guys.
More than happy to pucker up, Deaken opens up about filming
intimate scenes (he really did wing it), the response he’s had from
fans and his thoughts on the conversations around cis-straight actors
portraying LGBTQ people on screen.
Towards the end of the interview, Deaken also reveals that he once
thought he was dead for a month. All will become clear… well, kind of.
Can you remember when you were first bitten by the acting bug?
My grandmother was an actress and she did a lot of stuff at the Civic
Auditorium in our hometown of Kalamazoo [in Michigan]. I spent
three months with her every summer since I was seven or eight,
until I was 18 or so, [staying] in her little log cabin, in her bedroom,
[while] grandma would sleep on the recliner in the living room.
She’d be watching her baseball games and would always be telling
me her stories. I can’t remember when the spark happened, but I
had such an obsession with movies at that time – still do.
Is there anyone in the film industry that you really look up to?
I’ve always loved Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, De Niro…
Oh wow, you’re going for the heavy hitters.
The McCoys. Pull out the big guns, why not? [Laughs]
Can you imagine one day doing a Day-Lewis and going full “method”?
That is the ultimate goal, to be totally consumed, but it only
48 SEPTEMBER 2020
comes with time. He [Day-Lewis] knew how to zig and zag and
make things work for him. When people talk about “method”, I
think it’s an individual method, the individual experience and
the individual hardships.
You’re at the beginning of your acting career. What other jobs have you
turned your hand at, while trying to make it in the business?
I started off working as a valet at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles,
on the border of Beverly Hills, not the Pretty Woman one [though].
Then, all of a sudden, I was doing a bunch of things; I was catering, I
was a bus boy at a restaurant, I was a gas station attendant – that’s
where I met my wife.
No way.
Yeah! I’d got hired to work at the New Beverly Cinema, the
Quentin Tarantino movie theatre, and then they went into a year
of remodelling. So, I lost a job, was pretty much broke and I only
had, like, 20 cents. I had to fill up some gas to get to where I was
going to go, and they [the gas station] were hiring, so I pretty
“ E v e n i f y o u’ r e d e p r e s s e d , s i n k
all the way to the bottom if you
have to, so you can push off from
t h e b o t t o m a n d c o m e b a c k u p”
much started that day and worked there for three months. I have
done so many jobs.
Just think of all the different skills you’ve acquired along the way.
I know how to sweep a floor, drive a car pretty good, [and] I know
how to make a stiff drink and to fill up gas [laughs].
Have you watched Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series, Hollywood? I feel
compelled to say, “Take me to Dreamland…”
It was that whole thing – without the prostitution ring [laughs].
And his [lead character, Jack] start-up didn’t take him so long. Mine
felt like it took forever.
What is the best piece of advice somebody has given you?
The best one I heard lately was from my friend, John. In tangent
with what we’re going through now, because I was going to do
some other things and then all this [COVID-19] happened, he said,
“The best tool for me is just ‘life-ing,’ being in the present moment,
whatever that might be.” Even if you’re depressed, sink all the way to
the bottom if you have to, so you can then push off from the bottom
and come back up. >
Deaken Bluman
 Let’s talk about 13 Reasons Why. Given that the show tackles so many Are you on all on a WhatsApp group?
serious issues, from rape and suicide to police brutality, were there any
lighter moments behind the scenes? Any pranks to take the edge off?
[Remember] The Silence of the Lambs, with Anthony Hopkins playing
Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster [as Clarice Starling], and those
scenes in the basement of the insane asylum prison, so to speak?
He was this crazy mastermind cannibal, but he [Hopkins] says he
never had so much fun on set because he laughed so much. It’s true
in the case of 13 Reasons Why because it was so light [and] it most What was the audition process like?
certainly had to be.
The show recently finished its fourth and final season. Did you ask to
keep any mementos?
I stole this shirt that I’m wearing right now [laughs].
Thief!
I kept going around saying, “I want Winston’s
clothes.” His wardrobe is pretty nice, and I
have never put on [such] nice clothes in my
entire life, so I felt that I had to have them.
It didn’t work out. It was around the end [of
COURTESY OF NETFLIX/NETFLIX
Oh no, I don’t have a WhatsApp group. I’m pretty, like, a keep-to-
myself [guy], for just a very select few. The ending, the wrap of the
show was emotional for a lot of people, [but] for me it was liberating.
I just swooped in and swooped out. I felt sorry for the people who
had spent so much time [together]… they’ve known each other for
so long. I didn’t know them for that long and, besides, Winston was
an outcast, so it was [like] art imitating life.
It was pretty darn easy, actually, for the first time in my life. You
know, after a certain thousand auditions, you kind of have this
“whatever” [attitude].
I imagine auditioning is exactly like that scene from La La Land, where
Emma Stone’s character is surrounded by
even better-looking doppelgangers.
It is, definitely everybody in the audition
room was more attractive than me. It
started off with a self-tape and then I went
in [for] a call back and, for some reason,

the shoot], the clothes were being wrapped
and I kind of said, “Aah, I’ll take these home.”
They wouldn’t allow that.
You joined 13ReasonsWhy asWinstonWilliams
during the third season, and I imagine it was a
tight-knit set. How did it feel to say goodbye?
IN FOR THE KILL: Winston
(Deaken) puckers up for Alex
(Miles Heizer)
there was this point, I don’t give a fuck, I
just don’t care. I allowed myself to not be
so attached, which makes you tight inside
your body, then you’re more emotionally
free and relaxed.
How did you feel about shooting the more

50 SEPTEMBER 2020

“ D o i n g i n t i m a t e s c e n e s w a s n’t
uncomfortable – I knew they
were coming, and those kinds of
s c e n e s d o n’t b o t h e r m e”
intimate scenes? A lot of guys out there are very envious of you for
getting to make out with Miles [Heizer, who plays Alex] and Timothy
[Granaderos, who plays Monty].
It wasn’t uncomfortable. I knew they were coming eventually, so I
had a handle on myself and [anyway] those kinds of scenes don’t
bother me. I got to know these guys between scenes very quickly by
asking them personal questions, like I was some sort of investigator
[laughs]. It would open them up, I think. Timothy and I are from
the same hometown in Kalamazoo, in Michigan — it’s so crazy. We
already had an underlying connection [or] relationship because we
are from that certain area. And, with Miles, it was very easy. Miles
and I had a cool ‘dance’ going, we were always asking questions
and wondering about each other, which [was] also reflected in the
characters. Doing those scenes wasn’t a problem, it added to the
story, which was the goal.
One of my favourite TV shows is Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sarah
Michelle Gellar, or David Boreanaz, once said in an interview that they
would scoff garlic ahead of filming a kissing scene to gross each other
out. Did you do anything similar?
I did [laughs]! I did it with buffalo wings with Timothy [in]
that first scene. He kissed me so hard – when he kissed me it
was almost like he punched my face. So, we had a break, I went
down [and thought], I’m going to piss him off a little, I’m going
to eat some of these wings, smoke a cigarette, drink a Coke and
make my mouth just disgusting. It was funny. He had this great
Deaken Bluman
reaction… you know, buffalo wings, a cigarette and Coke, it’s kind
of a bad mix.
Is this the first time you have kissed a guy, on screen or off?
I kissed my brother once on the cheek [laughs]. It was the first time
and it wasn’t strange to me, it wasn’t foreign. I was also playing a
character, so it’s kind of like a great lie you get to hide behind… but,
no, it wasn’t foreign, it was a good experience.
Gifs and montages of those kissing scenes are doing the rounds online.
What kind of response have you had from fans? Basically, have dudes
been sliding into your DMs?
Well, I actually don’t – secretively/[not so] secretively – do any of the
social media. I don’t look at social media, or have it on my phone.
Elin’s the one who has to go through all that stuff, which probably
is interesting [laughs]. The fans, they’re beautiful and committed,
and I reach joy for how they feel about my little Winston. I hope
they know that I love them, but I don’t get caught up in the social
dismounts or the constant…. I don’t know, I think it’s lovely that
they get inspired from this character.
Winston’s relationship with Monty is the beating heart of your
storyline. How much of Monty, a troubled teenager being eaten away by
his own internalised homophobia, do you recognise in the real world?
I believe we’ve all recognised that person, and at first glance, you’re
not sure who he is yet. He is going through a battle within himself
and needs the support to make it out alive.
When you portray a member of the LGBTQ community, by default, >
SEPTEMBER 2020 51

you become a spokesperson for that community. Have you had any
interactions with fans where, I don’t know, they’ve told you that
Winston – a very confident chap – has inspired them to come out?
That’s a beautiful thing and feeling. I feel lucky enough that I
actually [play] someone who could possibly do that… The show is
about a community of people, different outcasts, not our cultured
norms, making their own bond, fighting through the thick of life
together. That is the great thing about the LGBT community, they’re
beautiful outcasts coming together to make their own army of love.
There has been a lot of discussion in the media about cis actors
portraying LGBTQ characters. As a straight man playing a gay role, what
thoughts do you have on the matter?
It’s acting, man, we get to be who we wanna be… When it comes from
honesty, it doesn’t matter who [you’re portraying], [it is] just playing
on the playground, learning new ideas.
The kids on 13 Reasons Why have had to deal with their fair share of
drama, to put it lightly. What were your teenage years like?
My high-school life wasn’t like any teen drama you can binge
on Netflix… It was pretty darn boring, I mean, I forgot a lot of it. I
unfortunately, [or] fortunately, don’t remember many of the kids’
names I went to school with… The drama I was dealing with was
internal, but it wasn’t even that big of an issue.
“I used to write Jack Nicholson
fan letters when I was living in
my car”
A lot of TV series that cater to – or are about – teenagers, like 13 Reasons
Why and HBO’s Euphoria, aren’t afraid to delve into controversial
subjects. How important do you think it is that shows reflect the reality
of life for modern teens?
These days, being a teenager is more intense than even when I was
in high school because of the social media boom, the vaping boom
– that’s pretty damaging – [and] the Kardashian boom [laughs]…
they’re getting plastic surgery at 16 and they don’t even know what
their beautiful looks would turn into.
What is next for you, acting-wise? I know a lot ofTV and film productions
have shut down because of the coronavirus.
Nothing…
What would you like to happen? What is your dream role?
I remember the first movie I was absolutely blown away by and that
was My Left Foot, where Daniel Day-Lewis plays Christy Brown [an artist
born with cerebral palsy]. You wouldn’t even recognise him… I would
[also] love to work with Jack Nicholson before he croaks, or just say,
“Hey”. I used to write him fan letters when I was living in my car.
You used to live in your car?
I mean, who never lived [in their car]? I really shouldn’t be talking
about that.
What did you write in your letters to Jack?
Things that I was going through as a young, struggling actor living
Deaken Bluman
in Hollywood. I explained to him what the days are like today and
how much they’ve probably changed, the music I was listening to I
would write down, and I’d tell him all these crazy stories [of things]
I’ve gone through. I would just tell him what my life was like… make
it really exciting and it’d be a couple of pages, three pages max. It
was my way of getting it off my chest, so I could move on. I should
probably never meet him because [they say] you should never meet
your idols, but I would love to go to a fucking basketball game,
courtside, with him, that would be a blast.
OK, brace yourself, I’m going to hit you with some random questions…
what is your biggest pet peeve?
The list goes on. I’m more of a negative person than I am a positive
person. That’s why I’m indoors all the time. What really gets me
going – and it’s in tune with everybody else these days – is the
bullshit lies on TV and on the news. That gets my heart going and
my blood pumping. It makes me want to throw away the TV… Fox
News is what really pisses me off.
Here’s a dark one. Have you ever had a near-death experience?
It was Halloween and I was spending some time with my aunt
and grandmother at their retirement neighbourhood. It’s not a
retirement home, it’s a neighbourhood that’s only [for residents
who are] 55 and older. I used to live there.
Like the Golden Girls?
Exactly [laughs]. We went for a drive in Temecula [in California], just
my aunt and I. We were driving my grandma’s Lexus, it was around
this bend and we wanted to drive left into this little fair… I told her
not to turn left because we couldn’t see around this bend, but she
turns left and what do I see? I’m in the passenger seat and I see a
Ford sign this close to my face outside the window, a big ol’ truck
t-boning us, going 80 miles per hour. All of sudden, things went
black [and then] we were in the driveway, totally intact… The truck
horn [was going] and everybody was looking out wondering if we
survived. For a month long, we thought we were dead, just ghosts
living around because we dematerialised and reconnected back
into cells and atoms again… I told my friend the story and he said,
“You dematerialised, you went through the wall, you know, atoms
totally spread apart, and came back round the other side.” There
was no flash of, like, “Oh, my life…” or anything, it was complete
darkness, like I was hovering in the air and then *finger snap* I
clicked back on again.
This story is making me think there should be some sort of Golden
Girls: The Afterlife series.
Stranger Things meets Golden Girls meets Terminator, with cosmic
walls [laughs].
There you go. Now you know what you’re doing next.
I’m going to be a showrunner. I’m going to need a cigarette after
writing that!
Did you ever hear back from Jack Nicholson by the way?
Never. I didn’t have a return address at that time: Subaru, address
867 S21U – that’s the licence plate number – or you can send it to
the gas station on Beverly [laughs].
13 Reasons Why, series 1-4, is available to watch on Netflix
SEPTEMBER 2020 53
POSTCARDS
FROM
Liam Campbell has spent the past
five years meeting local LGBTQ
people in cities around the world,
photographing them and gathering
their stories to publish in Elska, the
magazine he founded. His latest
journey took him to Malaysia, a
country not known for its LGBTQ
rights, where he was surprised to
find a thriving queer community…
 QUEER MALAYSIA

QUEER
MALAYSIA
Words and photography Liam Campbell

>
 I
n the beginning, I really just wanted to travel
and take photographs, two long-time passions
of mine that finally merged when I took a
break from my teaching career to become
cabin crew. Every week, I’d visit a country with
my camera and capture the city and its people.
Occasionally, I’d use gay apps to find guys to
shoot – and Elska magazine was born. Elska
means “love” in Icelandic, and the magazine
is essentially about sharing the voices and
portraits of queer people around the world. Eventually, I left
my airline job and have since published 29 issues of Elska
about 29 different cities across the globe.
Before we travel, we put out announcements on social
media and write messages on various apps looking for
volunteers in the city we plan to visit. We don’t scout for
looks, we just feature ordinary people. Our only criteria
is that they live in the city and that they’re willing to write
something about themselves and be photographed. Then we
shoot who we get, first come first served.
Kuala Lumpur was never really on my radar until I
received a passionate letter from a guy named Jules. He’d
heard about my photography in Manila, in the Philippines,
and was excited to see an Asian city highlighted in a Western
publication. I was skeptical, though, assuming that this
majority Muslim nation in which homosexuality is illegal
might not be the best or easiest place to photograph people
for a gay publication.
I told him that he was welcome to spread the word and,
if enough other local men came forward, I’d consider it. I
never expected to hear back from anyone else, but within
a week I had over a dozen letters from other men living in
Kuala Lumpur saying they’d love to take part. I told Jules
the good news, and so my surprising discovery of Kuala
Lumpur began.

56 SEPTEMBER 2020

AZRAAI T
“We were together for two years
and six months. We practically
grew up together, trying to learn
from each other and everything.
I was his first actual boy love,
and he was my first actual lover.
Everything went downhill when
he decided that he just didn’t
like boys any more, and that’s
when I decided I needed to go
ham with alcohol.”
I met Azraai at his home in Kuala Lumpur’s
neighbouring city, Shah Alam. I arrived to
find a huge, gorgeous mansion, and inside,
more than a dozen queer people watching
TV in the lounge, with others holding a
meeting in the dining room, and a few in the
kitchen preparing snacks. It was a sort of
underground LGBTQ centre and shelter.
Some of the people living here were
homeless LGBTQ youth who had been
kicked out of their family homes, others
were activists planning events, and some
were simply friends who had come to hang
out. Azraai was around somewhere, and
after several shouts of his name echoed
from one room to the next, he appeared,
greeting me with a handshake and a
welcoming hug.
During our shoot, we talked a bit about
Malaysia’s bourgeoning queer scene, which
has partly been inspired by other booming
LGBTQ movements in countries such as
in Taiwan, which became the first country
in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. The
capital, Taipei, was actually the first Asian
city I featured in the Elska project, and is
QUEER MALAYSIA
home to the only shop in Asia that regularly
carries the publication. Then there was the
fact that Malaysia borders the famously
gay-friendly Thailand, while their southern
neighbour Singapore has also been making
great strides towards LGBTQ rights and
visibility lately. The fact that I’d chosen to
feature Kuala Lumpur before covering places
in Thailand or Singapore was a point of pride
for Azraai.
Azraai finds sanctuary in music. His alter
ego, known as saintraja, has even released a
few singles and an EP. Even more impressive
is that the video he shot for his song, Flaunt,
is the first openly gay music video to be
made in Malaysia. >
SEPTEMBER 2020 57
 GEMS A
“I am feeling kind of lonely. I
want a date. The clicking sound
of my phone was accompanied
by app notifications, messages
upon messages coming in,
pouring like water. The phrase
‘trans man’ was visible in my
profile, and the bio sounded too
good to be true for some. ‘No, I
don’t have a dick. Don’t ask.’”

One of the men hanging out at Azraai’s

house was Gems, who I shot the next day
in the Upper Subang Jaya district, south
of Kuala Lumpur. I arrived at his home to
find a group of guys hanging out, watching
repeats of Friends. One of them was Gems’
boyfriend, who Gems teased about taking
part in the photoshoot. The blush on his face
said it all: he would not be joining in!
I wondered if this was the same boyfriend
that Gems would write about in Elska. He
explained how difficult it is as a trans man
to find someone who truly sees them as
an individual and not just an anatomical
curiosity. The sheer amount of messages he’s
received from people on dating apps asking
about his ‘equipment’ before even saying
hello is astonishing, but it’s exactly what I’ve
heard from trans people all over the world.
When Gems’ would-be boyfriend wrote to
him without starting the conversation with a
question about his anatomy, he was instantly
hooked — and also shocked — so much so,
that he felt the need to say, “You read my
profile, right? That I’m trans.” He had read the
profile, but it didn’t matter, they had made a
connection, and that was all there was to it.

58 SEPTEMBER 2020

J-SON Y
“We all came from different
places,
different stories and different
lives.
Yet, we all are living on the
same planet.
Different yet the same.
“We have all gone through the
same emotions
made up by same colour of
blood, flesh and bones.
Yet, our diversity and
authenticity make us perfect
together,
different yet the same”
In every city there are always moments that
amaze me, which challenge stereotypes. In
Kuala Lumpur, I was constantly surprised
at how the reality overturned the pre-
conceived idea of a closed, conservative
society. It’s not so much that this is untrue,
but rather that there are so many people, a
whole generation, trying to challenge it.
I think that for anyone to not only pose
nude but then be published in something
that’s relatively widespread is a big act
of courage, no matter how accepting the
society, but I’d say that J-son was the
boldest person I met in KL — at least in
front of the camera. As soon as we started
shooting, which was on the rooftop of a
local supermarket, he was throwing shapes,
pulling expressions — it was clear that he had
done this before.
QUEER MALAYSIA
I tend not to work with actual models
if I can. Frankly, they can be rather stiff
emotionally, unable to show their true
personality, or they can also be intimidating
or demanding. But J-son was easy-going
about letting me catch a smile or goofy grin
in between carefully considered poses, and
he was also just a gentle, friendly person.
After our shoot, he took me out to his
local bubble tea joint, which we enjoyed
on a little deck on top of the Family Mart
convenience store opposite. There I got
to know a guy who does the occasional
modelling job, but is your average office
worker by day. He shares his small flat with
his long-term boyfriend, his mother, and two
cats (one of which photobombs a few of the
pics I took).
The experience reminded me how much
people are the same no matter where you
go. There’s something rather beautiful in
the ordinary, to go thousands of miles away
and see that we want the same things. There
are struggles in Malaysia that shouldn’t
be ignored, but painting it as a backward,
homophobic wasteland is wrong. It’s during
these simple conversations over a milky tea
that I feel so grateful to be able to survive
doing what I do. >
 JULES N
“I am cynical about life [for
gay people here]. I don’t think
things will change. Some
Malaysians are ignorant. They
hold onto the beliefs they have,
and while I hope they won’t use
those beliefs to hurt anyone,
that’s not the case. As the
power of religion grows in this
country, I personally don’t think
Malaysia will accept the LGBTQ
community any time soon. I
hope in the future I can go to a
new place, get a new identity,
start a new life and live my life
to the fullest.”

Jules was one of the first men I met when I
got to Kuala Lumpur. On the afternoon of our
shoot, he took me to a café near his home
called 28 Fireplace, where we drank hojicha
lattes and petted the resident cat. For
someone who had written to me with such
enthusiasm, he was rather shy in person; I
had to ask him to repeat himself often, not
because of his accent, but because he was
so softly spoken. We had a lovely time, but
something about him gave me the feeling
that I wanted to protect him somehow, like a
big brother.
When the photoshoot began, I quickly
began to understand why I detected
so much vulnerability in Jules. As he
removed his shirt, he revealed numerous
scars from self-harming. I also began to
notice other clues in his room — boxes of
various psychotropic medicines, slogans
meant to encourage him, such as “You’re
so broken, you can’t even see that you’re
cute” scrawled on his wardrobe door; and
a little sketchbook where he showed me
various drawings he had done to capture
his feelings.
From my original contact with Jules, I
assumed he wanted me to visit Kuala Lumpur
so I could shine the spotlight onto his city’s
gay community, but actually, it was more
that he needed to be seen and heard. He told
me how out of place he felt, how he didn’t
feel safe in Malaysia, and that he wanted
to somehow save enough money to leave
and move to Europe, America, or maybe
Australia. He thought that in these places he
would be free, accepted, and finally happy.
After this revelation, I felt as hopeless as he
did, but as I began to meet and photograph
more men in Kuala Lumpur, I started to
discover a caring community that I hoped
Jules would be willing to make contact with.
After his photos were published, I suggested
that he speak to some of the other men I had
met, and he said that he would.

60 SEPTEMBER 2020
 QUEER MALAYSIA

KHAIRUL K
clear when he arrived at our meeting place local — casual fun was available, yes, but that
“I received a message from one
at the flashiest Starbucks outlet in the was generally it.
of the apps, someone visiting city at Bukit Bintang Junction, its poshest Another person I photographed told me
from France, who was staying corner. He had a rolling suitcase with him, that he exclusively meets Western men who
in a hotel nearby in the city. a large shopping bag, and a garment bag. come on holiday or on business to Kuala
From the beginning I knew what Khairul was determined to make this his Lumpur, and with that comes a stereotype of
fashion editorial moment, and I was happy Asian men as passive, smooth twinks, which
he wanted, but […] we stayed
to oblige. makes him feel pressure to not eat, to shave
in touch and kept chatting. He explained how he never seems to be his body, and even to bottom. He explained
Time ran by so fast, after a few able to make connections with local men, that he doesn’t like bottoming at all, but it’s
months, he said he was going instead he always ends up having affairs with what these men always want, so he goes along
to come back to Kuala Lumpur foreign visitors. I had this same conversation with it. I told him to at least try asserting
with other guys here, who explained that himself, but he assured me that it wasn’t an
again, but this time just to visit
it can be hard to have a relationship with a option; he can either submit or be alone. >
me, for a few days. I think he
decided to start a relationship
with me! […] Almost ten months
went by, but he didn’t come. We
kept in touch but not as much as
before. He claimed that he was
very busy with work.”

Kuala Lumpur is known as one of the most

diverse cities in Asia, if not the world, with
a demographic makeup of around 40 per
cent ethnic Chinese, 40 per cent Malay
and 10 per cent Indian. As I met more
and more people, I started to understand
the intersections of culture and attitudes
towards homosexuality. There seems
to be more acceptance in the Chinese
community, while the Malay community,
with its majority Muslim population,
seemed to have the most fraught attitude
towards homosexuality.
One of the ethnic Malay men I met was
Khairul, and his interest in taking part in the
Elska project was less about activism than
about living out a fantasy. This much was

SEPTEMBER 2020 61
 MUIZZ A
“I was approaching 30 and
was frankly tired of the
disappointing merry-go-round
of gay dating. The euphoria of
sex and self-discovery in my
twenties had begun to wane. I
didn’t know where to go when
the party ended. Growing up
gay was hard enough, but
growing older while gay was
terrifying.”

One of the phrases I’d learned over my

week in Kuala Lumpur was something I
saw on many of the apps, one that will be
familiar to many of us, but slightly altered
for Malaysian tastes — “No fats, no fems,
no Indians”…
My shoot with Muizz started with lunch
at a mamak, which is like a cheap and
cheerful diner, set in the open air but with
overhead ceiling fans slightly relieving
the tropical heat. The food is mainly
Indian, or rather, a Malaysian version of
Indian — spicy-looking curries, chapati
bread, biryani, fried chicken legs, and
boiled eggs. As tasty as a lot of it looked,
it was only when the waiter came over to
take our order that my appetite was truly
stirred — the tall, suave Indian lad with
a face chiselled for the gods caused me
to audibly, and embarrassingly, let out
a little groan, to which Muizz nodded in
hearty agreement.
“Oh, so you like Indians?” I asked,
cheekily. He knew exactly what I meant and
told me how he can’t stand such prejudice,
when people are racist, but try to excuse it
by calling it “preference”.
I asked him if there was some reason
why Indian men were so discriminated
against in the gay community. Was it that
they tended to be of a lower class, or that
they often have darker skin perhaps? But
there was no reason he could think of.
“I have no idea why, that’s just the way
it is, but thankfully I don’t feel that way,”
he said.
Muizz had lived in Australia for a time,
and when he did he became familiar with
their local version of the phrase, with
‘Indians’ replaced by ‘Asians’. “The whole
world is the same,” he told me, “someone is
always at the bottom of the heap.”

SAM Z
“In the corridors, men in white
towels wear invisible tracks on
the slate tiles. Find the right
person, catch eyes and stare
too long. Other times, walk
past each other without even
glancing. I feel like a walking
slab of meat: hot, but similarly
alienating.”
Sam was one of my more confident and
assertive subjects. The story he submitted
about his ‘pilgrimage’ to a Kuala Lumpur
bathhouse is testament to his feeling of
liberation, even within the confines of a
society that criminalises his behaviour,
which openly takes place in a gay sauna that
somehow remains in business.
Sam didn’t appear to be holding back in
any way. He was out, and he went to some of
the gay clubs in town, which, like the sauna,
were ignored by authorities, and were only
occasionally raided just to keep people
in check and in fear. Sam was not afraid,
though; rather, he was an educated chap
with a good job, which perhaps privileges him
in some way, whereas others in this society
might not have the means or support system
to live openly.
For some, the gay sauna or a gay app may
be the only way to explore their sexuality,
which happens with ultimate discretion, in
darkness. For many others, they live in a sort
of middle ground between open and closeted,
a space where others know about their
sexuality but never talk about it. A boyfriend is
simply a ‘friend’, and people know just enough
about you to stop asking when you’re going to
get married or have kids. For these people, to
use explicitly queer language would be going
too far; it would be making it too real.
QUEER MALAYSIA
Some of the men I encountered were
open like Sam, but more were occupying
the middle ground. A few were totally
closeted and understandably declined to be
photographed for the magazine. All of them
shared the feeling that Kuala Lumpur is a
thoroughly modern city – which implies it is
one that accepts LGBTQ people. Although on
the surface, Kuala Lumpur looks like many
other large, advanced metropolises, whether
its society is as forward as its architecture
or economy is another matter. However,
from the stories of the men I met, Malaysia’s
future looks bright — and queer.
Images and quotes as featured in the ‘Kuala
Lumpur’ issue of Elska magazine
SEPTEMBER 2020 63
 ON TOP: Freeman
edited Mandate
when it was
America’s biggest
gay men’s magazine

64 SEPTEMBER 2020

INDECENT
EXPOSURE Journalist Freeman Gunter, former
editor of trailblazing American gay
magazine Mandate, takes us back to
the early days of the gay porn press in
Seventies’ and Eighties’ New York
Words Matthew Rettenmund
Photography Harol Baez
F reeman Gunter came before me in a very specific way: he was
the editor of the groundbreaking gay glossy, Mandate, and all of
its ‘brother’ publications 20 years before I worked for the same
company — and for the same mercurial straight man, George Mavety,
who died in 2001.
Gunter was a seminal figure in the early years of gay publishing, just
as it was becoming both more mainstream and more erotic. Working
first for the queer entertainment publication, Michael’s Thing, he
switched to Mandate at a time when it was shifting more than 100,000
copies a month, and attracting interviews with figures such as Bette
Midler and Mae West alongside the more expected sex stars including the
gay American porn star Al Parker. He eventually succeeded Sam Staggs as
editor in chief in 1984.
Arriving in New York in May 1969 from Columbia, South Carolina, to live
an openly gay life, Gunter started out on a path that would see tremendous
change, from the Stonewall uprising of 28 June to same-sex marriage, while
his contribution to gay publishing would carve him his very own niche in
queer history. His take on being an openly gay employee 45 years before the
Supreme Court made it illegal to fire us for who we are is another of many
reasons to spend an afternoon talking with this natural-born storyteller.
Where do you come from?
I was born in 1943 and I came out in the
early 1960s. I began to realise I was gay in
the 1950s and hid it. I repressed it and didn’t
act on it — I was afraid of it because of the
horrible shaming against it and pressures
in my family and my peer group. I was just
afraid [that] if I ever tried it or got too close to
it, I would like it and I would have to accept
the fact that I was homosexual. In those
days, it was called having “homosexual
tendencies”. God knows, I knew I had them,
but I never had sex with anybody until I was
19 — which, I guess, is pretty late by today’s
standards — because I wasn’t sexually
drawn to females and I didn’t want to face
the fact that I wanted to have sex with a boy.
FREEMAN GUNTER
I came out in that era of shame, when
I committed to being gay there was
no choice. I had to be authentic. I was
not going to marry a woman and go
through that charade. I was signing up
for a life of shame and hiding, and the
general consensus was that the minute
you weren’t young any more, you were
finished if you were a gay person. Which,
of course, is absurd. It used to be that if
someone said, “I think you’re a homo!”,
all you could do was pray that they didn’t
have any proof and deny it. To come
from all of that and to live long enough
to see the possibility of being married
to someone of the same sex… which was
something I never expected. I mean, I
always considered myself married if I was
living with a guy -— that was marriage in
my world. That was as married as I ever
thought I was going to be able to be. And
here I am — actually married to a guy.
You decided to move to NYC.
I had visited New York often and had
some friends here, and I knew that I would
not be able to be anything like who I am
in Columbia, South Carolina. I moved to
Manhattan in May 1969. A month later, on
the eve of my birthday, which is 29 June,
the Stonewall uprising happened, and I
had been at the Stonewall Bar a bit earlier
that night — I left before the trouble started
because it was just a regular night and I
didn’t want to stay out late. I wish I’d stayed,
because it turned out to be a historical night.
I was at Judy Garland’s funeral, at her
wake, the walk past the coffin, which is an
event that possibly helped facilitate the
Stonewall uprising. >
SEPTEMBER 2020 65
 It was the Summer of Love, and on a
street in Greenwich Village one night
I met Alvin Klein, the theatre critic for
the New York Times radio station, WNYC
Radio. In a sort of cruising situation,
we just started talking and really hit it
off. He was not gay, but a married man
with two young children, living on West
10th St. I was young, he thought I was
hip; we hung out together. Any time his
wife didn’t want to go to an opening,
he would take me as his plus-one, so I
got to see everything, go to lots of press
events, including that party that was in
the movie about The Doors; Andy Warhol
was there, I was smoking a joint with
Jim Morrison in the corner. I really felt
that I’d arrived where I’d always known I
should be!
At the end of the summer, a friend of
mine came through with a van headed
for Woodstock, and there I was. That’s the
story of when I landed in New York.
What was your first job?
It was a little copywriting job for an ad
agency, but when the company collapsed
and I was on unemployment [benefit], I
took my time to seek my fortune and I went
to the Maria Callas master classes, which I
was vitally interested in. I was asked to
write an article about it, and that was the
beginning of my career as a journalist.
Oddly enough, even though I was an
English major, I never thought of being a
journalist; I never took a single journalism
course — I don’t know why, because I’ve
made my whole living as a journalist,
magazine editor and writer. But that got
66 SEPTEMBER 2020
me going and, out of that article about I had just read Sookey, and I knew who
Callas, I got a job with a little digest-sized he was from seeing him around town.
magazine called Michael’s Thing. It was the I thought the book was brilliant and I
first magazine to chronicle the gay scene, went into his cubicle and said, “You’re
and that was the first time that something Joe Bush and I think you’ve written the
that could be called the gay scene was Great American Novel.” Well, that marked
above the radar and out in public. My job me as a person of tremendous taste and
was as editor in chief of that magazine, and discernment in his eyes.
it was very hands-on. We got to talking and I told him about
How did you become an editor in the Callas master classes, and
chief so quickly — you were so new to he said, “Well, why don’t you
publishing? write me an article on that
Well, I was enthusiastic about for Michael’s Thing?” and I did.
entertainment, music and I took it very seriously. It took
the arts, and every aspect of me about a month and a half to
gay culture, and I had read a write the article, the first I had
book called Sookey — a sexy, ever written for publication. I
mystical novel about gay life showed it to him and he said,
on Fire Island — which was “This is very good and I’ll use it,
written by a man named Joe but it’s really too good for the
Bush, published under the magazine, and I think you could
nom de plume of Angelo sell it somewhere else.” And he
D’Arcangelo, because he did not feel sent me to After Dark, which was
comfortable about using his real name. a sort of semi-out-of-the-closet national
He was well known for another book, newsstand magazine that covered gay
an underground primer called The culture and ballet. It was an excuse to
Homosexual Handbook; a sort of semi- publish nude pictures of pretty people.
facetious guide to the brave new world of They weren’t labelled as gay. They sort of
the newly liberated homo. tried to straddle the fence and deny that.
Joe, a wise and talented man, was the So, they bought the article. Then Joe
editor of Michael’s Thing, that was his day said, “By the way, I’m going to leave the
job, and I met him at the baths one night. magazine, and if you’d like this job as
editor I could put in a good word for you
to Michael Giammetta, the publisher,
“ SMOKING A J OI NT W I TH JI M and I’m sure I could get you the job.” He
MOR RISON , I REA LL Y FEL T T HAT talked me up to Michael and Michael did
give me the job. I was about 25 or 26, and
I’D A RRI VE D” you know, I really didn’t have to prove my
credentials. I guess just talking to me was
enough to convince them, and I jumped
right in and did it. And maybe I had
the confidence borne of ignorance and
naiveté, like the cartoon character that
runs off the cliff and keeps going until he
looks down, and then falls.
What was Michael Giammetta, the publisher
of Michael’s Thing, like?
He was a strange guy. I would almost be
inclined to say he wasn’t all that bright,
but he was actually quite intuitive. He
was bright where he needed to be bright.
He got the idea for this magazine, one to
codify the scene. Michael’s Thing — people
thought that meant his penis, but there
PERSONAL COLLECTION OF MATTHEW RETTENMUND
was an expression, “doing your own
thing”, that was very big then. The gay
scene, the bar scene, that was Michael’s
thing. So he got this little magazine
together and had it placed in all the bars
and restaurants — it was a giveaway and
ON THE SCENE:
sold on the newsstand for 50 cents. It told
Michael’s Thing you what the different awards were for
was nightlife — and,
of course, men bartenders, who was performing at the
clubs, the DJs, it had ads for the baths and >
 FREEMAN GUNTER

RICHARD ETTS

CALL ON ME: This photo of Freeman

was taken in 1973 by his neighbour,
sculptor and artist Richard Etts.
“He always carried a camera and
several pals were hanging out at my
place when he dropped by. Richard
brandished his camera, I grabbed a
hat and we were just fooling around,”
says Freeman

SEPTEMBER 2020 67
 “WE WOU LD GO TO LUN CH WI TH THE L I KE S OF J ON KI NG A ND A L PA R KE R”

PERSONAL COLLECTION OF MATTHEW RETTENMUND

PICK ME UP: A selection of

Mandate’s covers

68 SEPTEMBER 2020

bars and some outside legitimate ads.
Joe Bush used to say that Michael’s
favourite form of travel was “by
entourage”. He just loved to arrive with
pretty boys and bartenders in tow. He
hung around with Steve Rubell and the
Studio 54 crowd, which I did as well
briefly, but Rubell and that bunch bored
me to death.
Michael couldn’t write, but I would
ghostwrite pieces when he had something
he wanted to say.
What was your day-to-day like at Michael’s Thing?
I was running around town going to the
photo shops that sold movie stills when
we needed pictures. I would just go out
and buy the thing myself and put it in
the magazine. I had a lot of knowledge
of music and culture and theatre and
movies and I was very interested in
cabaret, which began to burgeon. There
was a huge cabaret revival and a number
of new cabarets opened in town that
were very important, culturally. Reno
Sweeney was the best of them. A lot of
old-time stars made huge comebacks,
like Barbara Cook and Julie Wilson, who
became a really good friend of mine… so
I was a natural.
I was paid $100 a week in cash under
the counter and I got to go to everything
for free. It was heaven! I was comped
[given free meals] at gay restaurants
and I got to go to most of the baths for
free, and I was in on the ground floor
when Bette Midler was performing at the
Continental Baths. I lived in the Ansonia,
the building where the Baths were, and I
got to listen to Bette Midler rehearse on
a Saturday afternoon, and I was doing
all that before the magazine, so I hit the
ground running.
I kept the job for a few years because
it was just so much fun. I met everybody
— people I’d idolized my whole life,
meeting them as an equal. They were
doing their job as a performer, and I was
doing my job as a journalist, so I didn’t
meet them as a fan, although I was, in
many cases.
Were you given total control, or did Michael
impose rules on you?
Free rein. He wanted to be sure the
magazine stayed gay, but I could do
classical music, talk about anything.
I just loved it and being a part of the
scene, and I guess I stayed longer than I
should’ve. I left Michael’s Thing because I
really felt that it was time. I had met John
Devere, and he and George Mavety met —
George had the wherewithal, and John
had the vision of a glossier magazine
that was gayer than After Dark, more
openly gay. He just made up the idea of
it and gave it to George Mavety. I knew
John socially and we liked each other
and he asked me to come to Mandate.
I had a certain track record in the gay
community, so I never had to audition, I
never had to prove myself.
Was Mandate — a national magazine — a
bigger operation than Michael’s Thing?
It was very ad hoc. We had an art director
who pasted it down, we had mechanicals
all pasted on board — I thought an IBM
Select was high-tech. Modernismo, as
the company was called, had various
magazines like Man Alive, Playguy, about
twins, Honcho, about butch guys. Mandate
had culture articles; that office was more
professionally run, but not much more.
There were more people to control, more
departments and employees, but still run
by the seat of our pants.
Was it hard getting mainstream figures
interested in being featured in a gay
magazine?
Sometimes. If they did not quite
understand — this became more of a
problem at Mandate. And through my
work in the gay press, I became a known
entity on the gay scene. I was just having
a good time and I was not seeking credit,
so I’m not mentioned in articles as much
as maybe I should be. I was interviewing
cultural figures like Peggy Lee, and I did
WIKIPEDIA
a big interview with her because we
had been friends, and she just looked
the other way. Sometimes I would send
people tear sheets from an article [they
were featured in] and on the back there
would be a great big picture of a hard-on,
you know. It was kind of hard to look the
other way.
Still, the gay market was a big deal all of a sudden.
The gay market was suddenly being
recognised as a viable force financially,
and someone you might want to appeal
to, whatever your personal views about
homos. For a while at Mandate, they made
me responsible for selling ads, and I’m
not a good salesman. One day I was sent
to the Seagram building to talk to the
whisky people about the possibility of
advertising in the gay press. There I was
with Mandate, Playguy and Honcho open on
the desk of a big executive at Seagram, and
he wanted me to explain the difference
between them, and I really had a moment
where I wanted the floor to open up and
swallow me.
It did close some doors to us. Once, we
were doing a big piece on Dynasty, which
was very popular with gay people. When I
approached ABC publicity, I was told that
they would not work with a gay magazine
that featured rampant nudity. I had a
very good friend at the network, however,
FREEMAN GUNTER
who was gay-friendly and supportive.
This person sent me a complete press kit
with great photos and admonished, “Just
don’t say where this came from.” So there
were work-arounds. It’s all so much
more open now. I was one of the ones
that helped open it up. I had a lot of
personal credibility. I could meet people
and present well, and did what I could to
dispel preconceptions.
What do you remember about the founder,
George Mavety?
He was a gangster! A crook! Just completely
disreputable. He was outrageous. He was
amazing. He also loved to get everybody
in the office turned against everybody.
He thought that was so amusing, when
he could get his editors and his art
department, everybody kind of fighting
with each other. He loved it. He thought
that that was a good way to get people to
be productive, to keep them off-balance.
MAKING AN
IMPRESSION:
George Mavety, of
Modernismo, later
Mavety Media Group
Oh, he was a mess — he was really a piece
of work.
What I remember was that Mr Mavety, who
had been a Sunday school teacher in Canada
before turning to porn, tried to present as Mr
Normal.
George had his pretensions — God knows!
He decided at one point — he would get very
grand and roll his Rs: “verrry imporrrtant
in the field to be prrrofessional!” — that he
was going to institute a dress code of jackets
and ties. The beauty of those jobs, and
getting people to work for those peanuts
that they all paid, was that you could come
in your jeans and all of that, so there was a
ripple of rebellion. The editor in chief was
a guy who had imposed himself into my
career path. I was on a trajectory to be the
editor and I had paid my dues, and then
this guy, who had been a beautiful friend
of mine in South Carolina, got the job. This
guy’s name was Sammy Staggs, and he
wound up being my nemesis. We once had
a big showdown where he disagreed with
an article I’d written, and he was the editor
and I was just a staff writer — although
I’d been around longer and done more in
the gay press. We had a throw-down in a
meeting and he said, “I didn’t choose you,
I inherited you!” and I looked him in the eye >
SEPTEMBER 2020 69
 and said, “And I you!”. We both knew what I
meant — “I should be sitting at your desk.”
George was spouting on about a dress
code, and right at that time, Sammy
was putting his hands on his hips and
declaring, “I’ll quit if he makes a dress
code!” Then he went on vacation. I got
talking to the art department. There
was a guy named Tony and a guy named
Cliff, but these were high-fashion fags
of the day. It emerged that they resented
Sammy as much as I did. Joking around,
we said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if he came
back from his vacation, and we were
in coats and ties, and he thought that
George had instituted this dress code?”
and we laughed about it. A week went by
and it was never mentioned again, but,
like a sitcom, on the Monday that Sammy
returned from his vacation, we all showed
up in coats and ties, and Sammy took one
look at us and stormed into George’s office
and quit. George said, “Well, Mr. Staggs, I’m
sorry you feel that way!” and accepted his
resignation. By lunchtime, I had the job of
editor in chief!
Mavety was a strange man to work for in such
a gay milieu. I was always fascinated that he’d
basically chosen to launch a gay magazine
even though he was so into women.
Of course, he made his money, initially,
off us, the gay community, and yet he
had what Noel Coward referred to in his
diaries as “that unconscious heterosexual
superiority”. My lover in those days was
David Motz — who died in 1988 of Aids,
after we had been together 10 years. He
was very handsome, like a tall sort of
baby Robert Redford, a beautiful, head-
turning guy. One day, he came into the
office to meet me for lunch, and George
was very taken with David’s good looks
and he said to me, “He’s so good-looking,
even a man would notice!” And I was just
dumbfounded. What a thing to say. Holy
God! [Laughs]
Do you recall a lot of concern about obscenity
at Modernismo? It characterised my work
experience in the 1990s, this fear we would go
too far and get Mr Mavety arrested.
There were rules we had to follow — you
couldn’t show pubic hair on the cover,
the nude male models couldn’t be shown
touching their own or each other’s
dicks — but it wasn’t a big deal. We just
knew them. John Devere wanted to clean
them [the magazines] up to get national
distribution and not show hard-ons, but
George said, “No, no, that’s what we’re
selling, and people want that and they will
turn away from us if they don’t.” George
had a porn-related vision. He sold all
those Doc Johnson sex toys — in our office
there was a warehouse filled with dildos.
70 SEPTEMBER 2020
AFTER DARK:
interact with any models in the 1970s and
A 1972 issue 1980s?
featuring the first
gay porn star,
Aside from the layouts on the boards and
Casey Donovan all the nude photo shoots spread around,
the office itself was pretty neutral, a
standard business place. But the porn
stars, the big ones, all came into the office.
We would go to lunch with the likes of
Jon King and Al Parker. There wasn’t any
home video, these were people whose
movies were in the theatre. Jon King —
PERSONAL COLLECTION OF MATTHEW RETTENMUND
he was darling. He was a sweet, sweet
guy. Then there was Kristen Bjorn, who
sometimes wanted to billet one porn
actor or another at my house. I hung
out with these people. I’m looking now
at three postcards framed on my wall of
Nefertiti that Kristen Bjorn brought to me
from a trip to Berlin. I wasn’t even as in
awe of them as I would be now. I wasn’t a
fan of porn then. It was fine in its place,
but I wasn’t going to movie theatres with
KRISTEN BJORN: The a raincoat in my lap. Home video came in
model-turned-iconic
director, on the cover after I had left the business and gone to
of Playguy work for Rupert Murdoch at Soap Opera
Weekly. Then I became a great fan of gay
porn — when I could enjoy it at home for
my own “personal use”.
How did things end at Modernismo?
Eventually, of course, I was fired. I was
now editing the three magazines. George
had raised me up in salary to a level he
wasn’t comfortable paying. My lover
PERSONAL COLLECTION OF MATTHEW RETTENMUND
David ended up having Aids, and George
was afraid that I would get it and he
would have to carry me to save face in the
gay community. He couldn’t just kick me
to the curb, so he fired me on some silly
pretence — I don’t know what he thought
he was doing — but I had a talented
assistant, Bill Baumer, and George just
gave him another $25 a week to do the job
and got rid of me.
By the time I worked for him, his personal
George was really a consumer of porn. He mythology was that he had been very
was the biggest pervert of all. generous with the gay men he employed
George’s real interest was women during the Aids crisis.
— although I think he got a hard-on That wasn’t the case when the epidemic
looking at pictures of men. I don’t know started — at all. I got summarily dismissed.
if he ever acted on it, but maybe he did. We had a meeting, it was trumped up,
I knew his wife, Trudy, who worked as everybody had been coached what to say
receptionist in the early days. She told and how to edge me out. It was awful and
me she would come into his study at very, very painful for me at the time.
night and he would have fallen asleep at I wonder if young people have any concept
his desk with his dick out and the porn about how magazines worked.
magazines spread out — he would look I have lots of young friends, but one thing
at his own porn magazines and jerk off. they don’t have is context. They just like
Once, he came into the office and threw three minutes here and there, no mood,
the new issue down and said, “I couldn’t continuity or context. I feel really obsolete
get a hard-on!” He was complaining that because the things that I have to offer, no
the new issue wasn’t sexy enough. He loved one’s interested in. But I do have young
the product, he believed in the product. friends and people are interested in me
When I worked there, the offices were personally, and they seek me out — as you
antiseptic — anything but sexy. Did you have! And I love that.
 FREEMAN GUNTER

IN ON THE ACT: The Ansonia,

where Freeman still lives, was
home to the Continental Baths,
where Bette Midler rehearsed

SEPTEMBER 2020 71
IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER
Michael Rhodes speaks to former pastor Edafe Okporo
about the little-known history of African queer culture
and why — despite the homophobia of his native Nigeria
— he still finds solace in his faith
Photography Christopher Tomás
A
round the world, religion is the
popular cane used to flog queerness.
Conservative religious people
lash out, saying: “It’s immoral, it’s
unnatural, it’s a disorder.” Former pastor Edafe
Okporo, 30, was born and raised in Nigeria,
just one of many countries that use religion
to justify hostility towards LGBTQ people. Due
to constant persecution, he fled to New York,
where he now lives freely as a gay man.
As a former pastor in Nigeria, how did your
knowledge of the Bible influence your sexuality?
As a former pastor, I can recount doctrines
of the church that became part of my
everyday life. These doctrines are not what
the Bible says, but an adaptation by the
church which becomes the principle for
becoming a member of that congregation.
I never understood why homosexuality
was condemned by the church in the first
place, but I once believed that gay people
like myself were possessed by a spirit which
could be cast out by praying and fasting. In
reality, as I struggled with the Bible, I was still
meeting other men to have sex with them
in hiding, [then] returning back home, and
praying for forgiveness. My knowledge of
the Bible could not stop my desire to be with
a man, but it made me feel guilty whenever I
indulged in my pleasures. It was considered
lusting after the flesh, as many other sins in
the Bible were a result of lust.
I’m so sorry to hear that. What was life in
Nigeria, and your mental state, like at the time?
Life in Nigeria is a living hell; you do not
know how much mess you are in until you
stay around people who are “normal” —
72 SEPTEMBER 2020
that is what I would say about the life of a
queer religious person in Nigeria.
What was your upbringing like?
I was born in Warri, the oil city in Southern
Nigeria, the last of four children, with two
sisters and one big brother. I had a fun
childhood; as the last child in my family,
people usually called me “Mama’s boy”.
My family converted to Christianity at
the dawn of the new millennium from a
Nigerian traditional religion called Igbe,
which is a religion based on dance as its
medium of worship, for fear of being
condemned into the lake of fire when
the world ends. I left my family at age 12
“I BELIEVED GAY PEOPLE
WERE POSSESSED BY A
SPIRIT WHICH COULD BE
CAST OUT BY PRAYING”
to live with my aunt in a nearby city. She
led me into the path of religion, and I
became a devoted Christian, baptized and
confirmed under her guidance.
Why did you join the church?
There was no option for you aside from the
church. We went to church almost every day
of the week. Growing up, the church was
my amusement park; if you don’t attend
church on Sunday then you are the evil
child who will be destroyed by the wrought
of the Almighty. When my grandmother
took me to her church, I was excited
because she wanted to show me off to her
friends [and tell them] that her grandson
would become a pastor. I followed her to
church because if I was diligent she would
give me some money when it was time
to go to school, and I would get to eat the
remainder of her meat and fish, as her
teeth were fragile and it was usually passed
to the most loyal grandchild. Religion was
the pathway to anyone’s heart, so I had no
option not to go to church.
What did religion offer you?
Religion offers you a sense of belonging if
you do not go outside the line set for you.
Through religion, I learned to have faith in
things and to be resilient in life.
When did you first realise you were different?
You know you are different when you are
laughed at on the soccer pitch for being
effeminate. “Men don’t play like women,”
I was told. Classmates teased me on the
pitch. After being ridiculed for behaving
a certain way, you fear for your life. I was
attracted to men, but I could not express
my feelings for fear of retribution from
my community and family.
What was it like dealing with your sexuality
growing up?
I used to struggle with my sexuality a lot
as a teenager. Largely due to the fact that
I did not see people like me, I began to
internalise what people were saying. Now
I know differently, because I live in a place
where I can see an example of who I am
in society and day-to-day life. Growing
up in Nigeria, it was very difficult to find
anything about my sexuality — there
were no books, videos, or role models. The
example of a successful man is one with a
wife and kids who comes to church every >
 EDAFE OKPORO

KEEP THE FAITH:

Despite religious
persecution, Edafe
still believes in God
 Sunday. But the more you are attacked, the
stronger you become.
I started exploring my sexuality when
I got Facebook in 2008, when I was 18. I
found an affirming church online in the
UK where I got connected to other gay
people who made me understand that
persecution is a part of being gay, whether
you like it or not. The reason people
persecute you is because of your bravery,
and it is on them and not on you. Then I
started gathering the courage to take baby
steps by joining gay Facebook groups,
finding literature of and by gay people
and the switch went off! You just realise
the magic of being gay and there is no
going back from then on.
You mention praying after sexual encounters
with men. When was your first gay experience, from being a shepherd boy to becoming
and how did it make you feel? “RELIGION WAS THE a king, or from prison to the highest
I had my first gay encounter when I was 12, PATHWAY TO ANYONE’S position in the kingdom. I’m grateful I
in my first year in secondary school, but it found religion for the right reasons, but it
was just a mutual bromance and nothing HEART: I HAD NO OPTION is hard to understand the negative things
else. The first time I had sex was when I NOT TO GO TO CHURCH” that were done in the name of religion,
was about 19 years old, in my first year in from slavery to homophobia and counting.
college — but I felt like I had sinned against There is a God, he loves all of us, he does not
God and asked for forgiveness continously. Once again, I was outed, and then I began require us to go into a house to find him,
When did your family find out that you were working as a gay rights activist. because he sits in our hearts every day. As
gay, or that you might be? Are you still religious? my friend, Rev. Jide, would say, “GAY means
There was no precise moment, because Yes, I am a religious person. I believe the God Adores You.”
they had suspected I was gay since the universe works in mysterious ways in our I love that! Looking back on history, Nigeria
time I got caught when I was 12 — but favour; I have faith in things yet unseen wasn’t always this hostile towards queerness,
nobody believed being gay was real. Until and I believe I can call things to pass. so what changed?
I came out to close family members at 19, When things prove to be difficult, I have Prior to the European invasion of Africa
my family felt that it was a phase and that Bible verses I can hold on to – Matthew and other indigenous lands, there were a
after a while I would come to my senses 17:20, which says that even if your faith is vast spectrum of sexualities and gender
and get back on track. as small as a mustard seed, you will move identities. [In the 17th century], there was
When did you become a pastor? mountains; and the story of Job, who Queen Nzinga Mbande, a powerful ruler
I was a pastor in college and I hid my lost everything and was replenished. The of present-day Angola. She organised her
sexuality. After I got outed, I moved to teachings of the Christian religion inspire court so she was not “queen”, but “king”
[Nigeria’s capital] Abuja to start a new life. you; you find examples you can relate to, of her people. She dressed as a man and

74 SEPTEMBER 2020

had multiple husbands who dressed in
women’s clothes and were known as her
wives. In Angola at the time, gender was
recognised as a situational, symbolic, and a
personal innate individual characteristic.
As a result of this, there were alternative
gender roles among groups.
In Nigeria, the Bori tribe of the pre-Islamic
Hausas consisted of men called dan daudu
— “men who are like women”. They were
encouraged to openly express themselves,
had sex with other men, and lived with
women until they took a husband.
Colonization forcibly embedded
the Western/European view of the
Christian religion on indigenous people.
Interpretations of the Clobber Passages
were also passed on — the six verses in
the Bible that “appear” to reference same-
sex relations. The story of Sodom and
Gomorrah in Genesis is arguably the most
popular of these. Biblical researchers have
long said that it says nothing about sexual
orientation and offers no divine opinion
on same-sex relationships. Rather, it is a
story about the lack of hospitality from
the citizens of Sodom and a mob of men
intending to enact gang rape.
How do you think misinterpretations of the
Clobber Passage verses led to the oppression
of queer people?
I have always heard the argument
of homosexuals being classified as a
transgression against God. Let’s use the
same Bible as an example of why this is
wrong. There was never a part of the Bible
where Jesus spoke about homosexuality or
two men lying with each other. In the Old
Testament, in 1st Samuel 18:3, the Bible
bears witness to the love between Jonathan
and David — people of the same gender.
Has your interpretation of these passages
changed now you are no longer a pastor?
Yes, if the Bible was written thousands
of years ago in Hebrew and translated
to English, that means we are reading
EDAFE OKPORO
the interpretation of whichever church
translated it. Secondly, how can a book
written before the invention of technology
have precedence over our lives in the age
of technology?
There’s also historical evidence that shows
the peaceful existence of queer people in
pre-colonial, pre-Christian indigenous
countries. What are your thoughts on the role
colonization played in changing this?
We lost a huge part of us to colonization;
we might never get to embrace who we are
for a very long time. More than 200 years
ago, the first black people were brought
to America — in America today they are
still confronting their past. Nigerian
independence from Britain was less than
60 years ago! Which means we might not
confront some of our deep insecurities
during the current generation.
Confronting colonization is going to
be hard for Africans because it means
challenging their Christian God. The
subtext of colonization was to remove
Africans from their traditional worship
and to use the Bible as a way to police them
to follow a new God and to give up their
powers. Our colonizers have passed down
a different story about who we are and
where we came from. Today, in Nigeria,
many people are more familiar with the
story of how Jesus’ family progresses than
who their great grandfather is. Gay people
have always existed and it is time for us to
start telling the stories of our existence to
prevent further erasure of who we are.
You had to leave your home country to avoid
persecution — was religion a big part of this?
Religious persecution of gay people is the
hallmark of the punishment of gay people
in West Africa. It is a perceived idea that >
SEPTEMBER 2020 75

you have a spirit inside of you, and by
subjecting you to prayer and fasting you
can be cured. “Pray the gay away” is not a
joke when you are the one it involves —
it is conversion therapy, trying to change
someone’s sexual orientation.
What sort of homophobia have you experienced?
I have experienced every form of
homophobia you could possibly imagine
from family, friends, community, church,
and my country. In Warri, masculinity
and the idea of a man is measured by the
number of women you can have sex with
and the number of children you have. I
ran to religion for solace, but I was chased
out because I identified as gay. My family
wanting me to marry a woman, conversion
therapy and mob violence — all that led
me to flee my country when I was 26.
What was the final straw that made you leave
Nigeria?
Working as an activist in Abuja, I was
fighting for access to healthcare treatment
for men who have sex with men. However,
this work made me a target. One night in
2016, alone in my apartment, I was startled
awake by a loud noise. A mob was ramming
down my door. They rushed in, dragged me
into the street and beat me unconscious.
Some good Samaritans found me, saw my
ID card and carried me to the clinic where
I worked. When I woke up in the clinic, I
knew I had to leave Nigeria to be safe.
I fled to Dubai, but returned to Nigeria
later in 2016. In October, I obtained a
visa to attend the International LGBTQ
Leaders Conference organised by the
Victory Institute in Washington D.C. that
December. It was a chance to seek asylum
in the US, where same-sex marriage
had recently been legalized and which
LISTEN UP: Edafe
as a student pastor,
preaching in a church
in Enugu, Nigeria
“A MOB RUSHED INTO MY
APARTMEN DRAGGED
ME INTO THE STREET AND
BEAT ME UNCONSCIOUS”
I pictured as a very accepting place. I am
now a green card holder and live in New
York, where I continue to work as an
activist, and I also work in immigration
rights, helping LGBTQ asylum seekers.
Was your family condemning towards you?
In the beginning, my family condemned
me, but with time, things changed. Time
heals everything. They came back around
and gradually they started supporting me.
Now I believe they are advocating for me
among other family members and friends.
Can you see a world where queerness isn’t
demonized?
Yes, the gay rights movement is one of
the fastest-paced in the world. As gay
people gain more visibility, it increases
the acceptance of queer people. My
mother will not persecute someone
else’s child because she knows her son is
one of ‘them’. As we gain more visibility,
people begin to realise that their family
and friends are part of us and it helps
EDAFE OKPORO
FOREVER YOUNG:
Edafe as a baby
BACK HOME:
Edafe on Christmas
day in Warri, after
graduating at 21
de-stigmatize it and open people up for
the uncomfortable conversations.
How do you feel about your sexuality now?
I feel blessed to be a gay man. I’m so
comfortable in my skin that it makes
other people uncomfortable about their
bigotry and hatred towards me as a gay
person. Sexuality and gender expression
are not going anywhere. It has been here
since the dawn of time. It is a normal
variance of nature and is evident through
the evolution of human beings.
What I hope we learn from the story of
Sodom and our pre-colonial siblings is
how to honour the individual. Honour
the dignity in another. See it, name it, and
respect it. I long for the day when this is
the norm. The world needs to catch up. I
believe it will.
SEPTEMBER 2020 77

Bhavin Taylor
fter discovering that the fashion
A
world really is full of Prada-
wearing devils, Bhavin Taylor
switched his career path to the
more welcoming realm of interior design.
He now runs his own interior design service,
although he admits that no industry is
perfect when we discuss the lack of racial
diversity in the sector.
Why did you decide to go into interior design?
When I first graduated, I did fashion design,
which was something I wanted to do for a
very long time. I loved studying it, but as
soon as I got into the industry, I hated it.
I did about two years, and then I ended up
working in finance, of all things. Then, in
2009, I had one of those moments where
you have that decision about where you’re
going in life and saw that interior design was
something that has always been a passion
of mine. I decided that was the way forward
and went back to school and studied it.
What are the differences between the worlds
of interior design and fashion?
I found that, in the fashion world, the
people weren’t very nice, and it was always
a case of someone wanting to kind of stab
you in the back. And I just felt that, for me to
succeed, I’d have to become a person I’m not
and that was something I wasn’t prepared
to do. The interior design industry is a lot
more friendly; people support each other
and it is generally a much nicer industry to
be a part of. Because most of my work is for
residential clients, you really create a bond
with your customer.
Do you have a team or are you a one-man
band?
I’m a one-man band. Obviously, I employ
specialists as and when needed, but pretty
much it is just me, myself and I.
How would you describe your design
aesthetic?
Everything that I do is based on my company
motto, which is: Love colour, embrace pattern.
Basically, the way I go about each and
every project is so they’re all catered to the
individual customer. I try and get to know
as much as I can about them, to extract their
78 SEPTEMBER 2020
BUSINESS PROFILE
Owner of Bhavin Taylor Design
Words Markus Bidaux
Photography Jamie Field
personality and the things that they’re not
actually seeing, because a lot of people come
to me and they’re like, “We just don’t have a
vision.” I try and dig down deep and figure
out who they are as a person. And from that,
I work out what level of colour and pattern I
can use with them. My style is to push them
a lot further than they would potentially go
on their own, and then push them a bit more
than that.
What do you say to clients who want a
Harrods-furnished home, but have an Ikea
budget?
To be honest, whatever budget someone
sends me is never enough. But you’ve just
got to work with what people are giving you,
and if the budget is, as you said, on the Ikea
end, you just have to be smart about how
to create the best home and visual impact
that you can within that budget. One of my
“If you love something
and you want it in your
house, have it”
first projects was a £5,000 budget to dress the
whole property.
Do you have any examples of a situation with
a difficult client which you turned into a
positive experience in the end?
I had a customer once who just couldn’t
visualise what I was trying to present to them.
It got to the stage where they wanted to visit
a carpet showroom with me. I avoid taking
clients to showrooms, knowing it’s going to be
overwhelming, and the whole reason they are
hiring me is to narrow things down for them.
We went to the carpet shop and pulled almost
every sample out, to then have the client say
they were super-confused. We kept filtering
through the samples until we narrowed it
down to the sample I had put forward in the
first place. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but it
did give them the trust to just jump on board
with what I was suggesting.
Have you had to deal with cowboy builders?
One of my first projects was one outside
London, so I had to hire local tradespeople.
Together with the client, we narrowed it down
to a guy who promised to do a lot of work
within the client’s tight budget. It started off
great, but as the project went on, there would
be days when there was no one on site, and
after chasing him, it turned out he had taken
on more work than he could handle. When he
did turn up, he was just doing cover-up work
to make it look like he was working, rather
than doing the things that needed to be done.
It got to a point where we ended up firing
him and finding someone else last minute.
Luckily, six years on, I have a full range of
reliable tradespeople.
How quickly do you think design trends
change?
Firstly, I’m not a fan of the term ‘trends’,
because they change so quickly and people
can’t keep changing their houses at that pace.
And just because it is a trend doesn’t mean it’s
a good one or that it suits everyone.
Do you think the avocado-green bathroom
will ever come back into fashion?
Personally, I love a coloured bathroom.
Will avocado come back? I’m not sure, but
I’m seeing more colours and styles coming
through, like pink and blue.
Have you done a pink bathroom for a client?
Not yet, if there is anyone out there… I tell a lie,
I have done one for myself.
What is your top design tip?
If you love something and you want it in
your house, have it. Don’t feel you have to ask
each and every person you know whether
they like something. It’s about you; if you like
something, have it and make it work within
your interior.
What lesson do you wish you had learned
before you started your own company?
As much as you think you can do everything
by yourself, it’s not possible. Previously, I
did all the accounts, but now I’ve learned to
bring in an accountant to let them reduce
my stress and pretty much take advantage
of their expertise. My mind is design, project
management and things like that. So, if you
can avoid doing everything and you can
afford to pay someone else to do it, then do it.
You were recently a panellist for an online
forum with Frame magazine, discussing the >
 BUSINESS

CV
2003 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014
Graduates with Earns a Certification Design assistant for Interior designer and Freelance design Starts Bhavin Taylor
a Bachelor of in Interior Design Maurizio Pellizzoni visual merchandiser assistant for Andrew Design
Fashion Design from KLC School of Design for Liberty Pike Design and
and Textiles from Design Moment Design and
University College Production
Northampton
BUSINESS
under-representation of BAME people in the
interior design industry. Can you tell me what
was discussed?
Basically, the format of the panel was to
discuss our experiences from the past, present
and the future. So, for myself, coming from
an Indian background, a creative industry
isn’t always one that we’re encouraged to do,
because our parents are not seeing it as a safe
and secure job further down the line — just
because we’re not seeing any role models that
look like me that I can then relate to or look
up to them and say, “Look what they’re doing.
It is possible.”
Presently, diversity is a huge topic, but
this is definitely something that I’ve been
talking about for a long time now and I have
been wanting to change how the industry is
portrayed and bring forth people of colour,
like myself, into the foreground. Bring us in
at the same level of all the celebrity designers
you see in the media. I’d like to help myself
and other people get a similar level of status.
And then, hopefully, in the making of these
changes, it will encourage and educate people
of any age to say, “OK, the interior design
industry is diverse and is something that we
can be a part of.”
How can we break down the barriers to allow
BAME people to enter the industry?
There are definitely barriers in terms of not
feeling a part of those industries. I wouldn’t
say there are closed doors or anything like
that, but when you look at the interior
design industry itself, it’s very white-faced.
And that can be quite daunting for people
who don’t have the strong will to deal with
that on a daily basis, or if you know you
don’t want to stand out in a crowd. For
myself, I’m quite strong. I can find my way
through, make some noise and make myself
heard, whereas a lot of people from cultural
backgrounds may not want to draw attention
to themselves.
Do you think the recent publicity
surrounding the Black Lives Matters protests
is changing how consumers interact with
BAME-owned businesses?
It’s taken such a horrific situation in America
to happen to get people talking, which, firstly,
is really a sad situation in itself; it shouldn’t
need something of this level to get people
talking. But on the positive side, people are
talking, people are being made aware, and
the best part is, people are listening to what
people like myself are saying and listening
to our experiences and they’re working out
how they can move forward and make sure
that they are promoting or employing or
collaborating diversely.
Do you think being of Indian descent has
slowed your progress in the industry?
This is a tough one, because I don’t think it
80 SEPTEMBER 2020
has because of the type of personality that
I have: I’m going to fight my way [through]
and keep going. One thing that I have been
trying to do ever since I joined the industry
is put myself forward for TV and interior
design shows. And still to this day, things
have started to happen, but have not got
sign-off from channels, or show formats have
changed — you never really know what’s
happening in the background on these
things. I don’t think I’ll ever know if it was the
colour of my skin that stopped it or if there
were other reasons.
“When you look at the
interior design industry,
it’s very white-faced”
What sort of television programme would you
like to see on TV that would ignite people’s
passion for interior design?
One where I’m in the lead role [laughs]. We
need more shows that showcase a range of
diversity within the industry. And, more so,
we should move away from very safe, what I
call, ‘greige’ design (a mix of grey and beige),
and just start having programmes which
showcase braver, bolder design to encourage
people to be braver with their own homes
as well.
Ethnic designs, patterns, textiles have often
been adopted by Western designers. Where is
the line drawn between appropriation and
celebrating different cultures?
In this day and age, everybody is using bits
and bobs from here, there and everywhere
to develop their own style or adapt to what
PASSION FOR
PATTERN:
Bhavin’s style is
T. R. APPLETON
all about using
bold colours
and prints
customers want. But all of these ethnic
influences have come from traditional
local crafts and there is a responsibility
for everyone to go back to the original
people who are making them to employ
and promote them, rather than trying to
recreate these things and create potentially
misinterpreted versions.
What advice do you have for BAME and LGBTQ
youth wanting to break into the industry?
First of all, don’t be afraid to enter the industry
at all, if that’s where your passion is. It’s
definitely not an easy industry; each day
presents a different obstacle, especially being
self-employed. One minute you’ve got so many
clients and in the next minute you can have
none. It’s a very up-and-down industry to be a
part of — especially with the current situation.
But I always say to people, if you really believe
in something, and it’s something that you
really want to do, don’t let anybody get in the
way of following your dreams.
Where do you see your business in five years’
time?
I plan to continue to grow my interior
design business — expand my range of
products that I will be launching later this
year, in-house and through collaborations
with other companies. And, hopefully, in the
near future, have my own TV show, in which
I create interior spaces that are bursting
with personality — in the hope that I will
(a) inspire home owners to be braver with
their interior choices and (b) inspire the new
generation (and all ages) of BAME designers to
become a part of the industry.
bhavintaylordesign.com
@bhavintaylordesign
Namibia
p86

THE WORLD IN FOCUS

85 Just the Ticket 86 Namibia 96 Charitable Travel

SEPTEMBER 2020 83
 BE PROUD
BE LOVED
BE SAFE

MONTRÉAL PRIDE FESTIVAL

SEE YOU IN 2021 I FIERTEMTL.COM
 v

STAYING IN FASHION
The Bulgari Hotel in London’s
Knightsbridge reopens its doors
on 15 August with a new collection
of experiences to add something
special to your staycation. There
are five to choose from, including
B.Beautiful, in the Bulgari’s award-
winning spa; B.Active, to help you
kickstart your fitness regime; and
B.Indulged, where you can treat
yourself to Dom Perignon and a
candlelit private dinner for two on a
Bulgari Suite terrace. Ten per cent of
the proceeds from each experience
will go to Oxford University’s
Jenner Institute to support their
work researching, manufacturing
and testing vaccines for COVID-19,
malaria, TB, HIV, Ebola and
influenza. Treats with a feelgood
factor — we like.

bulgarihotels.com

Just the
TICKET Words Markus Bidaux

BLAZE A TRAIL
The great outdoors both calms
the mind and spurs our sense of
adventure, and the AllTrails app is
perfect for enticing you to get out
and about. There are more than
100,000 trails to discover around
the world, including 6,000-plus
in the UK alone. It is easy to find
trails for hiking, biking and running
and you can also filter your
search for length, difficulty and
whether it is dog- or kid-friendly.
The maps include reviews, photos
and recordings
crowdsourced
from the AllTrails
community to help
you pick the best one
for your trip. Available
on both iOS and
Android.
THE SILVER SCREEN
The Luna Cinema works to a simple
formula: a classic film on a big screen in
a beautiful outdoor location – and now
they’ve adapted their offering for the ‘new
normal’, with socially distanced seating.
This summer’s programme features
modern classics including Rocketman,
Joker and Judy as well as crowdpleasing
musicals such as Grease, Bohemian
Rhapsody and The Greatest Showman.
Venues include Blenheim Palace, Bolton
Abbey, Chiswick House and Guildford
Cathedral, to name a few.
thelunacinema.com

alltrails.com

SEPTEMBER 2020 85
BIG DADDY: The tallest
dune in the Sossusvlei area
 Travel

Splendid
isolation
All-encompassing silence, not
a soul in sight, and landscapes
as eternal as the heavens above
— we enjoy remote luxury at the
oldest desert in the world, in the
heart of Namibia
Words and Photography
Jurriaan Teulings
T he door of the chalet is wide
open. A cheeky little bird has
flown in and landed on my
head as I sleep. Wake-up calls don’t
get much more natural than this. Just
as the creature narrowly escapes my
swatting hand, the sun creeps over
the mountain at the other side of
the valley, and a bright beam of hot
African sunlight hits me in the face.
I’m a little disorientated — the
way you are when you wake up in an
unexpected place — and I struggle to
remember how I got here. And why
that door is open? Not that it seems
to matter much: the walls are made
of canvas; anyone keen to get in could
simply zip them open. Slowly, it dawns
on me that we are in the
middle of the Namib Desert. “A shimmering
We arrived yesterday, and we
are at the Wolwedans Dunes
carpet of stars so wide
Lodge, in a remote corner of it seemed to be an IMAX
Namibia. The chalet is perched version of the heavens”
atop a dune and overlooks the
eternal landscape of the oldest desert
in the world.
It’s all coming back to me now. I left
the door open myself, when I stumbled
back into the cabin a few hours earlier.
That must have been around 4am. I had
set an alarm in the dead of night in
order to get up and watch the sky just
after moonset. That’s when the stars
are at their brightest, and the Milky
Way reveals itself in all its glory. In the
absence of the moon, the NamibRand
Reserve gets so little light that it is
an International Dark Sky Reserve. A
reserve for stars – another endangered
species to gawk at in Africa.
Waking up at this ungodly hour
had been every bit as awful as it would
have been anywhere else. But once
I had forced myself out of bed and
88 SEPTEMBER 2020
walked to the edge of the valley, this
inconvenience was quickly forgotten.
With the lodge out of sight, it felt like I
was the only human left on the planet.
Which might as well have been Mars.
In the sky above, a shimmering carpet
of stars stretched so wide it seemed
to be an IMAX version of the heavens.
In the valley below, there was nothing
but pitch darkness. A mysterious void
juxtaposed with sparkling infinity.
At this hour, the only movement
came from a few shooting stars and
passing satellites — the International
Space Station had drawn a nice long
streak across the long exposure I
made of the night sky. I only returned
to the chalet when a faint red glow
on the horizon started to
swallow up the stars and
planets, and the valley
started to reveal itself.
Now that I’m awake for the
second time, it is no longer
the immeasurable depth of
the night sky, but the wide-open space
around the lodge that is awe-inspiring.
During breakfast, the Wolwedans staff
come in and roll up the canvas walls,
turning the chalet into an observation
deck. There is not a breath of wind
— the valley and the mountain on
the other side look like a painting.
Only after peering into the distance
for a few minutes do I notice a few
ambulant pixels in the unmoving
panorama: a cluster of oryx on its way
to a watering hole; a dazzle of zebras
under a puff of red dust.
We had ventured into the wilderness
just outside the Namibian capital
of Windhoek. After half an hour on
the paved motorway that ran south,
we took a right turn and entered an
ocean of gravel. From there, the only
bit of paved road that we encountered
on our way to Wolwedans was the
spectacular Spreetshoogte Pass
traversing the Great Escarpment, the
edge of the central Southern African
plateau that stretches north into
Angola, and south into South Africa,
connecting the Khomas Highland to
the Namib Desert.
We could have taken a bush plane
– that would have been much easier
and certainly more comfortable. But
then we would have missed out on one
of the world’s most spectacular road
trips. Nothing could instil the sense of
freedom and adventure quite like the
washboarded gravel road stretching
into the horizon. As we passed flat-
topped mountain ranges under a big,
hazy sky, we only spotted a handful
of cars: three coming towards us, two
overtaking us, in 400 kilometres. The
only petrol station along the way was
located in the aptly named settlement
of Solitaire.
The last 20 kilometres had been the
hardest; the road into the NamibRand
Reserve was littered with large rocks
that had to be removed by hand lest
they would puncture our fuel tank
or break an axle. With nothing on the
horizon but the setting sun, and hours
since our last mobile phone signal,
we wondered if we’d end up having to
spend the night in the desert. But in
the end, we had made it, just before the
darkness was complete.
It felt a bit unreal, to find such
luxury at the end of a long ride
through empty landscapes. We were
welcomed with a cold Windhoek
lager at the reception desk located
at Wolwedans’ central farmhouse,
after which our luggage was quickly
transferred to a Jeep that took us to >
 v

UNDER THE STARS:

Night falls over
Wolwedans

HARDY: Oryx are

known to wander
great distances for
food and water

DESERTED: The
landscape around
Wolwedans

SEPTEMBER 2020 89
ALL AGLOW:
Summer rain
over NamibRand

the edge of a deep valley. There, the
lodge awaited, perched on wooden
platforms on top of a giant, red dune,
lit by flickering torches and the moon.
There were nine chalets and a main
building, which consisted of two
lounges, two dining rooms, a library,
a wine cellar and a pool. A fire was
lit, gin and tonics were rushed to us,
followed by a four-course dinner of
bush cuisine. The main course, a steak
of eland, was our first introduction to
local game.
Wolwedans consists of three other
camps like this one in the NamibRand
Reserve, all small-scaled and built
without any concrete so that they
can be removed at any time, without
leaving a mark on the environment.
The slightly less luxurious dwellings
of the Dune Camp sleep 16 guests;
the super-exclusive (and even more
remote) Boulders Camp on the side
of a mountain of giant boulders in
the farthest corner of the reserve,
accommodates ten. There is also the
Private Camp, where the only other
humans are staff.
For added luxury, there’s the
Mountain View Suite, which has
an en-suite bedroom, a lounge and
dining area complete with bar as well
HOMEMAKERS: Our
Wolwedans guide
shows us some
weaver birds’ nests
v
as a kitchenette. All this, in an area
the size of Herefordshire. Although
there would easily be room for
more, that’s not the point: to General
Manager Stephan Brückner, tourism is
supposed to serve the Reserve, not the
other way around.
The principle that no concessions
be made to the aim of preservation
sometimes means guests’ wishes come
second. While the service, interior
decoration and menus are on par
with the best of Africa’s wilderness
lodges, there is no air conditioning TIME FOR A DIP:
Plunge pool at
here – hence the canvas walls that Boulders Safari
can be opened to let in fresh air. Camp, Wolwedans
Requests for a private vehicle and
guide cannot always be honoured, Wolwedans
to minimise the amount of Jeeps Wolwedans is part of Global Ecosphere Retreats, a
driving around the fragile landscape. selection of destinations and enterprises that maintain
On the plus side, this also means an exceptional standard of sustainability. To see how
that Wolwedans offers a measure this works, guests can book a guided ‘sustainability
of exclusivity that can’t be found tour’ through Wolwedans’ staff village – the heart of the
anywhere else. Even at full capacity, Wolwedans operation – which includes an organic garden,
the size of the reserve translates to a greywater system, and a state-of-the-art 27 kWA solar
approximately two million square farm. The lodge and camps are about 420 kilometres
metres of wilderness per guest. That’s from Windhoek Airport, and can be reached by (a rather
quite a backyard to explore. spectacular) drive (self-drive or by Wolwedans guide) or
The days are spent on excursions, bush plane. A minimum of three nights is recommended,
covering the diversity of habitats starting from approximately £203 per person per night
around the reserve. The guides, who (low season). This includes all meals and activities.
are trained by Wolwedans itself, offer > wolwedans.com
ONE OF A KIND:
Each zebra’s stripes
are as unique as a
fingerprint
SEPTEMBER 2020 91
a wealth of information, but good
company, too. Our first afternoon is
spent on the dry plains north of the
Dunes Lodge, where the swirling sands
of several dust devils colour everything
sepia, including the zebras and oryx,
like an old-fashioned photograph.
In recent years, two leopards have
been reintroduced successfully in the
reserve, though the chances of spotting
one of these shy creatures are slim.
But while in other parts of the country
the landscape is just the backdrop
to the famous Big Five (buffalo, lion,
leopard, rhinoceros and elephant), in
NamibRand, the roles are reversed.
Here, the numerous antelopes, baboons
and zebras along the way are just the
finishing touch, adding scale and depth
to the magnificent landscapes. Nothing
underscores the vastness and towering
heights of the lone Losberg mountain on
the other side of the valley, like a single
oryx grazing in the distance. And the
giant boulders on the horizon might as
well have been grains
of sand, if it weren’t “Car tracks remain
for a graceful herd of
springbok to put things
visible for dozens
in the right perspective. of years before they
The next day is a begin to fade”
full-day drive. This
time, our guide Darius is accompanied
by his colleague and friend Rudy, who
tells us that he has made a habit of
walking into the desert by himself
for an hour of contemplation every
day, just to take in the silence. He
encourages us to do the same, even just
for 15 minutes. That seems short, but
hidden behind a dune with no other
company but a rather persistent fly, I
quickly enter a peaceful state of mind.
On this African plain, completely
devoid of any signs of humanity or
modern technology, I catch a glimpse
of life as a prehistoric man – I no
longer feel like a spectator, but part of
the environment.
The southern part of the reserve is
an undulating landscape with tough
grasses and shrubs that give the hills
a blue-greenish hue. Interestingly,
a pattern reveals itself on the
gentle slopes, of circles without any
vegetation. These so-called ‘fairy circles’
are the subject of both local legends
and scientific debate. According to
the local Himba tribes, they are the
footsteps of the gods. Modern science
92 SEPTEMBER 2020
hasn’t come up with a clear answer yet
but one of the best – as yet unproven
– theories is that the vegetation
organises itself in spontaneous
patterns caused by limited access to
nutrients in the soil.
This theory, which involves complex
mathematics, becomes even more
plausible the next day, when we take
a hot-air balloon ride over the Reserve
in the early morning. From the air,
the pattern is remarkably regular. The
dry plains, however, reveal another
eye-catching feature that can only be
spotted from the air: the long game
trails that converge around watering
holes, like rays emanating from a sun.
We’re told that these trails are often
decades, if not centuries old. That
explains why off-road driving is strictly
forbidden in the reserve. Car tracks
remain visible for several dozens of
years before they begin to fade.
We had hoped to catch a glimpse
of the Sossusvlei from this vantage
point, floating a few
hundred metres
above the Namib
Desert. Said to be
one of the most
spectacular locations
in all of Namibia, if
not the entire continent, the Sossusvlei
is a dried-up lake surrounded by
colosssal red dunes that starts a little
north of the Reserve. Unfortunately,
the wind carried us in the opposite
direction, so we had to wait a little
longer and drove on to Little Kulala,
a lodge at the entrance of the Namib
Sand Sea, the 900,000-hectare stretch
of desert that separates the Namibian
interior from the Atlantic Ocean.
Though technically not very far
from Wolwedans, Little Kulala – kulala
means ‘to sleep’ – has climate-
controlled rooms and its proximity
to one of the country’s most popular
tourist attractions made it feel a
lot less remote. Still, the rugged
wilderness was calling the shots. That
afternoon, a surprisingly violent sand
storm hit the resort – whipping up
quite a spectacle for us to witness
through the large windows of the
lodge. It passed quickly, in time for us
to watch the sun disappear behind the
MASCOT: Namibia’s
red dunes on the horizon. national animal, the
Our thatched room sits alongside oryx, appears on
the country’s flag
an ancient riverbed and has its >
 v

SEPTEMBER 2020 93
 ROOTS: Centuries old,
the skeletal remains of
kameeldoring trees

NATURAL WONDERS: The

stunning night sky above the
NamibRand reserve;
(above right): The dancing
white lady spider, native
to Namibia; (below right):
A cluster of nests of the
friendly weaver birds

94 SEPTEMBER 2020

own plunge pool and roof deck for
stargazing. In addition, there are
two showers, meat-locker-grade air
conditioning and a king-sized bed,
though we’re not using the latter on
the first night – we choose to sleep
out instead.
Again, we rise at the crack of dawn.
This time, it’s not just because the
colours are more beautiful and the
temperatures more bearable at this
time of day, but also because Little
Kulala has its own entrance to the
Namib-Naukluft National Park. This
allows its guests to enter before the
park is officially open, giving them a
good head start and a chance to beat
the crowds at the Sossusvlei.
As we drive along colossal dunes, we
can already see people working their
way up, toiling in loose sand, single file
all the way to the top. They look like
ants marching through an abstract
painting; the dunes’ sharp crests cleave
the world into day and night: orange
and yellow on the sunny side, pitch-
black shadows on the other. We drive
all the way to Deadvlei, an ancient lake
bed that shimmers like a white pitch
in an arena of red sand, flanked by one
of the largest dunes in the area (and
indeed the world): a 325-metre-tall
giant named Big Daddy.
What sounded like a good idea
– mounting Big Daddy – involved
a lot more work than expected. No
matter how hard I tried to summon
that primordial sense of peace and
one-ness that I had experienced
WILDERNESS SAFARIS / DANA ALLEN
during my 15-minute desert retreat a
few days before, it remained wholly
elusive. Instead, I cursed my way to
the top, huffing and puffing, courting
sunstroke. The last handful of metres
to the summit were particularly
maddening because the loose sands
would claim about nine tenths of
each step. It was all worth it, of course
— if not for the adrenalin rush, then
certainly for the view. Behind Big
Daddy, an army of red giants stretched
as far as the eye could see. Below it, the
bone-dry clay pans of Deadvlei.
After the arduous climb up,
the descent was like a dance
on the moon. Racing down
“They look like ants
with the unexpected grace of marching through an
a gazelle, my feet sink deeper abstract painting”
and faster into the steep slope,
eventually causing the sand to emit a
spooky, low-pitched rumble.
Our guide, a big guy named Alpha,
waits for us between a scattering
of skeletal trees at the end of the
Deadvlei. He explains that these
are ancient kameeldorings, a type
of acacia that has been dead for an
estimated nine centuries, ever since
the last drop of water evaporated
from the lake. The high density of the
wood, combined with the extremely
dry environment, meant that the trees
never decayed. As if the scenery wasn’t
surreal enough, we were surrounded
by arboreal zombies.
Not all of these have been dead
for centuries – in fact, most of the
specimens in the region are very
OASIS: Little Kulala
provides a luxurious
desert hideaway
Travel
much alive. They are marvels of
evolution: whenever an animal – say,
a giraffe – decides to feast on them,
the trees quickly flood their leaves
with poisonous tannins, and send
out a chemical warning that triggers
other kameeldorings downwind to
follow their lead, forcing the foragers
to move on.
No wonder sociable weaver birds
consider kameeldorings prime real
estate. These tiny, endemic birds,
about the size of a sparrow and just
as cheeky, are known for their large
compound community nests.
These fort-like dwellings are
easy to spot: they look like
haystacks blown into trees,
and they’re everywhere. That
morning when I was awoken
by a bird landing on my sleeping head?
Probably a friendly weaver.
On our way back from Sossusvlei
we stop to have a closer look at a
particularly large nest – not too
close, as the nests are also popular
with snakes. It’s remarkably well
maintained, and extensions have
been added by many generations
of weavers. Some of the nests have
been around for decades. When a nest
finally collapses, often after a rare
rainstorm, its homeless population
is welcomed into the nests of nearby
colonies while they build a new one. “I
wish people were a bit more like these
birds,” Alpha says. In retrospect, I’m
proud I left that door wide open for
such a noble species.
Little Kulala
Little Kulala is part of Wilderness Safaris, one of Africa’s
largest tour operators. It is situated in the private
Kulala Wilderness Reserve — which acts as a gateway to
Namibia’s Sand Sea with its towering dunes and clear,
starry skies. Newly refurbished, the accommodation
consists of 11 climate-controlled, thatched rooms,
built alongside a dry river bed. You can spot wildlife
from the comfort of your bedroom, private plunge
pool, or restaurant table. Rooms include indoor and
outdoor showers, safes, and a rooftop that’s perfect
for stargazing, while the lower deck has been designed
for sleeping out if desired. The lodge is 380 kilometres
from Windhoek Airport and can be reached by self-
drive or bush plane; prices per person per night start
at approximately £444 (low season) — including meals,
local drinks, twice-daily activities with guides, park fees,
laundry and local taxes.
wilderness-safaris.com/camps/little-kulala
SEPTEMBER 2020 95
T avel
Going the
extra mile
Melissa Tilling tells us about
Charitable Travel, a newly launched
travel agent with a conscience
Words Markus Bidaux
M elissa Tilling is flipping
the familiar ‘charity starts
at home’ saying with her
new, social-enterprise travel agent,
Charitable Travel. All profits go to good
causes, and customers can support
their chosen charity with a donation
equal to 5 per cent of the holiday price
every time they make a booking, and at
no extra cost.
When did you launch Charitable Travel?
I’m proud, as a transgender woman,
that we launched our social
enterprise at the start of Pride
month in the middle of a pandemic
— perhaps the worst trading
environment ever for the travel
industry, with everyone locked down
and travel bans literally in every
direction. The principles of Pride
in terms of self-affirmation,
dignity and equality are “The principles of
entrenched in our social
purpose, as is helping a wide
Pride are entrenched
range of charities rebuild and in our social purpose”
better help their beneficiaries.
Launching a business during a
pandemic seems risky.
You might call me a masochist,
or question my nous as a
businesswoman for launching in
a pandemic, but I would argue that
during adversity in our community,
when we are seeking tangible
solutions to seemingly impossible
problems, is exactly when a social
enterprise, as part of civil society
alongside our fantastic charities,
96 SEPTEMBER 2020
should spring to life. Abandoning the
pursuit of wealth for wealth’s sake in
favour of sharing it, by donating every
penny of profit to good causes is a
solution to decreased public spending
and reduced consumer wealth.
What are the benefits of working with
someone from the LGBTQ community
when booking a holiday?
Booking with Charitable Travel ensures
you are supporting a social enterprise
with an acceptance of the diversity in
our society – that’s in our DNA. The
self-awareness, humility and ability to
communicate the lived experience of
becoming the person I was born to be
has taught me lessons in empathy and
understanding that I could not have
learned without my journey.
What life lessons have you picked up
as a trans person while travelling?
I have shared the stage,
representing the travel
industry, with politicians and
leaders in the USA, in Brunei,
in Malaysia, in the Middle East,
in the Caribbean. I’ve even
used a ladies’ loo in North Carolina
– where my birth gender forbids
it – and in myriad places where
we know LGBTQ human rights are
challenged every day. I have proven
time and again that what matters is
who I am, not the label I have been
given. Yes, I was in ‘stealth mode’,
but the fact that I was accepted for
me – for my professional ability, my
personality, my humour – was what
mattered, because I have made no
secret of being transgender. Maybe I
have played a small part in the fight
against prejudice towards trans
human rights in these destinations
because the realisation, by those I’ve
encountered, that I am a person and
not a label is what truly matters.
What is your advice for people who
want to travel at the moment?
I would say listen to government
advice, no matter how seemingly
disorganised that might be. While the
‘slapdash’ approach to travel guidelines
from the government is sometimes
hard to accept, it does impact the
validity of your travel insurance. If you
travel against published government
advice, then it’s very likely your travel
insurance will be invalidated and,
regardless of whether you contract
COVID-19, you need insurance for a
panoply of other reasons.
Where are you encouraging people to
go right now?
Our focus isn’t necessarily on where,
but when. Travel in 2021 looks set to
be huge and securing your escape for
a low deposit now is something to
look forward to. If you’re desperate
to travel now, consider options that
allow for greater social distancing.
Villas are proving very popular in
both Mediterranean and long-haul
destinations, where a couple or a
group of friends can holiday together
and make safer choices about dining
out and exploring.
charitable.travel
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Real Bodies
p108

MIND, BODY AND WELL-BEING

100 Fit Inside and Out 104 Matt Lister

106 A Problem Shared 107 Mental Health 108 Real Bodies

SEPTEMBER 2020 99
 Kevin wears shorts,
by Rufskin, socks and
trainers (throughout),
stylist’s own
 ACTIVE

London-based Kevin wears top and

shorts, both by Rufskin
Liverpudlian dancer
turned trainer Kevin
McGuire talks working
out during lockdown
and why his perspective
on fitness has changed
Words & photography Markus Bidaux
Styling Joseph Kocharian

K
evin McGuire’s life has
been all about physical
performance. Although he
now works as a personal
trainer, in a previous life, 30-year-old
Kevin McGuire was a dancer, and before
that, he was a gymnast. His credits read
like a West End event listing, including
stage shows We Will Rock You, Fame,
Footloose and High School Musical.
He’s also toured with Cats and been a
backup dancer for the legendary Take
That. (And some years ago, he appeared
in an Attitude photoshoot dressed in
Rufskin clothing and rollerskates.) We
met him in the park to hear his take on
working out and getting healthy.

What was your journey into fitness?

I’ve always been into fitness; my family
is a big fitness fam. My mum and dad
met in a gym, they were both gym
coaches and instructors. And then, Do you think that puts a lot of pressure to just having individual muscle
growing up, I did loads of active sports. I on models, dancers and actors, in groups that are strong.
was a competition gymnast when I was general, to have a particular physique? What do you do for a living now?
a really small kid, and then went on to I definitely think there’s an unhealthy I am self-employed as a personal
be a performer and dancer. I did some pressure for models, dancers or anyone trainer, but I also work for Psycle. I
music videos, tours and commercial in the performance industry to look started out as a spin instructor for
TV shows and then during that time I good. Over the past few years, there’s them and then I went on to create and
got really into fitness. It was more for been a big change in that pressure, develop the strength concept.
aesthetic reasons, more to try and I like to think that As a gay man, is it important to you
to look good. As my fitness “I believe in training it’s become a better to work for a company that is vocally
journey progressed, I changed
my reasoning for working
to create a body that environment and set a
healthier image for people
supportive of LGBTQ rights?
It’s a non-negotiable that a company
out. I feel like now it’s much is a strong unit” to work towards. But there’s like Psycle supports LGBTQ rights,
more about wanting to feel still a way to go. and they are fully supportive. We have
well and to be healthy, rather than just How have your workouts changed Pride-themed cycle rides and I did
looking good or having a six-pack. since you left the performance world? a live charity strength workout for
When did you get the sense that you It was very mundane gym workouts Stonewall for the Pride just gone.
had to look a certain way? where I would train just my back What do you think of the government’s
I felt a lot of pressure when I first started muscles one day and then my chest decision to open pubs before gyms?
in the industry. I felt pressure to be the next day. It would be very stagnant It was quite upsetting. To be honest,
ripped or to try to look good to get jobs, with the way I worked out, but now I it felt a little catastrophic that they
because it was often down to the way believe in functional training to create would promote getting drunk or
you looked, as opposed to pure talent. a body that is a strong unit, as opposed going out and drinking over being >

SEPTEMBER 2020 101


Kevin wears
shorts, by
able to go to the gym so you can be fit
and healthy.
Are you worried about returning to
the gym?
There’s definitely a nervousness about
going back. The excitement kind of
outweighs that because I can’t wait to
be back in the community, with all the
people that come and do my classes.
But there’s some anxiety about going
back after all of this time off. However,
I really believe that Psycle are taking
all of the necessary precautions and
measures to make it a healthy place to
go back to.
How has lockdown affected your work?
It changed the way I work completely.
I had to stop any face-to-face training,
which was difficult because I consider
myself a people person. I started to do a
lot of sessions on Zoom, which I’m still
doing now — maybe I won’t be when this
goes to print. The first few live workouts
I did felt really weird. Trying to be high-
energy to motivate people through a
screen seemed like a strange concept. I
got used to it and I have really enjoyed
the sessions that I’ve done in my living
room, as weird and silly as it sounds.
When the time was right, I started
102 SEPTEMBER 2020
Kevin wears
shorts, by
Burton
Rufskin
Kevin wears
shorts, by
Burton
offering distanced PT sessions in the
park, which was strange and hard to
get used to. It took a while to get used
to the ‘new normal’, but it definitely
kept me going through the whole
lockdown. I don’t know what
I would have done without
that backup. Although I’ve
“I am partial to a
enjoyed training people good pizza and a
online, I don’t think you’ll
ever beat in-person, face-to-
couple of beers”
face sessions.
Have you enjoyed your personal
workouts in the park and at home?
Luckily, we got bikes from Psycle, so for
the whole of lockdown, I had a bike
next to my bed — because I didn’t have
anywhere else to put it. Sometimes I
jump out of bed and get a quick bike
session in. But other than that, I’ve been
trying to go running as much as I can
when the weather’s been good. I took my
TRX to the park, I’ve done HIIT sessions
Kevin wears
shorts, by
Rufskin
and yoga classes with my flatmate and
my friends. It’s changed, but I think in a
good way, because I believe it’s all about
mixing it up and balance when it comes
to your workouts.
Has tech become important
to your workouts?
Tech has become a lot more
important. I don’t believe in
constantly counting calories
or weighing yourself. I really
believe in going with how you
feel. But then it’s quite handy to have
a device which can track your sleep or
measure your fitness workouts just to
know how hard you’re pushing and to
see if you’re still progressing. I’ve got
[a sleep and activity tracker] called the
Oura Ring, which has been a pretty cool
device to measure my workouts.
Has it been a struggle to eat healthy?
I’m a big believer in allowing yourself a
treat. I’ll be [on the] straight and narrow,
 ACTIVE

Kevin wears shorts,

by aussieBum

usually for five days a week, and then

for a couple of days, I’ll relax a little. I
am partial to a good pizza and a couple
of beers at the end of a hard day.
What are your workout tunes?
I’ll give you a few cool tracks — well, I’ll
let you gauge if they’re cool or not. I love
Rationale’s 6’s to 9’’ — great vibe. A big
lockdown tune for me is I Follow Rivers
The Magician remix, the Imanbek remix
of Roses by SAINt JHN, and then Marie
Davidson’s Work It Soulwax remix. I can’t
do a workout without some good tunes.
It helps you push to that next level.
Has lockdown changed your outlook
on fitness?
Yes, it taught me that you really need to
find something that you enjoy. If you
don’t enjoy a certain type of workout or
concept, you’re never going to be able
to form a habit and make it work for
you. Also, it proved that workouts are a
massive relief and a kind of therapy for
so many. I know people that have used
working out to help them get through
the lockdown. It’s such an important
part of people’s lives in order to be
healthy and happy.

kevinlifestyle.fitness

SEPTEMBER 2020 103

ACTIVE
RETURN
TO FORM
Back-to-the-gym tips from
our fitness expert, Matt Lister
W
E’RE BACK! It’s been a long
time coming, but we’re finally
able to return to our favourite
church… the gym!
This development can’t come too soon
– I’m well aware that many of you are no
longer as motivated to work out at home
as you might have been at the start of
lockdown and can’t wait to get stuck in
at the gym. However, after a long break
from exercise, it pays to be sensible. This
is advice I learned the hard way — while
I was an athlete, injuries meant long
breaks from training while I recovered,
and taking it slowly when I restarted my
regime. Here are some tips to make your
return to fitness as pain-free as possible…
If you’ve turned into
a lazy sofa bitch during “Don’t expect to be
lockdown — like I have
— then your body is
the powerhouse you
probably not ready to were before”
go back to the grind at
the same intensity you were used to before,
so don’t go balls to the wall straight away.
You’ll probably feel really enthusiastic
about those first couple of sessions
because you’re excited to return to the
gym, but when the DOMS (delayed onset of
muscle soreness) set in afterwards because
your body is out of the exercise habit, the
next few sessions will feel like an uphill
struggle. Ease yourself in slowly.
To best prepare yourself for DOMS and
to reduce some of those aches and pains,
make sure you do a full warm-up before
your workout, and take the time to cool
down properly afterwards, too. Start your
routine with 5-10 mins of light cardio, a
full body stretch, and some low-resistance
movements that mimic some of the
Words exercises you’re going to perform. For the
Matt Lister
Photography
cooldown, follow the same drill, but omit
Markus Bidaux the low-resistance moves.
104 SEPTEMBER 2020
Don’t expect to be the powerhouse you
were before lockdown; be kind to yourself
and work your way back to fitness slowly.
Keep weights and resistance levels low
and reps medium to high. Muscle memory
is a wonderful thing, so it will come back,
but it takes time. I would recommend
carrying out a few compound movements
such as squats or deadlifts with low
weights for the first couple of weeks,
to remind yourself of those movement
patterns. This will help you when it feels
like your strength is returning.
Eat well. Yes, it’s time to be a little more
disciplined with our diets again. Many of
the foods we’ve been treating ourselves to
during lockdown — namely, sugary snacks,
alcohol and refined carbohydrates (yes,
quarantine bakers,
I’m looking at you!)
— can contribute
to higher levels of
inflammation in the
body. As the return
to the gym is going to be rough on your
joints, inflammation is likely to skyrocket.
To help reduce this, add nuts, olive oil,
oily fish, leafy greens and fruits such as
blueberries, strawberries or oranges to
your diet.
Don’t forget your COVID gym etiquette.
The gyms may be open again, but it’s not
business as usual. Look after yourself and
others by respecting social distancing as
best you can; wearing your mask if required
to; and taking hand gel to apply before and
after using each piece of equipment. We
have to do our best to reduce the spread of
COVID-19, or we will suffer the fate of places
such as LA, where fitness centres have been
closed once more to reduce infection rates.
Finally, enjoy what you do! Find the
workout that works for you, and your
return to fitness will be much easier.
WhAt’s
uP Doc?
MON 14 - SUN 20
SEPTEMBER

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A PROBLEM
SHARED
Got a problem? Dr Ranj Singh
is here to offer his advice
I’m a single gay man, aged 43, and my last
test for HIV was negative. I have some
Truvada tablets with an expiry date of
September 2019. Are they safe to take?
I use them ‘on demand’ before/during/
after sex.
Francisco, Birmingham
Let’s get straight to it. Taking any
medication after its expiry date
(unless you have been specifically
told to by a medical professional)
is never advisable, because there
is no guarantee that it will be as
effective. There are lots of studies
to show that some medications
remain active for several years
after their expiry dates, but when
it comes to something as serious
as PrEP, do you really want to take
that risk?
If you were in a situation
where you had absolutely no
access to in-date medication,
then taking expired drugs is
likely to be better than nothing at
all. But you’d probably be advised
to just not have sex until you get
a new supply.
Taking PrEP ‘on demand’ is
easier for some as you don’t have
to take it every day, and it’s just
as effective as taking it daily.
However, this regime is only
suitable for anal sex (not vaginal
or frontal sex). Also, you have to
make sure that you are taking
it in the right way: two pills 24
hours before sex, one pill 24
hours after sex, and another pill
24 hours after that. This option
is not recommended if you have
an active hepatitis B infection,
because the drugs in PrEP also
106 SEPTEMBER 2020
HEALTH
NEWS
Gyms reopen with
strict measures
After being closed for
more than four months,
gyms in England are
finally open. However,
strict new measures
have been put in place.
These are likely to
include: booking systems
interfere with the hepatitis virus and restrictions on
and this can lead to flare-ups. numbers to prevent
And remember: if you’re over-crowding, physically
having unprotected sex, then distanced machines,
it’s really important to have regular and more
regular STI checks (not just HIV thorough cleaning of
tests) ideally every three months, machines, restrictions on
because PrEP won’t protect you changing and showering
against other infections that are facilities, and rules about
much more common. In fact, sweaty towels!
given that we’re still in partial
lockdown, it might be an idea to Lifting lockdown
get a sexual health check so that provokes anxiety
you can get any infection sorted As lockdown is relaxed
across the country (and
“PrEP won’t protect you indeed the globe), health
professionals have seen
against other infections a rise in anxiety levels as
that are more common” people face the prospect
of returning to normal life
out before you become sexually in a very different world.
active again – I’ve done this, too! This is especially the
If you don’t want to visit a clinic, case for those who have
or can’t get to one, then you been advised to ‘shield’
could always order a kit online because of underlying
(provided you meet the criteria medical conditions that
and it’s available in your area). put them at greater risk
There are other ways to take from COVID-19. If you’re
PrEP, too, in case they are more finding your feelings
convenient, including four pills/ tricky to manage at the
week or holiday PrEP. For more moment, check out the
information on these regimes NHS Every Mind Matters
(and other places where you service online, or charities
can get a new supply), check out such as Anxiety UK and
iwantprepnow.co.uk or speak to Mind for tips and support.
your doctor.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO SUBMIT A PROBLEM FOR DR RANJ TO ANSWER, TWEET @DRRANJ OR EMAIL THOMAS.STICHBURY@ATTITUDE.CO.UK

M ND MATTERS
Breaking
the cycle
Owen O’Kane looks at how to
reduce negative thinking
W
e have approximately 60,000-
80,000 thoughts per day,
according to neuroscientific
research. What’s more, between 60-70 per cent
of these are negative in nature, so what can
we do to turn this around?
It’s important to understand that most of
our thoughts are automated processes that
are closely linked to our life experiences,
culture, rules, beliefs and predisposition
– this is how our neurological pathways
develop thought patterns.
Considering the complexity of the human
mind, retraining your brain to think more
positively might seem like a mammoth task,
but with the help of a few simple techniques,
it can be done.
I have developed a four-step method to
help change your thought patterns. To start
with, this will feel unusual, as the brain
will likely want to revert to the old ways of
thinking. The trick is to persevere. You are
BREAK THE HABIT:
Retrain your brain to
think more positively
ACTIVE
teaching the mind to react in a different way, are directing your mind — and not the other
and in time, healthier thoughts will become way around.
the new normal.
STEP 3: EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE
STEP 1: ACKNOWLEDGE A NEGATIVE Sometimes the mind can create harsh
THOUGHT material for us to digest, such as:
Recognising an unhealthy thought is a You are rubbish
little like appeasing someone who wants You are a failure
to get your attention. If you ignore them You are ugly
or push them away, they may keep coming You are stupid
back until their needs are met. When you
acknowledge what’s going on in your mind, If you’re going to listen to such content, you
even when it is not operating in a functional owe it to yourself to ask whether it’s 100 per
or helpful way, you are cent true. And if so, where is
immediately taking control “Let go of these the evidence?
of your thought patterns. damaging thought When you think about it
You are saying to your mind, rationally, your mind won’t
“OK, I see you are there and
patterns” be able to find irrefutable
I’m acknowledging you.” By doing this, you proof, and you have the opportunity to
automatically take back some control and provide it with alternative evidence.
break old habits. For instance, the thought, “You are rubbish”
can be challenged. Even if you can come up
STEP 2: CREATE SPACE with examples when things haven’t gone to
During my time as a psychotherapist, I plan, this won’t have happened every time.
have come across numerous techniques for Think of examples from your life when you
creating space in the mind. My favourite have succeeded, achieved and felt connected
method is the ‘movie director’. and loved. As there is plenty of evidence to
When the mind is creating negative or suggest that you aren’t rubbish, this thought
unhelpful content, you have a choice in how should recur much less often.
engaged you become with it. Remember that
they are thoughts, not facts. Visualise them as STEP 4: LET GO
if they are playing out on a movie screen. You The mind’s unhelpful content often arrives
are simply watching all of the content of your with intensity and force. It can sometimes
mind. You have two options: seem impossible to challenge it. However,
1. You can climb into the movie set and this four-step process provides you with a
engage with the action. It will produce lots of strategic, disciplined approach to rid yourself
drama, and it’s not likely to prove helpful; of negative thoughts. Acknowledging the
2. You can observe and watch the movie, like mind, creating space and examining the
a director, then decide on the content you evidence then places you in a perfect position
want to let go of. to let go of these damaging thought patterns.
With practice and patience, this process will
The second option will allow you the space become routine.
to stop and breathe rather than accepting
your thoughts as the truth. Remember that Ten Times Happier: How to Let Go of What’s
you are not overthinking or analysing the Holding You Back by psychotherapist Owen
thoughts; you are just simply letting go. You O’Kane is out now (HQ, HarperCollins)
SEPTEMBER 2020 107
 EXPRESS YOURSELF
From sex work and struggles with body dysmorphia, non-binary activist
Giuseppe Forchia opens up about their journey towards self-love
As told to Thomas Stichbury Photography Francisco Gomez de Villaboa
I
’m from a very small town near Naples,
in the south of Italy, in the middle of
nowhere. I suffered a lot of physical
abuse growing up, from my family and in
school, and that leaves scars upon your
mind, too.
My relationship with my mum, who is
a florist, was great, but I didn’t have the
best one with my dad. I guess my way of
expressing myself, and the fact that my
mum was the family’s financial provider,
challenged his authority and masculinity,
and he felt he had to take it out on me and
my sister every day.
I was [taught] in a Catholic school run by
nuns until I was six years old, and the nuns
were aggressive to the kids. After the nuns,
[there was] the bullying because of my sexual
orientation. I mean, the abuse never stopped
till I left that town for good.
[Eventually, I moved to] London, one of the
most expensive cities in Europe. There was a
point where I was practically homeless, with
no place to go and I had no money. Becoming
an escort saved me from that situation. It
meant being my own boss and living by my
own rules, selling a ‘product’ that was mine.
It allowed me to have a decent lifestyle and
housing [at a time] when the government
didn’t really do anything to help me.
Being an empath, it was easy for me to
108 SEPTEMBER 2020
understand what these people wanted and
how they were feeling, and most of them
simply wanted to be loved. To be fair, in
return, it did make me feel flattered that
those men would pay so much to enjoy my
company, which is a sense of validation that
I fortunately no longer need. And no, in case
you were wondering, it’s not all old men.
However, there is a dark side of it, from
which I always [kept] my distance… I played
it safe and never let work [interfere] with
my personal life because I knew that it was
“I suffered a lot of physical
abuse growing up, from my
family and in school”
only a temporary fix, although I have become
friends with some of my clients.
Prejudice against sex work and sex workers
in 2020 is so stupid, [but] unfortunately it is
a conversation we are still having, especially
within the LGBTQ+ community.
Sex work is as valid as any other form
of work. Actually, when done honestly and
professionally, it is way more morally ethical
than a lot of jobs that are legal.
I [also] love the concept of OnlyFans. I have
an account for uploading my nude artist
work that otherwise would only be allowed
to be posted [online] if I cropped or censored
it. The platform has a lot of potential that I’m
willing to explore.
I receive a lot of negative comments [on
social media] from people who think they
know and understand me and my message –
but they don’t.
Even when I was approached for this
interview, the person I came in contact with
struggled, at first, to believe that I had any
issues to talk about because I was “so pretty”
and looked so confident. One [piece of] advice
I would love to give people, in general, is: stop
judging a book by its cover.
Many people think I [share] nudes out of
vanity or self-confidence, or because I want
attention. I started posting photographs
of me wearing barely any clothes, not only
as a form of protest against the stigma
around nudity and sex, against the capitalist
side of the fashion industry and how
much importance we give to meaningless,
unsustainable pieces of fabric, but also to
step out of my comfort zone and celebrate
my body.
I have struggled with body dysmorphia all
my life. When I looked at myself in the mirror,
I didn’t see the person that everybody else
did. I hated my shape: I was short, too skinny,
[and] being Mediterranean, I always thought
that my hips were too wide and feminine. For
 Real bodies ACTIVE

ALTERED IMAGE:
Giuseppe has struggled
with body dysmorphia

years, I would wear oversized clothing to hide

my body.
As someone who also struggles with
ADHD, I tend to get in my head, and for a
long time I’ve [lived] with severe depression
caused by the lack of love I had for myself
and my image. At [a certain] point, I realised
I had to do something because I was stuck
in these negative and unhealthy patterns
of thought, and that’s not how I was meant
to be — I had a bigger purpose in life and I
deserved to be happy.
I started being more healthy, working out
and practising sports, so I could keep my
hyperactivity under control, and I’ve been
enjoying the increased levels of endorphins
in my body, for sure.
These photos, after this journey
of discovery and self-love, are an
accomplishment of the work I have done. I
never thought in my life that, one day, I would
be able to take pictures of myself showing my
skin and my body like this.

@thelonewolfg

SEPTEMBER 2020 109

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 Life Lessons
p112

PEOPLE, PLACES, PERSPECTIVES

CLIVE SMITH

112 Life Lessons 114 Books 115 Films

SEPTEMBER 2020 111

I WANTED TO BE A WRITER
EVER SINCE I WAS YOUNG,
BUT WRITING WAS NOT
SOMETHING WORKING-
CLASS BOYS DID. BOOKS
DOUGLAS
WERE FEMININE, THEY
WERE QUIET AND
INTROSPECTIVE, THEY
CONTAINED FEELINGS.
FOR YEARS, I WROTE IN
SECRET.
STUART
I read A Kestrel for
a Knave in school and
Billy Casper is always in
my heart. He knows he’s
destined for the coal mines…
but his spirit soars when he’s
training his kestrel.
‘Gallus’ is my favourite Scots
word. It’s that cheeky self-
confidence some people have, that
swaggering energy particular
to the working-class. I was
always falling for wide boys that
thought they were pure gallus
(they rarely were).
When I was 15, I discovered the
personal ads at the back of Sky
magazine. It was thrilling to
correspond with total strangers… it
sounds like living in a Jane Austen
novel compared to Grindr.
LIVING IN NEW YORK FOR THE
PAST 20 YEARS, I OFTEN FEEL
LIKE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
ALTHOUGH IT WAS HARD
GROWING UP GAY IN GLASGOW,
I MISS THE BOY I USED TO BE AND
THE CITY THAT I LOVE.
112 SEPTEMBER 2020
life lessons
Fashion designer and
first-time author
Words Thomas Stichbury
Photography Clive Smith
After a successful career in fashion
design, Douglas Stuart wrote his
debut novel, Shuggie Bain, a portrait of
a working-class family living in 1980s
Glasgow. The Scottish author has
received rave reviews, and the book
has been longlisted for the Booker
Prize. In this semi-autobiographical
story (reviewed on page 114), Douglas
says he drew on his own experiences
growing up in the city’s East End. “I
am the queer son of a single mother
who lost her battle with [alcohol]
addiction,” he explains. “I write from
the inside about being poor, discarded
and gay, and when I talk about what it
means to both love and fear an addict,
it’s because that’s what my childhood
was like.” He currently lives with his
husband in New York.
Shuggie Bain, published by Picador,
is out now
My mother drank herself to death
when I was in high school.
Researching addiction helped
me understand my mother’s
struggle better. Although
writing about the mother/
son relationship was
painful, it flowed out of me
and I couldn’t hold it back.
Writing the book brought
me a lot of healing.
PEOPLE EXPECT SO LITTLE
OF YOU WHEN YOU GROW
UP IN POVERTY. I’VE ALWAYS
STRUGGLED WITH FEELINGS OF
INADEQUACY, OR THAT I DIDN’T
HAVE THE RIGHT EDUCATION TO
BE A WRITER.
We talk about diversity in
publishing and [author]
Agnes Owens was a true
working-class voice who
was woefully overlooked. A
cleaner and mother of seven,
her writing is set against the
brutal industrial backdrop
of Glasgow, but she brings
to it all the empathy and
tenderness of a mother.
I didn’t feel any different from
the other boys until they told me
I was. I was six and I remember
being asked why I was so feminine.
That moment was a real loss of
innocence for me. It changed the
rest of my life.
My first crush was Lion-O
from ThunderCats. I like thick
thighs and a manicure.
 social

IF I COULD TURN BACK THE

CLOCK AND RELIVE A SINGLE
MOMENT, IT WOULD BE ANY OF
THE SMALL MOMENTS WHEN MY
MOTHER WAS ALIVE AND SOBER
AND AT PEACE WITH HERSELF.

My best date was being woken up at

4am in Chicago to sit by the water’s
edge and watch the new year dawn
over Lake Michigan with my now
husband. It was -20 degrees, but
there was the pleasure of warming
up the cold bits afterwards.

The best piece of advice I’ve ever been

given is: the longest relationship
you’ll ever have is with yourself.
Make it a healthy and happy one.

My most treasured
possession is my education.
I am proud to come from a
country that believes even the
poorest kids deserve access
to the best education. It’s not
like this in America.

MY WORST HABIT IS BEING A

GEMINI. I AM PRONE TO TERRIBLE
MOOD SWINGS.

My biggest regret, no,

embarrassment was falling down
a fire escape in front of Lady
Miss Kier from Dee-Lite (and she
laughed and laughed).

I’m happiest when it snows in NYC,

when it’s too cold to get out of bed,
and my husband and I already
know we are going to waste the
entire day.

SEPTEMBER 2020 113

social Books

BOOK
OF THE
MONTH

Words
Uli Lenart

Love, pride
and survival
A dark, brooding, semi-
autobiographical tale of a
tough childhood in East
HEARTBREAK BOYS
End Glasgow Simon James Green/Scholastic

Award-winning teen author Simon James

Green has mined more literary gold with his
tender, truthful, but also laugh-out-loud new
novel. At the start of the summer, in a moment
SHUGGIE BAIN of impossibly awkward public spectacle,
Douglas Stuart/Picador Jack and Nate find themselves dumped. The
cherry on the cake is having to witness their
Written in transportive Glaswegian dialect, Shuggie Bain is an unflinching, brutal and deeply respective exes, Dylan and Tariq, hook up and
compassionate novel set in Thatcher-era, working-class Scotland. It tells the poignant story of start posting all over Instagram about their
a sensitive and lonely young boy and his challenging childhood growing up in impoverished perfect new life together. Still reeling, but
1980s public housing. At the heart of the book is Shuggie’s charismatic but troubled mother not to be outdone, Jake convinces Nate to
Agnes, who is alienating those around her as she slowly drowns in alcoholism. Married to a serial embark on a road trip, creating their own Insta
cheater husband, Agnes tries to maintain her pride by looking good; the beehive, make-up, and account to show Dylan and Tariq that they’re
pearly-white false teeth paint a glamorous image of a Glaswegian Elizabeth Taylor. In reality, having an even better time. But as they fake
Agnes spends most of the family benefits on cans of extra-strong lager hidden in handbags it to make it along the drizzling motorways
and poured into tea mugs. As Shuggie is left to support his mother as best he can, those around of Britain, could something genuine be
him sense that he is “no’ right,” a boy with a secret that all but him can see. Dark, brutal, brilliant, blossoming beneath the facade? Green’s
Shuggie Bain has been longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize. Astonishing. Out now books are like the best friend you wished you
had as a shy, gay teen. Fantastic. Out now

ALSO
THIS
MONTH

A DUTIFUL BOY THE MAGNIFICENT SONS

Mohsin Zaidi/Square Peg
A captivating, eloquent and genuinely inspiring
memoir about growing up gay in a strict Muslim
household. Today, Mohsin Zaidi is a top criminal
barrister and trustee of Stonewall, but he was
raised in a deprived part of east London. His family
was close-knit but very religiously conservative.
In a home where being gay was inconceivable,
he felt alienated and alone. He attended a failing inner-city school
where bullying and violence were an everyday reality. Despite all the
obstacles, Mohsin used his drive to become the first person from
his school to go to Oxford University, finding the freedom there to
come out to his friends. However, when he returned home to visit his
parents, he was confronted by his father in the company of a witch
doctor he’d invited there to ‘cure’ Mohsin. Beautifully written, dignified
and ultimately redemptive, this challenging story abounds with light
and love. 20 August
Justin Myers/Piatkus
From the author of The Last Romeo comes a
witty, thought-provoking new novel about family,
masculinity and biphobia. When 29-year-old Jake
D’Arcy’s irritatingly confident teenage brother
Trick comes out as gay, the family rallies round
in support, and Jake realises he has unresolved
questions about his own repressed bisexuality.
While Trick gets to grips with the new world of gay dating, Jake
embarks on a journey that will destroy his relationship with
girlfriend Amelia, challenge his closest friendships, and force him
to face up to the gulf between him and his family. But this step
towards accepting who he really is offers new friends, hope and a
sense of the magnificent life he never thought could be his. Justin
Myers, also known as The Guyliner, is a freelance writer and a
columnist for GQ, whose work has also appeared in the Guardian
and the Sunday Times. Out now

114 SEPTEMBER 2020


Words:
Guy Lodge
4/5
LES MISÉRABLES
Damien Bonnard, Alexis Manenti,
Djebril Zonga
Don’t be fooled by the use of Victor
Hugo’s classic novel for the title of this
dynamic, contemporary view of social
injustice and police brutality in Paris.
Director Ladj Ly became the first black
French filmmaker to compete at Cannes
(and earn an Oscar nomination) for the
film, which follows crooked cops through
an impoverished, rage-filled housing
estate: although it lacks the residents’
perspective, in the summer of Black
Lives Matter and Defund the Police
movements, it hits hard. 4 September
ALSO
THIS
MONTH
3/5
HOPE GAP
Annette Bening, Bill Nighy, Josh
O’Connor
If you read that cast list and were
immediately sold, you won’t be
disappointed: the performances
are the entire reason William
Nicholson’s mild, gentle divorce
drama exists. Slightly wobbly British
accent notwithstanding, Bening
especially is on moving form as a
woman rebuilding her life after her
husband of 30 years (Nighy) leaves
her for another woman. 28 August
3/5
COME AS YOU ARE
Grant Rosenmeyer, Gabourey Sidibe,
Ravi Patel
A few years back, the Belgian film
Come As You Are charmed arthouse
audiences with its offbeat story of
three young special-needs men
seeking to lose their virginity: this
American remake is surprisingly
likeable, generally handling the tricky
material with warmth and empathy,
even if the casting of able-bodied
actors in key roles seems a missed
opportunity. 17 August
Films social
FILM
OF THE
MONTH
Kiss me goodbye
Tenderness meets humour in this beautifully scripted
debut from Australian director Shannon Murphy
BABYTEETH 5/5
Eliza Scanlen, Toby Wallace, Essie Davis, Ben Mendelsohn
You would be forgiven for reading the synopsis for Babyteeth and thinking you’ve seen it
all before: another teen romance darkened by the long shadow of terminal disease? But
this vibrant, inspired, darkly funny debut from Australian director Shannon Murphy
is no The Fault in Our Stars 2: there’s not a hint of sap or excess sweetness in its story of
cancer-stricken 16-year-old Milla (Scanlen, recently seen in a similarly ill-fated role in Little
Women), who just wants to feel the electric rush of attraction before she dies, and finds it in
destructive 23-year-old junkie Moses (Wallace), who crashes her stiff, cosseted family life in
unpredictable ways. Exquisitely acted and throbbing with colour and sound, Murphy’s film
understands the entwined terrors and catharses of love and death alike. 14 August
4/5
SOCRATES
Christian Malheiros, Tales Ordakji, Jayme Rodrigues
It’s a good month for very grown-up teenage dramas from original new voices: Brazilian-
American filmmaker Alexandre Moratto deservedly won the Someone to Watch prize at last
year’s Independent Spirit Awards for this authentic, deeply humane queer survival story from
the fringes of Sao Paulo. After his mother suddenly dies, 15-year-old Socrates (Malheiros, a
compelling newcomer) is all but alone in life. Poverty-stricken and plunged into rent-paying
adult responsibilities, he takes a
menial job in a scrapyard, where
he encounters immediate friction
with rugged co-worker Maicon
(Ordakji): first they fight, but
there’s clearly something tender
behind the tension. What could be
a hackneyed, soft-focus coming-
out story is instead handled with
grace, youthful energy and a keen
eye for social detail. It’s a real
discovery. 21 August
SEPTEMBER 2020 115
Noah wears Moschino
p126

“BIG MISTAKE! BIG. HUGE.”

118 Crush 120 Focus 123 Watches 124 Naomi Campbell

126 Diamonds in the Rough 140 Fashionlista 143 Wardrobe 144 Beauty

SEPTEMBER 2020 117

 MASCULINE MEETS FEMININE
AT ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA
Matches Fashion will be home to the results of a dynamic
meeting of fashion minds, namely Ermenegildo Zegna’s
Alessandro Sartori and Fear of God’s Jerry Lorenzo.
Blending both brands’ aesthetics, the collection brings
together Zegna’s impeccable tailoring and FoG’s laidback
luxury, encompassing suits, jackets and jeans to an array
of accessories. The pieces — designed exclusively for
Ermenegildo Zegna — mix formfitting silhouettes with
billowing, oversized pieces for a collaboration as free from
pre-built models and gender paradigms as possible. “I design
menswear, but I always keep a woman in mind; I really love
the way women wear men’s clothing,” says FoG’s Lorenzo.
It’s an exquisite marriage of the masculine and feminine and,
quite frankly, we want it all. Available from September.

matchesfashion.com

118 SEPTEMBER 2020

 STYLE

CROWNING GLORY
American heritage brand Coach
pays tribute to late 20th-
century artist Jean-Michel
Basquiat in its A/W 2020
collection. During his short life,
Basquiat was friends with the
likes of Andy Warhol, Keith Haring,
Madonna and Debbie Harry – who
performed at Coach’s showcase in
his honour. Brushed with an au-
tumnal colour palette, the Coach
x Basquiat collaboration is full
of Basquiat’s raw imagery, which
adorns everything from hoodies
and tees to backpacks, with nods
to New York and his signature
crown motif. Even Coach’s
dinosaur mascot, Rexy, gets his
claws on the crown – you’ve
never looked so regal, hun.

uk.coach.com

c.r.u.s.h Words Joseph Kocharian

STEP UP
You’re an absolute
shoe-in to turn heads
with luxe footwear brand,
Billy Ruffian. Their beautifully
handcrafted collection includes
loafers, Oxfords and brogues,
as well as Chelsea and chukka
boots, available in both classic
and vibrant jewel tones, to either
complement or contrast with
your outfit. Step up your look with
accessories, from laces to socks.
Trust, you won’t put a foot wrong.

billyruffianshoes.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2020 119

 STYLE FOCUS

Pietro
Perfect
Pietro Boselli isn’t content with just being an
engineer, mathematics lecturer, doctor of
philosophy, male model and former Attitude award
winner and cover star. No, the high achiever has
now embarked on Petra Design, a clothing brand
that fuses function, form and performance with
fashion. Being a perfectionist, Pietro has designed
the garments to the highest of specifications, with
quality, ethics and sustainability being paramount.
He recently took a trip to the beach with
photographer Ollie Ali to show off his latest
swimwear range, which is made from recycled fishing
nets. The collection offers a mix of classic and tonal
swimwear, as well as a few splashier, fluorescent
numbers. In tune with Pietro’s perfectionism, the
Malaga technical swimming brief fits perfectly,
without transparency, are chlorine-, sun cream- and
oil-resistant, and provide high UV protection. The
swim trunks come with the sleek Petra logo and
branding on the front and back — we’re all for a bit
of Pietro on our behinds… Malaga men’s technical
swimming brief, £75, by Petra Design

petra.design

Photography Ollie Ali

Words Joseph Kocharian

120 SEPTEMBER 2020

 STYLE

>

SEPTEMBER 2020 121

STYLE

122 SEPTEMBER 2020

 STYLE

WINTER BLUES
dian summer or a premature cold
nt? Whatever the weather has in
his autumn, this Hublot Classic
on Chrono Bronze watch, with
ceramic bezel, timeless blue
y dial and bold blue alligator
make a stylish support act
A/W looks. With HUB1112
, it’s a timepiece you can
ount on. Price: £15,000.

bucherer.com

SEPTEMBER 2020 123

124
SEPTEMBER 2020
SHOT FOR VOGUE, ITALY, APRIL 1990. © ELLEN VON UNWERTH
 STYLE

SHOT FOR AGENT PROVOCATEUR, S/S 2015. © ELLEN VON UNWERTH

Naomi:
queen of fashion
Words Joseph Kocharian

The word ‘icon’ is overused, but if anyone is deserving

of this title, it’s Ms Naomi Campbell. Available from
the end of August, the two-volume Naomi Campbell:
Updated Edition documents the supermodel’s
personal history and her meteoric rise to the top,

SHOT IN DEAUVILLE, FRANCE, FOR VOGUE, ITALY, JULY/AUGUST 1988. © PETER LINDBERGH FOUNDATION
where she has remained for more than three decades
(and counting). Packed full of fashion moments
from famous photo shoots by the cream of fashion
photographers, from Peter Lindbergh and Terence
Donovan to Ellen von Unwerth, the celebratory
portfolio is peppered with tear sheets, video stills
and catwalk shots, as well as more candid snaps. It
also contains plenty of quotes from London-born
Naomi herself, as well as her peers at the apex of the
fashion world, notably British Vogue’s Edward Enninful,
industry powerhouse André Leon Talley, designers
Donatella Versace, Riccardo Tisci and Marc Jacobs,
and fellow supermodels Iman, Kate Moss and Linda
Evangelista. It’s a book fit for the fashion queen that
Naomi undoubtedly is.

Naomi Campbell: Updated Edition, by Josh Baker,

is published by TASCHEN, price: £100
taschen.com

SEPTEMBER 2020 125

 Diamonds
in the Rough
Autumn/Winter 2020 has plenty of
not-so-hidden gems in store
Photography Elliot Morgan
Fashion Joseph Kocharian

Noah wears

Louis Vuitton
126 SEPTEMBER 2020
 Moses wears

Gucci

SEPTEMBER 2020 127

 Noah wears

Dior

128 SEPTEMBER 2020

 Moses wears

Prada
SEPTEMBER 2020 129
 Moses wears

Céeé line
130 SEPTEMBER 2020
 Noah wears

Louis Vuitton

SEPTEMBER 2020 131

 Moses wears

Moschino
132 SEPTEMBER 2020
Noah wears

Moschino

SEPTEMBER 2020 133

 Moses wears

Alexander McQueen

134 SEPTEMBER 2020

Noah wears

Coach
trainers
by Fila

SEPTEMBER 2020 135

 Noah wears

Dsquared2

136 SEPTEMBER 2020

 Noah wears

Dsquared2

SEPTEMBER 2020 137

 Noah wears

Givenchy

138 SEPTEMBER 2020

Moses wears

Emporio Armani
SEPTEMBER 2020 139
 STOCKISTS
A Alexander McQueen alexandermcqueen.com D Dior dior.com
All Saints allsaints.com Dr. Martens at Selfridges selfridges.com
Amiri eu.amiri.com Dsquared2 dsquared2.com
AussieBum aussiebum.com
E Emporio Armani emporioarmani.com
B Billy Ruffian billyruffianshoes.co.uk
Burton burton.com F Fear of God Exclusively for Ermenegildo
Zegna at Matches Fashion matchesfashion.com
C Celine celine.com Fila fila.co.uk
Clinique at ASOS asos.com
Coach coach.com G Givenchy givenchy.com
Colmar colmar.it Glossier glossier.com
Gucci gucci.com
Noah wears

Moschino
H Hourglass at Selfridges selfridges.com

L Lee Jeans eu.lee.com

Loreak Mendian at Browns brownsfashion.com
Louis Vuitton louisvuitton.com

M Marcelo Burlon County of Milan at Browns

brownsfashion.com
Moschino moschino.com

N NARS at ASOS asos.com

O Officine Générale at Matches Fashion

matchesfashion.com

P Parajumpers parajumpers.it
Petra Design petra.design
Prada prada.com

R Rufskin rufskin.com

S Selfridges selfridges.com

T Topman topman.com

V Vita Liberata vitaliberata.com

Grooming Pål Berdahl using Evo Hair Care

Models Moses Singh and Noah Landes at IMG Models
Fashion Assistant Sacha Dance

140 SEPTEMBER 2020

 STYLE

Fa s h i o n l i s t a
This year’s fashion graduates were denied the chance to show off their hard work,
thanks to the pandemic, so we’ve picked our favourites from the class of 2020 to give
them their moment in the spotlight
Edit & words Sacha Dance

STEPHANIE
RANSOM
Arts University
Bournemouth
For my final collection,
I was inspired by the
classic look of biker
wear and my dad’s
old biker clothes. My
menswear designs
reference the tough,
rebellious styles of this
subculture.

MATTHEW HANLON
De Montfort University
My final collection focused on the
relationship between
art and class, pulling
references from
rococo France and
the working class. The
prints are inspired by
Wedgewood ceramics
and Yves Klein.

MAX ALEXANDER
University of Brighton
My graduate collection, titled
‘PROCESS’, is inspired by the
detrimental effects that HENRY SLEAN
overcrowded places can have University of Brighton
on mental health. My goal The inspiration behind
was to make the wearer feel this shirt was men’s
safe, so I created protective bowling shirts from the
silhouettes and textiles. 1950s. I added the twist
Shown here is the ‘Strap- of using the TikTok
Weave’ textile, which colours to create a
consists of military TikTok-themed shirt.
webbing straps woven
together to form a rigid
fabric.

SEPTEMBER 2020 141

STYLE

FABULOUS IN FLEECE
Although fleece is forever flitting between
super fashion statement and terribly
uncool, Parajumpers have managed to
achieve the former with their Rhino Power
Fleece. In a fashion-forward design, the
sherpa-fleece, hooded bomber jacket has
laminated nylon-cotton ottoman sleeves
and a hood with adjustable drawstring. A
PJS patch and pops of bold colour against
the monochrome complete the look to
make this a stylish go-to when the autumn
chills set in. Price: £364

parajumpers.it

142 SEPTEMBER 2020

 STYLE

w. a . r. d . r. o . b . e
21ST-CENTURY
GRUNGE
3
These A/W 20 trends are giving
us complete ’80s vibes, with
styles that are straight out
of The Breakfast Club
Edit & words
Sacha Dance

1 // Shirt by Loreak Mendian, £100, at Browns

5 2 // Black and white tote bag, £570, by Marcelo Burlon

County of Milan, at Browns
3 // Pink trousers, £215, by Officine Générale, at
Matches Fashion
4 // Short coated mac, £64.99, by Topman
5 // Boots, £145, by Dr. Martens at Selfridges

4
SEPTEMBER 2020 143
 Hourglass
Vanish Airbrush
Concealer, £32

Laura Mercier
Loose Setting
Powder, £32

day

Vita Liberata Blur

Luminosity Cream
Highlighter, £25

Clinique Anti-blemish
Solutions BB Cream, £30

Nars Matte
Bronzer, £31
Glossier Boy Brow Gel, £14

144 SEPTEMBER 2020

 STYLE

Huda Beauty Scarlett Lashes, £13

Yves Saint Laurent

Dessin Du Regard
Waterproof Eye Pencil,
£22

night

BEAUTY Words & Edit Sacha Dance

Keep your makeup subtle for daytime and

then step it up to make a statement by
night. These beauty essentials will help
Yves Saint Laurent
you get your glow on… Touche Eclat Blur
Primer, £31

Dior Vernis
Colour Games
Nail Varnish, £22

Huda Beauty Neon Green

Obsessions Palette, £27

Pat McGrath Labs

MatteTrance Lipstick, £36

SEPTEMBER 2020 145

 …book?
Why I’m No
Longer Talking
To White People
About Race by
Reni Eddo-Lodge
— a pertinent
book, and her
accompanying
podcast about
race is also a
great listen
…DRAG RACE QUEEN?
I’m going to say Bianca
Del Rio, because if I
don’t my life won’t
be worth
living.
Honourable
mentions
include my
season six
sisters, Adore
Delano and
Darienne Lake
…THEATRE SHOW?
Playing Peter Allen in
The Boy from Oz would
be my ultimate role, even
though it’s not running
at the moment. My other
favourite is a little bit
obvious, but it is Priscilla,
Queen of the Desert
Act went on to make herstory on Drag Race, win Celebrity
identifies as gender fluid, will tour the UK and Europe with
…THING YOU’VE READ
ABOUT YOURSELF?
Someone [on Twitter]
said, “Courtney Act
winning Celebrity Big
Brother was the last
time the British public this amazing impact that just being yourself in pop culture
voted correctly” — which
was funny, but then also
actually really sad
146 SEPTEMBER 2020
…GIFT?
My dance partner
Josh on Dancing with
the Stars gave me a
bracelet, and I love it
because I always think
of him when I’m wearing
it. It’s slightly awkward
when I’m masturbating
and it jingles, though…
…piece of advice?
Portia Turbo, a Sydney
drag legend, once said to
me “You have to think of
drag as a strength and
not a weakness.” At the
time I was struggling with
shame about doing drag
…POSSESSION?
Probably my ‘Fluffy’ – my
lambskin blanket that
I was given when I was
Favourite T hings born, my little snuggly
piece of dead animal that I
Courtney Act
love so much!
Words Thomas Stichbury …date spot?
After rising to fame on Australian Idol in 2003, Courtney I’ve been on a few
in London. Winter
Big Brother UK — memorably schooling Ann Widdecombe Wonderland, that was cute
— and take home the ‘Hero’ honour at the 2018 Attitude in theory, but it was just
Awards. Next spring, the Australian superstar, who hectic… Ask me out on a
date, please, and take me to
their label-shaking show, Fluid. At the heart of everything
a cute date spot and then
they do is their fans. “After Australian Idol, I received a
I’ll have an answer…
letter from a young boy who said that he was depressed
and contemplating suicide,” Courtney, aka Shane Jenek,
recalls. “He didn’t know if he was gay or what, but seeing
me on Idol, he realised that if it was OK for me to be
different, then it was OK for him to be. That shifted
YOUTUBE / CONNOR CLINCH
everything that I do from being about me to being about
can have.” Here are a few of Courtney’s favourite things…
courtneyact.com