Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 08:32:33 -0500 (GMT-0500) From: "Thomas W. Holt Jr." Subject: get sg1 (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 18 Dec 1994 11:24:41 GMT From: listserver@drink.demon.co.uk To: Listserver@drink.demon.co.uk Subject: get sg1 END SCOTSGAY MAGAZINE ================= ScotsGay is a magazine for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. Edited, printed and published in Scotland Issue 1 - December 1994 ELECTRONIC EDITION To subscribe: Send a mail message to listserver@drink.demon.co.uk The first (not subject) line of the message should be subscribe scotsgay-list (If you are subscribing for a different address from the one you are using to send the request, you should preface your request with a line of the form set address myotheraddress@my.other.system instead) To unsubscribe: Send a mail message to listserver@drink.demon.co.uk The first (not subject) line of the message should be unsubscribe scotsgay-list (If you are unsubscribing for a different address from the one you are using to send the request, you should preface your request with a line of the form set address myotheraddress@my.other.system instead) All Material Copyright (c) Pageprint Limited 1994. Permission is hereby given to distribute this material provided that this copyright notice is included and that distribution is specifically for non-profitmaking reasons. Distribution for profit must be done only with prior written consent of the magazine any deviation from this will be seen as an infringement of copyright. Hardcopies are limited to one per person for personal use only and such hard copies are subject to the same copyright restrictions as laid out above. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this edition: Editorial: Welcome to ScotsGay News: Reports and investigations Serial: The adventures of Dave and Paul Inside Out: The essential scene guide Venues: What and where... Scene: ...and who does what and where Boxes: The ScotsGay Meet Market International: The cosmopolitan view Arts: Frocks and make-up and silly voices Listings: Updated every issue Reviews: What to see, watch, letch and read Credits: Who we are and all that stuff ------------------------------------------------------------ EDITORIAL ========= Welcome to the first edition of ScotsGay. 'Why yet another gay magazine?', you may ask. Well, why not? Gay publishing in Scotland has suffered far too long from outdated approaches which ignore the reality of contemporary life for lesbians gays and bisexuals in Scotland - we want to put the GAY back into SCOTLAND! * ScotsGay will be arty but not farty. * ScotsGay will be light but not lightweight. * ScotsGay will cover the scene, the off-scene and the obscene. * ScotsGay will keep you in touch with the politics which affect all of us. And we'll present it all at a realistic price in a modern, easy to read format with lots of photographs of YOU and your friends! At the end of the day, any magazine stands or falls by the reactions of its readers. We want to hear from YOU: What do you love/like/dislike/loath about ScotsGay? What should we be covering that we're not? How can we improve the magazine? Unlike any other UK gay magazine, from our very first issue, you'll be able to contact us on the Internet (scotsgay @drink.demon.co.uk) as well as using the more traditional means of phone, fax or letter. What readers think of the magazine is important to us - after all, if you don't like it, you won't buy it regularly. The birth of a new publication is always a finger biting experience for those involved. Well, our baby has been born now and we hope you like it, the very first ScotsGay - we've all put a lot of work into it! Now, it's up to you ... ------------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS: ==== "SORRY", SAYS LEGION When a Royal British Legion official was spotted removing the card from the red poppy wreath laid by OUTRIGHT Scotland at the 1994 Remembrance Day Service at the Edinburgh Cenotaph, the organisation complained to the police and to the Legion who organise the annual Remembrance Day Service. The wreath was laid this year by OUTRIGHT Scotland's Executive Committee Member Michael Gracy (pictured). It carried, as it has for ten years (with the exception of 1993 when the wreath was not laid), a card with the inscription: "In remembrance of the lesbian gay and bisexual dead of two World Wars and those who died in the Nazi death camps". In previous years, it has frequently been the target of theft or damage by Legion personnel. As soon as this year's theft by a senior Legion official was witnessed by Clay Garner, a complaint was made by EC member John Hein to the nearest senior police officer who happened to be Assistant Chief Constable Tom Wood. The ACC, whilst refusing to arrest the thief or report him for prosecution, undertook to "take care of the matter". Subsequently, veteran gay campaigner Ian Dunn wrote to the Legion to complain on behalf of OUTRIGHT's Police Liaison Focus Group. Now, David Lawson, the Legion's Affairs Consultant, has apologised to OUTRIGHT for the distress caused. "Action will be taken to prevent a recurrence at the 1995 Service", he stated in a letter to OUTRIGHT. He also conceded that the Legion understood and accepted that OUTRIGHT's wreath will be laid along with other private organisations following the official wreath-laying. "Your co-operation in laying the OUTRIGHT Scotland wreath after the official wreaths have been laid is appreciated", he continued. OUTRIGHT will monitor the situation and their Police Liaison Focus Group will place the matter on the agenda of their next liaison meeting with Lothian and Borders Police due in Spring 1995. ScotsGay understands that the Legion official concerned is shortly to retire. CARRY ON SHAGGING! We may have lost the fight for equality at 16, but it's clear that, in Scotland at least, there's no real appetite for enforcing the new law. When the Queen gave her Royal Assent to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act shortly before 10am on the 3rd of November, the male gay age of consent came down by three years to 18. Lesbigay organisations like Stonewall and OUTRIGHT Scotland weren't happy - with OUTRIGHT being especially disconsolate as the vast majority of Scots MPs had voted for 16. However, despite Parliament having just passed the new law, the Scottish Office has made it clear that, in Scotland, the age of consent is effectively 16. A spokesperson for the Lord Advocate, The Lord Rodger of Earlsferry QC, confirmed to ScotsGay that although a new circular had been sent out to Procurators Fiscal informing them of the provisions of the new Act, a previous circular was still in force. The old circular instructs Fiscals to report to Crown Counsel any cases involving men aged between 16 and 21. "We have received no such reports for a considerable time", the spokesperson confirmed. Coming in the wake of OUTRIGHT's recent meeting with Lothian and Borders Police where police chiefs stated that consenting private sex between under-age gay men was "a very low priority", the Lord Advocate's decision signals an effective end to the persecution of young gay men in Scotland. In England, the situation is far less happy. Home Secretary Michael Howard has made it clear that he believes that the law should be strictly enforced. Just what level of enforcement is carried out is very much up to local police forces and many, suffering from cuts in funding, clearly think that they have better things to do. On the other hand, a few forces, despite protestations to the contrary, are obviously overfunded and continue to poke their snouts into other people's privates! Nevertheless, police action continues in Scotland against all forms of more public sex. In particular, Edinburgh police have been active in the bushes of London Road at early hours of the morning. One young gay man, merely out for a walk, claims that he was verbally abused by police officers and that he saw a number of gay men being taken away. However, Lothian and Borders Police have a different story: "In the last fortnight, three men have been arrested in that area for theft of a motorcycle and a report has been sent to the Procurator Fiscal. This part of the city has traditionally been an area where crimes such as assaults and robberies, indecent exposures as well as assault of a sexual nature have been committed where both men and women have been victims. It is therefore necessary to give this area appropriate attention." NEW POST Strathclyde Gay and Lesbian Switchboard has appointed Ruth Henry as its Development Officer. Ruth, who is currently Senior Health Promotion Officer with Argyll and Clyde Health Board will take up the part time post in February. Her immediate priorities will be to deal with accommodation and funding issues. SNIP Highland Health board is to cut off all funding for Scottish AIDS Monitor's office in Inverness from the beginning of April next year. The Board's General Manager, Gordon Stone, claims that this is because of recent management changes at SAM. The Board intends to develop 'a locally managed sexual health project' based in Inverness. GLC Project Winter Ceilidh The Glasgow Gay and Lesbian Centre Project is holding a Winter Ceilidh on Friday 23rd December, in the Winter Gardens, People's Palace, Glasgow Green. Live music will be provided by the Cameronian Ceilidh Band, and a free buffet and cheap bar will provide sustenance and refreshment when you've been tired out by too many Gay Gordons. Doors open at 7pm, and the festive entertainment goes on until midnight. Tickets, priced UKP6 (UKP5 for concessions), are now available from all Ticketlink box offices, or by post from GLC Project, PO Box 463, Glasgow, G12 8NJ. GLC Project members can get tickets at the concession price from the PO Box. This will be the third anniversary of GLC Project's highly successful fundraising ceilidhs, which have helped the group near its goal of a lesbian and gay community centre for Glasgow. We hope to be making a big announcement in 1995 - watch this space! IN SAFE HANDS The company which controls SAM, SAFE Scotland Limited, elected a new set of directors at its recent AGM. They are: Edward McGough, Alistair Hume, Derek Ogg, Ian Adam, Scott Ross, Dr Linda McCallum, Ruth Morgan-Thomas and Peter Scott. The post of chair remains vacant as Derek Ogg refused to accept nomination but it is hoped to fill it at a meeting in December. COUNCILS ADOPT PRO-GAY POLICIES AS THEY HEAD FOR OBLIVION With the District and Regional Councils soon to be done away with, it might have been expected that lesbians and gays would be the last thing that local councillors would be thinking of as they scambled to obtain a seat on the new single tier unitary authorities that will take their place. However, a number of the old councils have just adopted new equal opportunities employment policies that will protect the interests of lesbians, bisexuals and gay men. Most recent has been tiny Roxburgh District Council which, on the 21st of November, adopted a new policy specifically forbidding discrimination based on 'sexual orientation'. In Renfrew, councillors will soon be passing judgement on their new draft policy which outlaws discrimination on the grounds of 'sexual orientation' - current council policy makes no mention of this. And councillors in Bearsden & Milngavie and Annandale & Eskdale who are also considering new policies will have the chance to include protection for lesbians and gays if they so wish. At the beginning of November, I wrote to all of Scotland's 63 Regional, District and Islands Councils asking for details of any Equal Opportunities policy which they might operate. By the end of the month, as ScotsGay's copy date loomed, 20 had still to reply. But the replies I did receive were illuminating. When a similar survey was carried out some five years ago, only a handful of councils included lesbians and gays in their policies. Now, nearly a third do so in one way or another. Some use the catch all term 'sexual orientation' whilst others explicitly state 'lesbian and gay'. A few councils don't operate any formal equal opportunities policies and merely state that they comply with the law - but, as we all know, the law doesn't protect lesbians and gays from discrimination. Labour controlled Glasgow District Council continues to exclude sexual orientation from its otherwise comprehensive policy - not surprising in view of the superstitious practices of many of the City Fathers (and Mothers)! City of Architecture? City of Bigotry, more like! Copies of the correspondence I have received is being passed onto OUTRIGHT Scotland in the hope that they'll take the matter further and a complete list of councils and their positions is printed alongside. Perhaps, if your council is listed as not having a policy, you'd like to contact your local councillor to ask, "Why?". ScotsGay would be interested to hear any reactions - positive or negative. The Councils and where they stand: Angus, N Annandale, * Argyll & Bute, N Badenoch & Strathspey, - Banff & Buchan, / Bearsden & Milngavie, * Berwickshire, / Caithness, - Central Region, Y City of Aberdeen, - City of Dundee, Y City of Edinburgh, Y City of Glasgow, N Clackmannan, - Clydebank, N Clydesdale, - Cumnock and Doon, Y Cunninghame, N Dumbarton, - Dumfries & Galloway, N Dunfermline, - East Kilbride, Y East Lothian, Y Eastwood, - Ettrick & Lauderdale, - Falkirk, N Fife, Y Gordon, Y Grampian, N Hamilton, N Highland, - Inverclyde, N Inverness, - Kilmarnock & Loudoun, Y Kincardine & Deeside, N Kirkcaldy, - Kyle & Carrick, Y Lochaber, - Lothian, Y Midlothian, N Monklands, Y Moray, / Motherwell, - Nairn, / Nithsdale, - North East Fife, Y Orkney, / Perth & Kinross, N Renfrew, * Ross & Cromarty, - Roxburgh, Y Shetland, Y Skye & Lochalsh, - Stewartry, / Stirling, Y Strathclyde, Y Strathkelvin, N Sutherland, / Tayside, - Tweedale, / West Lothian, Y Western Isles, - Wigtown, Y Key: Y = We're included N = We're not included / = The council concerned has no equal opportunities policy - = No reply received * = Under review FAREWELL Humphry Berkeley, the former Conservative MP for Lancaster, died on 15th November aged 68. Berkeley piloted the first Homosexual Law Reform Bill through the Commons in 1966. The bill passed by 57 votes but was killed by the occurence of a General Election shortly afterwards at which he lost his seat. He later stood unsuccessfully as both a Labour and a Social Democrat candidate. A gay man whose memory we should honour. ------------------------------------------------------------------- SERIAL ====== Measuring Up It was a cold and miserable day. However, Paul, my best friend for over 10 years since moving back to the West Coast from Edinburgh, and I, were on a high. It was my 18th birthday and we were off up town to spend the cash I had received in the way of presents. The fact that we were friends at all, may seem odd to some people. I was from a middle class background. Father was a Church of Scotland minister in East Kilbride and mother was a real snob. Wife of the minister and all that. Whilst Paul's family were working class. We had had the day planned out for weeks, an early bus into Glasgow, a hunt through Virgin in Union Street, Tower records in Argyle Street and the rest of the day doing whatever came next. It was still pissing down with rain when we jumped off the bus and made our way to the St Enoch's Centre. "Yeah, why not? The records will keep", I yelled out to Paul who was, by this time, 10 yards ahead of me and running for the shelter of the shops. We bought our Cokes and decided to drink them on the hoof as we made our way to Virgin Records. The next couple of hours were spent browsing through a number of different record shops, eventually getting the records and tapes I wanted. Then Paul said he wanted to go to Queen Street station, to buy a magazine. "Why not?", I thought, we can also go for a burger at the same time. We agreed that I would go for the burgers, whilst he went for his magazine, and we would meet up again on the station concourse. "Well what mag did you get?" "Oh, you will see later", he fobbed me off and we set off back down the stairs at the side of the station and along the side of George Square. We munched our burgers as we walked along, then dumped the empty bags in a convenient bin. "I need a piss", Paul complained. "You should have gone in the station - now you will have to wait", I scolded. As we headed along towards Buchanan Street, I remembered the toilets at St Vincent Street. "No way!", Paul declared. "No way am I going down there, I've heard all about those toilets". "I'll chum you if you like, it will be alright then", I offered. Paul grunted and nodded in agreement. When we arrived downstairs, the first urinal was full, with just enough room for the two of us in the second one. As I stood washing the back of the urinal wall, I was aware that the man next to me, a guy of about 30, was wanking himself, whilst looking up the ceiling. I glanced at Paul and caught him looking at the guy on his right, who was playing with himself too. We both looked at each other, finished off, and hurried up the stairs, leaving the two wankers to it. "I told you about that fucking place", Paul sneered as we walked away from the toilets and down Buchanan Street. I just shrugged my shoulders and he left it at that. As we got off the bus at East Kilbride, I suggested, "Let's go back to my place and listen to the tapes". "Yeah, why not?", he agreed. On a Saturday afternoon, I quite often had the manse to myself, as mum and dad were away shopping, so it was no surprise to find that we were alone, and able to blast out the tapes so that the walls rattled. I was lying on my bed totally engrossed in the music, when Bang!, I was hit by a flying magazine, the very one Paul had bought earlier. It was a soft porn mag. You know the kind, lots of bums and tits. I threw it back, produced a hard core mag from under my mattress and teased "Is that the best you can do?". My mag, which I'd found amongst a pile of Readers Digests contributed for the Kirk's annual sale of work, showed the lot: bums, tits, fannies and cocks. I could see Paul's eyes light up at the sights on some of the inside. Pointing to the group action shot in the centre pages, he exclaimed, "At least with that size of weapon this guy will be able to satisfy the birds, not like those poofters in the toilets". Now, by this time, it looked as if Paul was getting a bit excited himself, as his jeans tightened to a fair bulge, which he made no attempt to hide. "I suppose YOU could satisfy the two of them", I retorted. "Bet your life I could" said Paul, giving his bulge a rub. "This big baby could satisfy any of them", he claimed. I just laughed. "What's so bloody funny?", he screamed. "Nothing, no nothing at all", I replied. "No, come on, what's so bloody funny?". "Well, if you must know, that cock in the photo isn't the biggest one I've seen today". I laughed again and gave mine a rub too. "Well, I've seen you in the showers at school", Paul claimed, "and mine is bigger than yours". "Is it bigger when it counts though?", I replied. "Well there is only one way to find out, get it out and get it up", he said. I looked at him, but he was serious, and in a second he had his in his hand. "Now you", he commanded. By this time, I had a serious hard on and didn't need to persuade it much to get it up to its full 8 inches which I laid along the ruler from my desk. Paul gave himself a few more strokes. "There", he said, "Pass the ruler". But seven and a half inches was the best he could muster. "I win", I gloated. "Yeah, Yeah", he mumbled. "Well, what are we going to do with these?", I said, pointing to my hard on. "Well as there are only the two of us here we might as well have a quick wank over the book", he suggested. "But for God's sake don't say anything to anyone else". By this time, nothing could have stopped me anyway! To Be Continued ------------------------------------------------------------------- INSIDE OUT ========== With the most comprehensive guide to the scene in Scotland, Inside Out brings you everything that is going on. And if that isn't enough, you can search our Box adverts to see if Mr or Ms Right has finally appeared, and a quick gander at our venues list will ensure that whatever takes your fancy, you'll know where to find it.. VENUES ====== Aberdeen CLUB CABERFEIDH 9 Hadden Street. Tel: (01224) 212181. Thu-Sun 10pm-2am. The biggest and most popular Lesbian and Gay disco in the north! FLANNIES BAR 20 Stirling Street. Tel: (01224) 583881. Mon-Sat 11am-12pm, Sun 6.30pm-11pm. Run by the owners of Club Caberfeidh and just round the corner! Down to earth and friendly. Pool table. Deservedly popular with dykes. PINK FLAMINGO 47 Upper Kirkgate. Tel: (01224) 624472. Mon-Fri 5pm-2am, Sat-Sun 1pm-2am. Plush cocktail bar frequented by the trendier crowd. Dundee EDGE 85 Commercial Street. Tel: (01382) 222367. Fri 10pm-2.30am. Disco with weekly gay night. GAUGER BAR 75 Seagate. Tel: (01382) 226840. Mon-Sat 11am-12pm, Sun 6pm-11pm. Warm and friendly bar, seated lounge, pool table. Something for everyone! Edinburgh BLUE MOON 36 Broughton Street. Tel: 0131-557 0911. Mon-Sun 9.30am-midnight. (Brasserie Noon-3pm & 6-11pm). This popular lesbigay cafe is now under new management. Just opened at the front of the building is the new 'Other Side of the Moon' Brasserie. The Barony Street entrance gives access to the cafe. CAFE LUCIA 13-29 Nicolson Street. Tel: 0131-529 6000. Mixed bar attached to the Edinburgh Festival Theatre. Full of luvvies and their friends! C.C. BLOOM'S 23 Greenside Place. Tel: 0131-556 9331. Noon-late. Bar/diner serving superb food in the Hole in the Wall restaurant. Karaoke on Sunday, Quiz Night on Monday. Disco every night. CHAPPS CLUB BAR 22 Greenside Place. Tel: 0131-558 1270. Mon-Sun 9.30pm-3am (No entry after 1.30am). Cruisy, busy, brash establishment with all types of clientele. Gets busier as the night goes on. CITY CAFE 19 Blair Street. Tel: 0131-220 0015. Mon-Sat 9.30am-10pm, Sun Noon-6pm. Not as outrageously mixed as it used to be, but still seriously conventional. DRONDALE LIMITED 60 Broughton Street. Tel: 0131-556 1471. Open 11am-7pm. Situated at the front of the Edinburgh Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Centre. Undoubtedly the largest gay shop north of Manchester, carrying a large selection of magazines, cards, toys, underwear, swimwear, leather and rubberwear. Well worth a visit. Worldwide mail order service. EDINBURGH LESBIAN GAY AND BISEXUAL CENTRE 58a and 60 Broughton Street. Owned by OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND, it houses the Bisexual Resources Centre, Calosa Publishing Limited, Drondale Limited, Edge Club Cafe, and Pride Scotland as well as providing meeting and noticeboard space for many lesbigay organisations. EDGE CLUB CAFE 60 Broughton Street. Tel: 0131-556 0852. Noon-midnight. Licensed cafe at the rear of the Edinburgh LG&B Centre. Full of friendly perverts! FRENCH CONNECTION 85 Rose Street Lane North. Tel: 0131-225 7651. Mon-Sat 11am-2am, Sun 6.30-11pm. Cosy bar just off Princes Street. Door bell keeps out the straight Rose Street trade. INSINUENDOS CABARET CLUB 2 Picardy Place. Tel: 0131-556 0499. Basement Cabaret Bar in QT's - cabaret plus disco. JOY AT THE CALTON 20 Calton Road. Tel: 0131-558 3758. Sat 11pm-late. Edinburgh's Saturday One Nighter. Reduced entry before midnight. Wheelchair accessible. LEITH OYSTER BAR 10 Burgess Street, Leith. Tel: 0131-225 6843. Mixed but popular with students and Real Ale queens. Bottled Belgian beers and good food. LORD NELSON BAR Linden Hotel, 9-13 Nelson Street. Tel: 0131-557 4334. A quiet bar attached to Edinburgh's biggest gay hotel. Superb Thai restaurant. NEW TOWN BAR 26B Dublin Street. Tel: 0131-538 7775. 11am-1am. Basement bar with Real Ale. Especially popular with Bears, but has wide clientele. QT'S BAR 2 Picardy Place. Tel: 0131-556 0499. Noon-2am. Bright city centre bar with a mixed crowd of all ages. At the Centre of Edinburgh's Gay Triangle. ROUTE 66 6 Baxter's Place. Tel: 0131-556 5991. Mon-Sat Noon-1.30am. Sun 4.30pm-1.30am. Bar lunches. Discos at the weekend with resident DJ Alec Gibson. The latest addition to the Gay Triangle. S.L.A.G.S. AT THE CALTON STUDIOS 20 Calton Road. Tel: 0131-558 3758. Fri 11pm-late. Another one nighter with DJs Ross Keddie and Martin Valentine. Wheelchair accessible. STAR TAVERN 1 Northumberland Place. Tel: 0131-539 8070. Noon-12.30am. Excellent selection of Real Ales! Bar lunches. Beer garden in summer. THEATRE ROYAL BAR 24 Greenside Place. Tel: 0131-557 2142. Formerly a Gas Board Showroom, this ostensibly straight Real Ale bar in the middle of Edinburgh's Gay Triangle attracts an increasing number of queers overflowing from the local gay establishments. WEST & WILDE BOOKSHOP 25a Dundas Street. Tel: 0131-556 0079. Tue-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun Noon-5pm. Scotland's only lesbian and gay bookshop. Lots of books and quite a few magazines! WOMEN'S NETWORK DISCO The Calton, 20 Calton Road. Tel: 0131-558 3758. Women-only disco on the first Friday of the month - 10pm-3am. The venue is wheelchair accessible. Falkirk DROOKIT DUCK 16 Grahams Road. Tel: 01324 613644. Straight bar used by a few local gays. Glasgow AUSTINS 183a Hope Street. Tel: 0141-332 2707. Mon-Sat Noon-midnight, Sun 12.30am-midnight. Friendly and busy basement pub. Food lunchtimes. Entertainment every evening. BENNETS DISCO 80-90, Glassford Street. Tel: 0141-552 5761. Tue-Sun 11pm-3am. Very popular busy gay disco. Straight(ish) night on Tuesdays. CAFE DELMONICA'S 68 Virginia Street. Tel: 0141-552 4803. Mon-Sun 11am-Midnight. Food Noon-7pm. Semi trendy pub with backroom area (but not THAT kind of backroom!). CCA Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street. Tel: 0141-332 7521. Cafe and bookshop in small theatre and arts complex. CHISHOLM'S COFFEE SHOP 145 Kenmure Street. Tel: 0141-420 1393. Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm, Sun 11am-5pm. Mixed. A cozy wee shop - ideal for a quiet cuppa with a friend. CLUB X-CHANGE 25 Royal Exchange Square. Tel: 0141-204 4599. Tue-Sun 11pm-3am. Large basement club, popular with young crowd. Wednesday nights are straight (though still quite mixed). COURT BAR 69 Hutcheson Street. Tel: 0141-552 2463. Mon-Sat 11am-Midnight, Sun 8.30-11pm. Small bar with basement area beside former Sheriff Court. Straight until mid-evening. DIVALLY'S 86 Maxwell Street. Tel: 0141-221 4657. Newly opened members' club containing lounge bar and cinema showing legal erotica (gay and straight). EAT OUT 8-10 West George Street. Tel: 0141-332 7060. 10am-10pm, 7 days. Glasgow's first lesbigay cafe. Licensed. Interesting selection of breakfasts and other food from snacks to full meals. GHQ 8-10 West George Street. Tel: 0141-332 8005. 6pm-midnight. Nice and convenient for Queen Street Station. Large bar featuring Suave Gav Glasgow's most popular DJ. SQUIRES LOUNGE 106 West Campbell Street. Tel: 0141-221 9184. Mon-Fri Noon-Midnight, Sat 12.30pm-Midnight, Sun 8pm-11pm. Long narrow intimate basement bar, DJ Thu, Fri & Sat. Packed at the weekend. Nightly happy hours. TRONGATE BOOKS Unit 21, The Victorian Village, 57 West Regent Street. Tel: 0141-332 8900. Small bookshop with lesbigay section. New and secondhand. VICTORIA BAR 157-159 Bridgegait. Tel: 0141-552 6040. Basically straight, but popular with real ale queens and dykes. THE WATERLOO 306 Argyle Street. Tel: 0141-221 7359. Mon-Sun Noon-midnight. Popular, crowded, down to earth drinking shop. Cabaret every Thursday, Karaoke on Sundays. Greenock Although Greenock doesn't have a gay bar as such, some local lesbians and gays meet and socialise in the Princess Lounge. Some young gays also use the Jolly Sailor to meet and play pool. Inverness NICO'S BAR/BISTRO Glen Mhor Hotel, Ness Bank. Tel: 01463 234308. Wed and Fri 9-11pm. Smart relaxed bar popular with local gays especially on Wednesday and Friday nights (9.15pm onwards). Mixed clientele. Kilmarnock KAYPARK TAVERN 27/29 London Road. Tel: 01563 23623. Straight pub - the lounge is said to be used by some local gays on Mondays. Stirling BARNTON BISTRO 312 Barnton Street. Tel: 01786 461698. Mon-Sat 10.15am-11pm (Meals Noon-8pm), Sun 6.30pm-11pm. Mixed, busy and friendly - popular with students. Good food. Real Ale. ----------------------------------------------------------------- INSIDE OUT ========== Well, Hi there Big Boy! Welcome to INSIDE OUT, Scotland's biggest, freshest, juiciest and most up to date column on what's going in and out around the scene. Be warned, you're about to enter a waffle free zone! Yup, no cack, just lots of pics and gossip. Remember, if we can't get any (juicy gossip that is) we'll have to make it up! Don't be shy, just run it right up the flagpole and let us all get a good look... What better way to say 'I luuurve you' than to make sure all your pals get to read about their little 'indiscretions' the morning after in Scotland's most happenin' new gay magazine? (Photos of your fav bar manager in any number of compromising positions are always welcome. Leave the worry of whether we can print it or not to us, this is one of those new age popular arts magazines after all!) Yea, you've just bought a one way ticket to scene-town, so get ready to scream your tits off, 'cos there's no going back! In the words of my favourite nun, "Why don't you just relax, sit back and enjoy the ride...". GLASGOW: Are you holding something solid? Kewl, hold on even tighter then (but still send me the pictures) we've a lot to cover and not much cling film! Glasgow has really come out over the past year, with the addition of a new pub, cafe/bistro, cinema bar and now a book shop with an up front lesbian and gay section! All this to be added to the two clubs and five pubs as well as the rejuvenated Monday at the Tunnel! On the club scene, Bennets, the longest running gay disco in Scotland continues to pack them in five times a week (sometimes two or three times in one night too, lucky bitches!), it's closed on a Monday and straight on a Tuesday. One of the great things about Bennets is the variety of acts that appear on a regular basis, no sooner are a lot of them are booked up by manager Bobby Gibson, then the next thing you know, there they are, either a success and on Top of the Pops or a half hour special on Crimewatch. Well you know where you saw them first! As we go to press we have been made privy to the substantial changes that are planned to Bennets in the New Year, however we have been vowed to secrecy for a while yet (UKP10 in unmarked notes for a full disclosure... Hell, I might even let you in on the plans too! ). Here's your starter for ten, the bears amongst you will be right at home. Round at Club X, the club for the nineties, as some might say, presents a different feel from Bennets altogether. A much more cruisy and raunchy layout than I have seen in a disco for a while, although maybe it is also time for a bit of a change in the decor stakes. A good club policy in bringing the very best in entertainment (recent acts have included Pete Burns and Lulu) along with regular price cuts in both the drink and entry departments ensures all you regulars don't have a lot to complain about. PS, the handcuffs are rumoured to be for staff use only (but you didn't hear it from me, right?) On to the pubs, and to Scotland's longest running gay bar, the Waterloo. A lot has been said about this pub, but talk is cheap! In our opinion the down to earth feel (minus weekly farting contests of course) is one reason why this is still by far the city's busiest gay pub. Sardine city at the weekend! Attracting a good mixture of ages, the Waterloo, managed by Vicky Morrison, is run more like a big family. I have tried to prise from the bold Mrs Morrison what the plans are for the pub in the New Year, only to be greeted with a smile and the words, "a refurbishment, and a difference". Fear not, you'll read it here first! If you manage to escape from the Waterloo then stagger on up the road to Squires Lounge Bar. It's just one big living room! I always wondered where my sofa went... Out of all the gay bars, I would say that this one has been the most successful in attracting a mixed trade at lunch time, must be that real value for money menu. It is not until the mid-evening that the High Heels come out and the Abba gets put on tho'. Like a lot of the pubs, Squires has its own regular clientele that is supported by the more cruisy of you, all of this goes towards keeping the place ticking over and nicely busy. As far as live entertainment goes, they have two regular DJs and a selection of quiz and promotional nights to keep you all happy, and of course the obligatory happy hours to help ease the pain in the pocket. Austin's, what can I say? This must be the campest bar in town without laminated surfaces. You'll never get bored (unless, of course, that's what you're looking for!) 'cos with different entertainment every night, you're bound to find something to tickle your fancy. Robert, Colin and the staff have turned out a different meaning to their catch phrase 'You're Never Alone'. For those cream tea Queens amongst us, you can, of course, call in for a bite of lunch or just a wee snack, and if you are in on the correct day, Mr Austin will tend to your every need himself, personally! The Court Bar is one of those bars that would be easy to miss if you didn't know where to find it. It's basically straight during the day and gay from the early evening onwards. In the entertainment stakes, the Court doesn't come very high in the list, but it does score with the friendly locals' feel to it. Makes a pleasant change to go into a pub and be able to hear yourself think, know what I mean? Just the place to take that friend the boyfriend doesn't know about! Now, if it is a quiet drink you are after, then GHQ is not for you. This very large (and, late at night, very busy) city centre bar is literally packed to the doors some nights. A lot of this can be put down to the DJ Suave Gav, who builds up the atmosphere before you head off to the club of your choice. Age wise, GHQ seems to attract a mixed range from the poultry to, well, those not so poultry! One point against GHQ is the lack of entertainment, a wall flower's paradise, but not much fun for those of us who like a bit of the old E(ntertainment). Take a paper and lots of chewing gum (just in case)! Next door to GHQ, but under very different ownership, is Eat Out, Glasgow's first lesbian and gay cafe serving a good mixture of foods and drinks to suit all tastes. Sunday breakfast seems to be getting more popular for those of us who didn't exactly make it home on Saturday night... There's a huge menu for the size Queens and it's just the place to let it all hang out (in the best possible taste) after a hard day's night. Last but not least is Cafe Delmonica's, under the same ownership as Club X. A large cafe bar, serving food all day, CDs used to be the place to be seen at, but is going through the equivalent of a rather messy custody battle over the cats... Time changes most things and of course when a new bar opens up, it is going to attract a lot of custom from other bars... Manager Brian McIlvaney, says that 'We at Delmonica's never take our patrons for granted and we shall be continuing as always to strive to give our best in the way of entertainment and good bar prices'. An Example of this was the recent Karaoke competition, the first prize of UKP250 being won by the studmuffin Steven Sneddon. The final was the result of heats run over a six week period. The runner up received UKP100 plus a case of booze, with a special prize going to studmuffin Peter Rattray for best 'performer'. EDINBURGH: The transformation of the capital city's gay scene over the first half of the 90's has had to be seen to be believed. Waaaaaay back in the eighties we had the one and only Fire Island, a legend in its own lunch box, as much for the tacky toilets as anything else. FI of course has gone to that great d-i-s-c-o heaven, only to be replaced by JOY. Although JOY isn't a full time disco, we hear that there are plans afoot to spread the JOY (bad pun alert), with the club's promoters hoping to expand the club to other areas. On the pub scene, like Glasgow, Edinburgh has over the last 12 months gone through a bit of a metamorphosis, with the opening of two new pubs and a new cafe (not to mention a change of ownership all round in the cafes). On the food front, The Blue Moon moved up the road from the Lesbian and Gay Centre and promptly changed hands. Meanwhile, the Edge opened up in the old Blue Moon premises. Confused? You will be! Meanwhile, back at the Blue Moon, the new owners have shut down the front shop. They've also re-opened it as The Other Side of the Moon - an up-market restaurant. Still confused? Meanwhile, back at the Edge, Martin has been building up trade (and selling food and drink) at the Lesbigay Centre's very own eatery - very handy for relaxing after a hard morning's browse amongst the toys and mags in Drondale's shop. C.C. Blooms just down the road from Chapps, has opened up with a breath of fresh air, offering a good mixture of food, disco, cabaret, and of course the one and only Karaoke. All this, served up with a bright and breezy staff, makes this a pub for the young and the young at heart. Chapps, is a bar with a difference. For a start this is definitely one for the night birds. Not opening till 9.30pm, Chapps only really gets going at about 11pm or so after which, the cogs get well lubed up and scream into action. Chapps is a very cruisy bar and (as a rule of thumb) the more body hair you have the better, (a spin off from when it used to be the meeting place for Edinburgh's leather scene). All in all a tightly run, but not completely inpenetrable bar, under the same ownership as the New Town Bar. The house music tends to set the theme for the next stop at the disco. Let's face it, if you've got the energy, I've got the sideburns. QTs, across the road, is a completely different story, a bit like mother's back room, except for the pluckable staff. QTs is a very fresh and open looking bar with plenty of accommodation in the back. Part of the bar set up is its own cabaret club in the basement and, like CCs across the road, having this facility really makes the place throb and dribble on a busy night. There's always a good selection downstairs and, if none of that tickles your fancy, you can always check out some of the acts. The New Town is a more traditional bar, with a lot more space than you might at first think (kind of expands to accommodate once you're inside). So much so, that as we go to press we hear that the new cellar bar (located in the cellar funnily enough) is almost ready to open. The theme is to be cruisy and dark (read, Bring your own staplegun). The Star Tavern, has a reputation as one of Scotland's best real ale pubs, and who am I to challenge that? (Quite so! Ed) That apart, it is a homely kind of place (your mother would love it) where the dish of the day (Steven) will have you all wondering. (He's meant to be straight, but I've seen the video, he can't fool me!). Steven pulls an excellent pint (I hear), for which, the Star and its beer garden have become well known. The occasional theme parties have become notorious throughout the land. Seriously, a well run pub, owned by CC Blooms partner Brian Walker - one pub where you are never alone. Finally we wander up to Rose Street Lane to find the French Connection. A small one roomed bar (if you don't count the cottage), but don't let the size fool you, it may be small, but it's perfectly formed! Once inside (the bar, not the cottage) you will be greeted by Glenn, Babs and Lady Samantha, where they, despite all the rumours about Edinburgh folk, are willing to bend over backwards, forwards and any other way you can think of (for an appropriate fee) to welcome all you punters. Although I haven't experienced it myself, I am led to believe that Frenchies Karaoke is something else. Exactly what, you'll have to wait and read about! ABERDEEN: Aberdeen for many years has been a bit of a backwater as far as the social and scene side of gay life is concerned, although it has always been a fairly cruisy town in general. A couple of years ago it boasted two clubs and a pub that seemed to satisfy the local needs (batteries not included though), but for reasons best known only to those in the know (ie. anyone who visited the 3rd cubicle on the left between the 7th and the 21st), the pubs faded, leaving the stage to the only disco, Club Caberfeidh in Hadden Street. However, we are pleased to report that the scene is back to its pulsating best. Yea, talkin' throb factor 20 here. Better leave the lycra undies at home or they'll end up dripping down 'yer legs... Hot Hot Hot! As well as Club Caberfeidh, Flannies has once again opened its legs (oops!) doors to the punters, and is joined now by the Pink Flamingo. The Pink Flamingo, the latest addition to the Aberdeen scene, can be found quite near to M&S, where the young crowd can relax in plush surroundings and have the ears (or anything else for UKP10) blown away by DJ Mark (Sorry Mark! You won't hit me will you? Do I have to pay for that too?). The Flamingo runs regular promotion and competition nights, such as the Amateur Stripper Competition held recently and won by local stud muffin Freddy (see photo). If you're fond of a cocktail this is the place for you. Flannies, a traditional two roomed bar with pool table through the back and (rumours say) soon to have a surgical hoist above the bar (for the exhibitionists of the group). It's very ably hosted by manageress Jacqui (a very popular woman indeed! Especially with the local Ladies Crochet and Tupperware Guild!). The pub is popular with the guys, who seem to like its down to earth atmosphere (but not so down to earth that you need worry about the possiblity of weekly farting contests or anything). What can I say? If you're into reasonable bar prices in a kinky sort of way and love friendly staff who lend to the feel of the place like a nice new pair of lurex curtains, then Flannies has it all! Club Caberfeidh, the city's only gay disco, is to be found just up the street from Flannies. Like many other gay discos, Mondays are for closing, Why? Well (just between you and me) I hear it's so that the disco staff get a chance to go home and scrub the footprint stains off the bedroom ceiling and feed the cat. The bar is long and mirror backed which is perfect for watching the guy in the seat two rows down and checking you don't have anything embarassing caught between your teeth. Music is supplied by the lively Elaine. The whole place has that eighties feel, Hey! No bad thing, just don't wear anything that conducts electricity when you're walking across the tufted shag. The staff are user friendly and are willing to give you good service (if you tip well they might even mop up afterwards! Someone might slip on the damp patch and break a heel after all!). DUNDEE: Ok, hold me back, I'm going down. All the way... Look, you can't talk me out of it! I've gotta do what I've gotta do! Way, down in Dundee, The Gauger Bar seems to be the hub of all that is gay in town, with the exception of a one nighter (a wee Friday night quickie called The Edge). The Gauger, open seven days, gets busier as the night goes on, while during the day it tends to be a bit on the mixed side. However, this seems to be well organised by manageress and tenant Karen Morris (photo shows Karen and Steve McPherson). On the entertainment side, the Gauger has its own nightly d-i-s-c-o and regular cabaret in its 'horseshoe' shaped bar. (Well, the Ed calls it 'horseshoe', I call it U-Bend. Hey, I guess I'm just a bit wierd that way... Does it show? Oh, I thought the cream would have taken care of that...) Bar prices are on a par with any city centre bar, the service is quick and friendly (what more can a gal want? [Nigel Mansell Excepted]) ---------------------------------------------------------- BOXES - THE SCOTSGAY MEET MARKET ================================ To reply to a Contact Ad: Just pop your reply in an envelope with the box number written in the TOP RIGHT corner and place the envelope with your reply inside another envelope with two loose first class stamps. If you are writing from outside the UK, an International Reply Coupon (IRC) should be enclosed for each reply instead of postage stamps. International Reply Coupons are available from most Post Offices throughout the world. We are unable to send on replies without postage stamps or IRCs. Send all replies to: ScotsGay Magazine, Pageprint Limited, PO Box 666, Edinburgh. EH7 5YW. To place a Contact Ad: Write to the above address enclosing your advertisement copy. Ads are FREE of charge to the advertiser. MEN Glasgow/Edinburgh A house full of books and a garden full of flowers, but no love. Extremely hairy guy (37) would like to meet younger smooth guy (18+) for fun and friendship. Box SG0101 Edinburgh Tall, balding, hairy 30 year old would like to meet firm minded younger guy. Your place or mine. Box SG0102 Edinburgh Celibate guy would like to meet similar guys for platonic friendships only. Box SG0103 Scotland/Anywhere Railway enthusiast seeks similar for rail trips in the UK and abroad. Me: mature, 40s. You: younger, student type perhaps. Please get in touch. Photo returned with mine. Box SG0104 Gay Wrestler Glasgow Muscular guy, been into wrestling for years and now running gay wrestling club. Wants to meet Glasgow/Edinburgh wrestling fans for some friendly/serious/hot apartment wrestling action. Enjoy tag team and group bout scenes. Into bodybuilding and wrestling fitness. Also have huge collection of wrestling videos and willing to swap wrestling tapes. Drop me a line anytime for some solid wrestling or you can e-mail me on 100022.2554@compuserve.com. SG0106 Edinburgh 25 year old guy, unemployed, would like to meet S/Mers, shoe enthusiasts, boot lickers, exhibitionists, from 18-30 years old. Own place in Leith. SG0107 Why am I doing this? I'm a perfectly normal gay man who would normally never think of advertising for friends. But here I am. Why not do something unusual and write to me? SG0108 BI Edinburgh/Central Scotland Bi guy (39), tall, fit, easy going, tolerant, enjoys most things, seeks similar woman for fun times. Box SG0105 COMMERCIAL Situation Vacant Go ahead publishing company requires a self motivated person (male or female) to sell display advertising space for Scotland's brightest and best lesbian gay and bisexual magazine. You must have access to a telephone. If you think you've got what it takes, phone 01505 335021 or write to: ScotsGay, PO Box 666, Edinburgh. EH7 5YW Company Formations Limited Companies from only UKP90. Freephone 0800 526421 for free brochure. Get onto the Internet For only a tenner a month (plus VAT), Demon Internet Services provides full access to the Internet. Want to learn more? Phone 0131-552 0344 for full information pack. FRIENDS ABROAD Home exchange American GWM of Scot-Irish descent seeks penpals with possibility of exchanging homes for vacations. My small horse farm is convenient to DC-Baltimore-Richmond. Scots of rural heritage a plus. Rob Shields, RR1 Box 278F, Charles Town, WV, USA 25414. Looking for Mr. Right Goodlooking 22 yo student in New York City 5'8" 150lb, black hair, brown eyes, Iranian descent would like to meet other guys of same age into friendship and maybe more(?) Enjoy traveling, nature, movies, sports. Aashir Awan, 1945 Eastchester Rd #18G, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. Vacation in San Francisco Fully private guestroom near Castro, large ground-level flat. I will stay with you at another time. References exchanged: health, emotional & financial stability. Me: actor, writer, computers, age 73.Ben Gardiner, P.O. Box 421528, San Francisco, California, U.S.A. 94142-1528 California GWM, 22 y.o. seeks pen pals everywhere for e-mail talk and fun. Me- slim, cute, brn/brn. You 16-30 y.o. and ready for action! Daniel Murray, 2143 Harris Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA or my e-mail: address is drmurray@oboe.aix.calpoly.edu Sweden I'm a 21 year old gay male in Stockholm. I would like to get open gay friends. Send photo and your mail. Take Care! Jens Eriksson, Helgebergsvgen 31, S-13667 Haninge, Sweden. GAM in Hong Kong GAM in Hong Kong would like to correspond with guys from 30-40 in UK and Europe. Me: 5'9", 134lb, slim in build, dark brown eyes. William Ko, 1518 Mei Fung House, Mei Lam Estate, Shatin NT, Hong Kong. Southern Gentleman Widely traveled francophile, nearing retirement, with varied interests, high principles, extremely well-balanced, no hang-ups, keen on mental and physical well-being. Would like relationship with cultured man over 40 of similar make-up. Frank James, PO Box 358, Cookeville, Tennessee 38501, USA. ----------------------------------------------------- INTERNATIONAL NEWS ================== MARDI GRAS OVERRUN BY STRAIGHTS Sydney's famed annual gay Mardi Gras and Sleaze Ball parties have been overrun by fun-seeking heterosexuals and gays are fed up with it, claims a recent report in the Australian magazine Capital Q. More than 1,000 gay men have signed a petition calling on the Mardi Gras leadership to create a male-only dance space at the 1995 Mardi Gras party. "With the increasing number of straights at our parties, they are becoming gay-and-lesbian-unfriendly," said petition organizer Edmund Milts. "That's really sad." Mardi Gras previously tried to fix the problem by becoming a membership organization, quizzing applicants about their sexuality, and allowing only members to attend the events, but a lot of straights apparently said they were gay to gain admittance. "It's a big issue and we're taking it very seriously," said Mardi Gras President Rob Patmore. "Men-only and women-only spaces could be a possible solution." TORTURE IN ALBANIA Amnesty International has taken on the case of several Albanian gay men who were rounded up and severely beaten by police. The police picked up three members of the eight-month-old Gay Albania Society and tortured them until they named other gays, who were then brought in for the same treatment. The men were accused of belonging to an illegal organization and having "foreign contacts". They were told they may be charged with "defaming Albania abroad" and/or "espionage". One man was taken unconscious to a hospital where he was treated for multiple leg fractures, Amnesty said. "Our organization fears that others may face similar treatment in response to recent attempts by gay activists in Albania to fight prejudice and gain equality and integration in Albanian society", Amnesty said. Albania's parliament is now considering lowering the penalty for gay sex from up to 10 years in prison to a maximum of three. Both the current law and the proposed law violate the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights, which Albania has signed, and both also will prevent Albania from joining the European Community. Leaders of the Gay Albania Society have asked human-rights activists to fax letters to Albanian officials protesting against the events and urging legalization of homosexuality. The officials are Albanian President Sali Berisha (00-355-42-33761 or 00-355-42-28454), Prime Minister Aleksander Meksi (00-355-42-34818), and the following leaders who share the same fax numbers (00-355-42-27949 or 00-355-42-28314): President of the Parliament Pjeter Arbnori, Law Commission President Halit Shamata, Democratic Party Leader Eduard Selami, Democratic Party Parliamentary Group Leader Ali Spahia, MP Marash Ibraj, Socialist Party Deputy Leader Servet Pellumbi, and Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group Leader Teodor Laco. CANADA A lesbian couple in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has been granted the spousal benefits the city government gives to heterosexual employees, reports the Canadian Press wire service. Michele Oliver and Peggy Wilson were also told that Halifax will extend health-care, bereavement-leave and life-insurance benefits to other gay couples, though no official announcement has yet been made. DENMARK Denmark has deleted transvestism from its official list of mental disorders, which, as in most nations, mirrors the list disseminated by the World Health Organization. WHO still thinks TVs are sick. EIRE Leading Irish lesbian activist Suzy Byrne was beaten in a Dublin street recently by attackers who shouted anti-lesbian slurs. She attributed the incident to her discussion of gay issues a week earlier on a TV talk show. INTERNET A support group for gay youth has been formed on the Internet. "soc.support.youth.gay-lesbian-bi" is a "newsgroup" accessible on the Internet's "usenet" bulletin boards. Newsgroups come into existence only after a lengthy discussion and voting process. The vote on soc.support.youth.gay-lesbian-bi was 3,142 to 94. Anyone with usenet access can vote. There are over 9,000 usenet newsgroups in all. The two most-popular gay ones are "soc.motss" and "alt.politics.homosexuality". "motss" means "members of the same sex". The cryptic acronym is somewhat successful at keeping homophobes from finding gay newsgroups. ISRAEL Israeli police say the diaries, video tapes and photographs of a university professor who had AIDS reveal he spent the last year of his life attempting to infect up to 500 men with HIV. The man, Yeshayahu Demner, 46, was found murdered at his Haifa home in late October. His diaries show that, starting in September 1993, he advertised for sex, paid partners not to use condoms, and sometimes had more than one partner a day, among them US sailors and students from Technion University, where he taught. Israel's leading gay group, the Society for Personal Rights, said the revelations were lousy publicity for the gay cause. ----------------------------------------------------- Arts: THERE AIN'T NUTHIN' LIKE A DAME ... =================================== It's the pantomime season again! Oh no it's not. Oh yes it is! Well, not quite. Although there are a lot of traditional and not so traditional panto's around this year, there are one or two shows around that don't fit the stereotype... Hardly a traditional Christmas show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Playhouse in Edinburgh runs until 4th February. This Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice blockbuster stars Phillip Schofield as Joseph in the Biblical story. Schofield's well publicised marriage, last year, will have disappointed many - but who knows, he of the fluffy slippers may just pop into one of the pubs near to the Playhouse to delight his fans. Otherwise, it looks as if they'll just have to settle for our cover photograph - and not a grey hair in sight! Strangely, it was the Edinburgh Festival in 1972 which saw one of the earliest productions of the piece by the Young Vic. True, it was only forty minutes long and was accompanied by a selection of medieval mystery plays, but the nucleus of today's production was clearly there. Another Andrew Lloyd Webber piece doing the rounds is Cats which will be packing them into His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen until the 4th of February. It's billed as 'The Longest Running Musical in British Theatre History' - not that longetivity necessarily means much as anybody who has seen Agatha Christie's much longer running play The Mousetrap will soon tell you! At the Traverse, until 18th December, you can see the Scottish Premiere of Away by Australian Michael Gow. It's directed by Ian Brown. 'Intimate, funny and gently passionate, Away opens as the curtain falls on a school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. It's Christmas 1967 and eight Sydneysiders head off for their summer holidays. It's a tragi-comedy which focuses on the recurrent themes of love, loss and reconciliation in very real people during Christmas and New Year celebrations, which form a painfully ironic backdrop to their frantic attempts to make sense of their lives, hopes and fears.' And, until the 23rd December, the Traverse also has Communicado who are doing A Place with the Pigs which is a play based on the true story of a man who deserted from the Soviet Army and, for forty years, hid out in a pig sty living with the pigs. You've missed the tape/slide multi-screen projection of You Me & HIV - Multimedia work by the T4 Group (Individuals infected and affected by HIV and AIDS). It was only on at the Traverse for one afternoon but the associated exhibition of photographs, screenprints, paintings and writings continues at the Traverse Caf until 23rd December - and it's free! Despite the family audience, panto's appeal to many of us. A chance to be a kid again and scream your tits off at the appropriate places. Or maybe just an opportunity to see some cross dressing. Anyway, here's a roundup of just some of the many such shows that will be putting bums on Scottish seats over the Festive Season. At the Dundee Rep, Stuart Paterson's Beauty and the Beast is not so much a pantomime as a 'magical Christmas show'. Michael Nardone (Soft Top Hard Shoulders), Julie Duncanson, Wendy Seager, Vicki Masson and Gavin Marshall star. This one is on until the 14th of January. A top show! Stuart Paterson's original The Princess and the Goblin appears at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh and is 'a magical Christmas Pantomime'. The show sold out at Dundee Rep when it appeared there last year, so early booking is probably a good idea if you want to go along and cheer for the good and kind Princess Irene. She'll need all your help to escape from the evil King of the Goblins. Do you like Goblin? I don't know, I've never gobbled. The show runs until the 7th of January. Francie and Josie's Christmas Cracker - with special guests the Tiller Girls - runs at the new Festival Theatre in Edinburgh until the 24th December. Its popular appeal has caused a bit of a stooshie amongst those who think that arts subsidies should only go to highbrow crap that not many people will pay to see. General Manager, Paul Ives, claims: "The Festival Theatre's aim is to please all tastes, save of course, only those which are depraved". Oh well, that's it then, I know where I'm not wanted! The King's Theatre in Edinburgh has Babes in the Wood until 28th January. Cannon and Ball star with John Leslie as Robin Hood and Radio Forth's Grant Stott as Little John. At the King's in Glasgow, you can see Les Dennis as Lester the Jester and Gerard Kelly as Queen Kylie in Sleeping Beauty. It's apparently the first time that Gerard Kelly has appeared as a dame in Glasgow - well, you could have fooled me, dear! That's on until the 4th of February. Also appearing are Jan Wilson and Barbara Rafferty. The MacRobert Arts Centre in Stirling are doing Aladdin with Jimmy Chisholm as Widow Twankey - "a truly world class dame". The show runs until the 7th of January with special BSL signed performances on the 17th of December and the 3rd of January. The Pavilion in Glasgow has Dorothy Paul and Andy Cameron in Goosey Goosey Glasgow - this year's panto eggstravaganza (but don't tell Eggwina Currie). Based on the Mother Goose story, it's sure to be full of cracking good yolks! ScotsGay has managed to get hold of some family tickets (two adults and up to three children) and we'll let you have them free of charge - they'll go into the first three stamped self addressed envelopes taken out of the hat at noon on Thursday December 15th - so send yours in today! Just send your sae to us at ScotsGay Free Ticket Offer, Pageprint Limited, PO Box 666, Edinburgh. EH7 5YW. In Kirkcaldy, the Adam Smith Theatre has Dick Whittington & His Cat. That's on until the 21st of January and stars Jimmy Logan as Sarah the Cook - it's not quite clear who plays Dick Whittington or the cat! Until the 14th of January, that jewel in the crown of the Gorbals, the Citizens Theatre, perform their own production of Beauty and the Beast. It's directed by Ian Wooldridge with costumes by Louise Boreland. There are guaranteed to be more queens than Sainsbury's - and that's just the audience! In the Frozen North, the Eden Court in Inverness is offering Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs until the 7th of January. As we went to press, they were still having trouble recruiting seven small adults to play the dwarfs, so you may actually only see five dwarfs running around very quickly trying to appear more numerous than they really are! Rebekah Elmaloglou (from Home and Away), Kate Copstick (from Going Live), Mary Riggins (from Take the High Road) and Laurin Beales (from Emmerdale) provide the star names intended to attract the punters from Ullapool, Wick and points further... The Gaiety Theatre in Ayr has at least managed to get a full set of seven small adults for their production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - five male and two female. Una McLean, Russell Hunter and Joe McFadden star. You can see this show until the 21st of January. Finally, if you're into the Christmas spirit, Capella Nova (director Alan Tavener) are on tour to present Carols by Candlelight - Magical music for the festive season. With mulled wine and mince pies on sale, this should be a good night out. Tour dates and venues are: 10th December - St Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral, Inverness. 16th December - Barony Hall, Glasgow. 17th December - Queen's Hall, Edinburgh. Special guests are Coronach in Inverness and Caledonia Brass for the Glasgow and Edinburgh performances. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LISTINGS ======== If your group isn't listed, - or if your entry needs updating - please write to ScotsGay with full details. If we don't know about it, it just won't go in! We'd also like to know about your forthcoming events and meetings. Although many of the listings are for specific towns, they often cover a much wider area. If in doubt, you can always phone one of the Switchboards for more information. To include your group, write to:- ScotsGay Listings, Pageprint Limited, PO Box 666, Edinburgh EH7 5YW, Fax them to: 0131-558 1262 or e-mail them to scotsgay@drink.demon.co.uk. NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS: OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND is Scotland's premier lesbian, gay and bisexual rights organisation. It was founded in 1969 as the Scottish Minorities Group, later became the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group and changed its name to OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND in December 1992. OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND owns the Edinburgh Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre. Send sae for their new leaflet and membership application form to: The Secretary, OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND, 58a Broughton Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3SA or e-mail outright@drink.demon.co.uk EDINBURGH: The Lantern is a drop-in discussion group which meets every Monday 7.30-9pm in the Edinburgh Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre at 58a Broughton Street. Varied programme - please drop down any Monday, no formalities, new members welcomed. Contacts: Robert Goodfellow or Steven Tonner. DUNDEE: OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND Dundee Focus Group for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals meets 4th Thursday of each month at 7pm in the YMCA Special Projects Office, 76 Bell Street. Write to: PO Box 104, Dundee. DD1 3DU. OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND has other Focus Groups. The contacts are: LGB Disability Forum - Jim Liddle 0131-669 3205 or Jim Halcrow 0131-661 5398. Diversity (Anti racism group) - Andy Gentle 0131-557 1662. Outright Women - Alison Rowan. International - Mungo Bovey. Law Reform - Tim Hopkins or Hugo Greenhalgh. Police Liaison - Ian Dunn 0131-557 1662. If no telephone number is given, you can write to the person listed c/o 58a Broughton Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3SA. Why not join OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND? Membership is UKP10 waged and UKP5 unwaged. Please make out your cheque/Postal Order to OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND and send to The Membership Secretary, OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND, 58a Broughton Street, EDINBURGH. EH1 3SA. PRIDE SCOTLAND: Pride Scotland has been established to organise the lesbian gay male and bisexual Pride event in Scotland. Although the main celebrations will be held over the weekend of the 17th and 18th of June 1995, other events will be held throughout the year. Phone: 0131-661 8640 or 0131-667 5661. Or write: 58a Broughton Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3SA. LOCAL ORGANISATIONS: ABERDEEN: Aberdeen Gay Group caters for all ages and meets 3rd Sunday of every month. Phone John on Aberdeen (01224) 317552 for more information or write to: AGG, PO Box 129, Aberdeen. AB9 6EY. Swim or Social most Wednesdays: Phone David on Aberdeen (01224) 317552. Icebreakers is a social group which meets on Friday evenings. Contact Aberdeen Switchboard for details. AYRSHIRE: Gay and Lesbian Switchboard operates Mon/Wed/Fri 7-10pm (answerphone outwith these periods). Phone: Ayr (01292) 619000. Or write to: PO Box 1043, Ayr. KA6 5JQ BORDERS: Switchboard operates Mon/Wed 7.30-10pm. Phone: Hawick (01450) 370700, Fax/Minicom: Hawick (01450) 377877 or write to: Borders Gay Switchboard, PO Box 3, Hawick, Roxburghshire. TD9 9RU. CAITHNESS GAY AND LESBIAN CONNECTION: A friendly informal group which meets regularly. Write to: Box 689, Journal Office, 42 Union Street, Wick, Caithness. KW1 5ED. CENTRAL REGION: Forth Friend has a social group which meets every second Wednesday. The Forth Friend phoneline operates every Monday from 7.30pm to 10pm on Stirling (01786) 471285 . Or write to: PO Box 28, Stirling. FK9 5YW. DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY: Regular social meetings - usually every second Thursday. For details of all events: phone Dumfries (01387) 269161 Thursdays 7.30-9.30pm or write to Dumfries and Galloway Lesbian and Gay Group, PO Box 1299, Dumfries. DG1 2PD. DUNDEE: Tay Friend, holds regular meetings. Write to: Tayfriend, PO Box 182, Dundee. DD1 9UP. EDINBURGH: Edinburgh Gay Social Club is an off-scene social group for gay men. Write to: EGSC, PO Box 12207, Edinburgh. EH4 3YX. Icebreakers is an alternative to the scene and takes place between 7pm and 8pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each calendar month in the ELGBC, 58a Broughton Street, Edinburgh. Phone 0131-556 4049 for details. The Lantern is an informal discussion group held every Monday 7.30-9pm downstairs in the ELGBC, 58a Broughton Street. FIFE FRIEND: Small voluntary phoneline offering support, advice and information to lesbians and gay men within Fife. Friday: 7.30pm-10.30pm. Telephone: Kirkcaldy (01592) 266688. Write to PO Box 19, Kirkcaldy, Fife. KY1 3JF. GLASGOW: GALLUS (Gay and Lesbian Liberation & Unity in Strathclyde) - A campaigning organisation. Contact c/o SGLS, PO Box 38, Glasgow G2 2QF or via Strathclyde Switchboard on 0141-221 8372. Glasgow Gay and Lesbian Centre Project meets on the 1st Saturday of each month at 2pm in Strathclyde House. Write to: GLC Project, PO Box 463, GLASGOW G12 8NJ or contact Strathclyde Switchboard on 0141-221 8372. For childcare, phone Jennifer (at least 1 week in advance) on 0141-552 3320. BSL Interpreter is usually available (check 2 weeks in advance). Glasgow Gay Group is an informal social group for gay men and has a regular weekly pub night as well as running other social events such as theatre, cinema, bowling, etc. Phone: Steve on 0141-339 7395 - preferably on Mon or Tues evenings. Icebreakers Cafe - An alternative to the gay scene - First Sunday in each month. 12.30-3.30pm in Austin's Bar, 183a Hope Street, Glasgow. Details from Strathclyde Switchboard on 0141-221 8372. INVERNESS: Gay Group meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month. at 28 Huntly Street. Phone Andrew on Inverness (01463) 711585 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or write to: PO Box 67, Inverness. PAISLEY: Paisley Forum is a social group for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and our allies. Meets Paisley Arts Centre, New Street on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month. Details: Phone Allan Johnstone on 0141-842 7200 (9-5 only) or Strathclyde Switchboard on 0141-221 8372. WOMEN'S GROUPS: ABERDEEN LESBIAN GROUP: Meets every Wednesday in the Women's Centre, Shoe Lane. Phone Aberdeen (01224) 625010 for details. ALLOA: Lesbian Social/Discussion Group. Phone: Alloa (01259) 219891. EDINBURGH: AD Group: For lesbians 45+and older (younger lesbians who support the concerns of lesbians 45+ and older also welcome). Meetings for discussion and support, first Saturday (1-5pm) of each month in The Women's Centre, 61a Broughton Street. For more details, phone Lesbian Line. Bisexual Women 30+ meet monthly. Details from Bisexual Phoneline or phone Angi on 0131-661 9907. Dykes Nytes Out: social events for couples and singles in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Write to: PO Box 169, Edinburgh. EH1 3LU. Lesbian Line 0131-557 0751, Mondays and Thursdays 7.30-10pm. For information, advice and counselling in confidence. Write to: PO Box PO Box 169, Edinburgh. EH1 3UU. Lesbian Mothers Group: Contact Lesbian Line for details. Edinburgh Bisexual Group meets every Thursday at 8pm in the ELGBC, 58a Broughton Street. All welcome. Women's Network: PO Box 159, Edinburgh. EH7 5EL. GLASGOW: Dykes Nytes Out: social events for couples and singles in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Write to: PO Box 169, Edinburgh. EH1 3LU. Glasgow Bisexual Group meets 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month from 7.30 - 9.30pm in the City Centre. Phone: 0141-221 8372 for details and venue. Lesbian Line 0141-552 3355 Wednesdays 7-10pm. Write to: PO Box 686, Glasgow. G3 7TL enclosing an sae for monthly 'Lavender Listing'. Lesbian Mothers Group: Meets every second Monday at 7pm. Support group, pub nights, informal chat. Creche and fares help available. Phone Lynne on 0141-221 7150. Lesbian Networking Meeting: Contact Lesbian Line on 0141-552 3355 for meeting details and Lynne on 0141-221 7150 for childcare information. Lesbian Sports Group: Squash, badminton, tennis. Meets weekly. Phone Lesbian Line on 0141-552 3355 for details. Lesbian Youth Action: Contact Lindsay Jane Morgan c/o Lesbian Line on 0141-552 3355. Olderwomen's Group: Contact Lesbian Line on 0141-552 3355 for details. Team Caledonia West Women's Cycling Group: Phone Women in Sport on 0141-227 5933 for details. Women's Softball Group: Meets weekly. Contact Lesbian Line on 0141-552 3355 for details. INVERNESS: Out and About is a friendly lesbian social group that gets together once a month. Write to: PO Box 91, Inverness. IV1 2GJ. LESBIAN INFORMATION SERVICE: PO Box 8, Todmorden, Lancashire. Telephone: 01706 817235. BISEXUALS: BIFROST: A national newsletter for bisexuals, their partners and allies. Send sae for sample copy and subscription details to BIFROST, PO Box 117, Norwich. NR1 2SU. BISEXUAL RESOURCE CENTRE: Downstairs in the Edinburgh Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Centre, 58a Broughton Street. Lending library, archive, etc. Open Tue, Wed, Thur Noon-5pm. EDINBURGH BISEXUAL GROUP: Meets every Thursday at 8pm in the ELGBC, 58a Broughton Street. There's an excellent programme of talks and speakers. Phone Bisexual Line on 0131-557 3620. GLASGOW BISEXUAL GROUP: Meets 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month from 7.30 - 9.30pm in the City Centre. Phone Bisexual Line on 0131-557 3620 or Strathclyde Switchboard on 0141-221 8372 for further details. ATHEISTS/HUMANISTS: EDINBURGH FREETHINKERS: An informal network of militant atheists (with one militant humanist agnostic atheist). Write to: PO Box 666, Edinburgh. EH7 5YW or e-mail god@dorothy.demon.co.uk GAY AND LESBIAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION (GALHA): A group for non religious lesbians gays and bisexuals which promotes an enlightened, rational Humanist approach to homosexuality. Details from GALHA National Office, 34 Spring Lane, Kenilworth, Warwickshire. CV8 2HB. Telephone/Fax: 01926 58450. BEARS BEARS' CLUB UK: For hairy men and admirers. Has a monthly meeting in the New Town Bar, Edinburgh. Write to: BCUK, 56 Albert Street, Beswick, Manchester. M11 3SU. BEREAVEMENT GAY BEREAVEMENT PROJECT: Lesbians and gay men needing advice and support can ring 0181-455 8894 at any time. Or write to: Lesbian & Gay Bereavement Project, Vaughan M Williams Centre, Colindale Hospital, London. NW9 5HG. BIKERS GAY BIKERS MOTORCYCLE CLUB: A UK-wide club for women and men. Write for details to GBMCC, c/o Gay Switchboard, 31a Mansfield Road, Nottingham. NG1 3FF. Or phone Nottingham (01159) 411454 (Mon-Fri 7-10pm). BODYBUILDERS/WEIGHTRAINERS GAY BODYBUILDERS/WEIGHTRAINERS CLUB: contact Frank Wallace on 0181-675 5858 for contact with Scottish members and nationally. Club produces "Fizzical" magazine as part of UKP12 membership. CHRISTIANS L&GCM: Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement. Glasgow Group - Helpline 0141-334 2286 Thurs 7-10pm or write to PO Box 1436, Glasgow. G31 2NY. Edinburgh Contact - Phone John Thomson on 0131-556 1309. QUAKERS: Quaker Lesbian and Gay Fellowship (formerly Friends' Homosexual Fellowship) is a welcoming and supportive national group for people of all sexual orientations and their friends. Write to: Ruth, 3 Hallsfield, Cricklade, Swindon, Wilts. SN6 6LR. QUEST: Organisation for Roman Catholic men and women who are gay. Regular monthly meetings, socials, befriending, help at times of calm or crisis. Groups meet in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Telephone Linkline Glasgow 0141-333 9340 Tuesday and Sunday 7-10pm. Or you can write to Quest, PO Box 280, Glasgow. G12 0AW. COMPUTER BUFFS BORDERS BULLETIN BOARD: Computer based info every evening 6pm-8am. 01450 377877. To get at the Gay areas, leave a message for the SYSOP asking for access. LAMBDA BOARD - EDINBURGH: A free computer based bulletin board system. Private mailboxing, areas for Women, Gay Men, Bisexuals, Leather Enthusiasts, TV/TSs, etc. 0131-556 6316. Scrolling (8N1) and Viewdata (Prestel) formats at speeds up to V22bis (2400/2400). CULTURAL GAY CALEDONIAN ASSOCIATION: Social group for kilt wearers and friends. Meets in GHQ on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. Phone Bill on 0141-646 1513. INTERNATIONAL KILT APPRECIATION SOCIETY (IKAS): Contact and social group for guys interested in viewing/wearing kilts. Regular newsletter: SAE Mervyn Tacy, 'Ziveli', 20 Ordsall Park Road, RETFORD, Notts, DN22 7PA. LONG YANG CLUB : An international organisation for gay orientals and interested people of other nationalities. It promotes social events, education and mutual help services as well as publishing a magazine. Contact Robert on 0141-334 7144. DRINK PROBLEMS If you are a lesbian or gay man with a drink problem and want help and advice, ring Tom on 0141-770 6599, 7 days a week anytime. Tom refers to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), but does preparatory work. FOOTBALL GAY FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS NETWORK: Glasgow group holds monthly meetings in Squires Bar. For further details, please send an sae to GFSN, c/o Gay Times, 116 Bayham Street, London. NW1 0BA. FORCES AT EASE: An advice service to armed forces personnel and their families on any subject. Free, independent, confidential, impartial. Write: 28 Commercial Street, London E7 8LY or phone (Sundays 5-7pm only) 0171-247 5164. RANK OUTSIDERS: Support group of Lesbian and Gay Ex Armed Forces Personnel. No rank distinctions. Write to Rank Outsiders, c/o The Stonewall Group, 2 Greycoat Place, Westminster, London. SW1P 1SB. HEALTH MATTERS AYRSHIRE AIDS AWARENESS PROJECT SUPPORT GROUP: Meets Wednesdays 7-10pm for discussion and social events. Phone: Ayr (01292) 619000. Or write to: PO Box 1043, Ayr. KA6 5JQ. BODY POSITIVE (GLASGOW): An agency providing support for those HIV+ and with AIDS in the West of Scotland. Telephone: 0141-332 5010. Or write: 3 Park Quadrant, Glasgow. G3 6BS. BODY POSITIVE (GRAMPIAN): Support and assistance for gay men with HIV/AIDS. Phone: Aberdeen (01224) 404408. Or write to: PO Box 83, Aberdeen. BODY POSITIVE (LOTHIAN): HIV+ gay men's social group meets every Sunday 2-6pm. Or phone to speak to a gay positive person 1:1. Phone 0131-652 0754 Mon-Fri. GALUP: Gay and Lesbian United Programme. Promotes health issues among lesbians gays and bisexuals in the Dundee area. Phone: Dundee (01382) 200352. Or write: c/o YMCA Special Projects Office, 76 Bell Street, Dundee. GLASGOW HIV CARERS SUPPORT GROUP: Phone: 0141-353 2979. Or write to: Church House, 340 Cathedral Street, Glasgow. G1 2BQ. GRAMPIAN AIDS LINE: Aberdeen (01224) 574000 Tuesdays and Fridays 7-9pm or write to GAL, PO Box 250, Aberdeen. PAISLEY SUPPORT GROUP: For people with HIV, partners, friends and family. Meets Tues 1.30-3.30 at The Wynd, School Wynd (off Moss Street). Phone Joe on 0141-889 6252 for details. POSITIVE HELP: Practical help for people who are HIV+ or who have AIDS and their families, children, friends and carers. 64a Broughton Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3SA. Telephone: 0131-558 1122. SCOTTISH AIDS MONITOR: provides information and support on all matters relating to HIV/AIDS, including welfare rights and legal advice, charitable relief fund, Buddy support and counselling for friends and family. Telephone: 01382 461167 (Dundee), 0131-555 4850 (Edinburgh), 0141-353 3133 (Glasgow) 01463 711585 (Inverness). Or write to c/o SWT Dept, Northern College, Gardyne Road, Broghty Ferry, Dundee, 26 Anderson Place, Leith, Edinburgh. EH6 5NP, 22 Woodside Terrace, Glasgow. G3 7XH or 28 Huntly Street, Inverness. IV3 5PR. SAM AIDS Helpline: Inverness (01463) 241000 - Mon and Fri - 7-9.30pm. SOLAS: Information, advice and cafe. Information centre: Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri - 11-4pm. Wed, 5-9pm. Phone: 0131-659 5116. STEVE RETSON PROJECT: Weekly sexual health service for gay men. Tuesday 5.30-9pm. GUM, Royal Infirmary, Castle Street, Glasgow. NATIONAL AIDS HELPLINE: 0800 567123. A Freephone, 24 hour service for confidential advice and information. LEATHER MSC SCOTLAND: MSC Scotland, PO Box 28, Head Post Office, Edinburgh. EH3 5JL. MSC Scotland is a member of the European Federation of Motorcycle Clubs. LEGAL GAY AND LESBIAN LEGAL ADVICE: GLAD is a London based advice line run by lesbian and gay lawyers. Phone: 0171-976 0840 (Tue-Fri 7-9.30pm). State clearly that you seek Scottish legal advice as our law is very different from that of England and Wales. MALE RAPE/SEXUAL ABUSE MASA: Men Against Sexual Abuse. Telephone 0141-550 2048, Tuesday evening or Friday evening 7pm-9.30pm. OUTDOOR CLUBS GAY OUTDOOR CLUB: Holds regular events including walking, cycling, swimming, hillwalking, windsurfing, cross-country skiing, camping and youth hostelling etc. Also monthly social meetings in Edinburgh. For more details about GOC, write (enclosing a large sae) to: GOC, PO Box 1, Newton-St-Cyres, Exeter, EX5 5QN or ring one of the Scottish Contacts:- CENTRAL SCOTLAND: Bill on Stirling (01786) 823021. EDINBURGH: Swimming and Socials - John on 0131-667 7851. Hill Walking events - Grant on 0131-556 8705. Cycling - John on 0131-554 4034. GLASGOW: Hill Walking and Swimming - Douglas on 0141-848 6643. HIGHLANDS: Michael on Inverness (01463) 230651. GAY RAMBLING GROUP: Walks on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Phone Robert on 0141-427 1511. OVER FORTIES PHOENIX: The only national group for the over forties and friends of any age. Write (enclosing an sae) to: Phoenix, PO Box 103, Wallington, Surrey. SM6 9SJ. PARENTS PARENTS' FRIEND: Phone: Leeds (0113) 2674627 7-11pm. Or write to: Voluntary Action Leeds, Stringer House, 34 Lupton Street, Hunslett, Leeds. LS10 2QW. SCOTTISH PARENTS ENQUIRY SERVICE: Support for parents of lesbians and gay men. Contact via Edinburgh Lesbian and Gay Switchboard (Nightly 7.30-10pm - 0131-556 4049) or write to SPE, PO Box 169, Edinburgh. EH1 3UU POLITICAL CONSERVATIVE: Tory Campaign for Homosexual Equality - write: BM TORCHE, London WC1N 3XX. LABOUR CAMPAIGN FOR LESBIAN AND GAY RIGHTS: Working within the Labour and Trades Union movement to secure equality for lesbians and gay men. Contact PO Box 306, LONDON N5 2SY. Local Groups throughout the country. LESBIAN AND GAY FREEDOM MOVEMENT: LGFM is a movement to bring Anarchist ideas and ideals to lesbians, gays and bisexuals, and to make sexuality a major campaigning issue for all anarchists. Details (3 stamps please) from LGFM, BM Box 207, LONDON. WC1N 3XX LIBERAL PARTY LESBIAN AND GAY CAMPAIGN: Phone: Southport (01704) 500115 (day), 0151-259 5935 (ansaphone), write to: Liberal Party Lesbian & Gay Campaign, 41 Sutton Street, Liverpool. L13 7EG or e-mail: liberal@drink.demon.co.uk RUNNERS EDINBURGH GAY MEN'S RUNNING CLUB: Meets for 3-4 mile casual local run. Call Alistair: 0131-661 0008. S/M ORGASM: Organisation Representing Gays Aroused by Sado Masochism offers space for discussion and socialising for the experienced and novice alike. Contact (enclosing 1st Class stamp) c/o GS, 58a Broughton Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3SA. STUDENTS Many Universities and Colleges have Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Societies. Contact these via your Student Union or Student Association. Many are open to non-students living in the area. There are also groups covering wider areas run in conjunction with the National Union of Students - East of Scotland: Write to Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Officer, East of Scotland Area NUS, 11 Broughton Market, Edinburgh. EH3 6NU or phone on 0131-558 1541. North of Scotland: Write to Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Officer, North of Scotland Area NUS, University of Abertay, 158 Marketgait, Dundee. DD1 1NJ. West of Scotland: Write to Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Officer, West of Scotland Area NUS, Cathcart House, Langside College, 50 Prospecthill Road, Glasgow. G42 9LB or phone Gary McNeil on 0141-636 6477. You can contact the NUS Scottish Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Officer on 0131-556 6598 or write to NUS Scotland, 11 Broughton Market, Edinburgh. EH3 6NU. TEACHERS LESBIANS AND GAYS WORKING IN EDUCATION: Write to BM LAGWIE, London. WC1N 3XX. TV/TS ABERDEEN: Crossdressing Group. Contact Aberdeen Switchboard for details. EDINBURGH: Scottish TV/TS Group meets in private rooms every last Saturday each month except December. Ring Edinburgh Lesbian and Gay Switchboard 0131-556 4049 for further information. GLASGOW: Crosslynx meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 7pm-10pm. Phone Strathclyde Switchboard 0141-221 8372 for more details. WORKPLACE MSF: Lesbians and Gays in MSF. Phone: 0171-738 5469 or write c/o 39b Pentonville Road, London. N1 9LP. UNISON NATIONAL L&G CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE: Phone: 0131-469 3880. Or write: c/o 18 St Giles Street, Edinburgh. EH1 1PT. WRESTLING ALTERNATIVE WRESTLERS EUROPE: A European-wide gay/bisexual wrestling organisation organised from Glasgow. Contact c/o Alternative Sports, PO Box 437, Glasgow. G42 8HU, phone 0973 310416 or e-mail 100022.2554@compuserve.com YOUTH GROUPS LOTHIAN LESBIAN AND GAY YOUTH MOVEMENT: For those under 26. Phone Edinburgh Switchboard or write to: LLGYM, PO Box 169, Edinburgh. EH1 3UU. STONEWALL YOUTH GROUP: For lesbian and gay teenagers. Meets Sats. Phone: 0131-556 4040 Tues 8-9pm. Or write: PO Box 169, Edinburgh. EH1 3UU. STRATHCLYDE LESBIAN AND GAY YOUTH MOVEMENT: Friendship and support for under 28s. Meets Tuesday 7.30pm and Sat afternoons. Details from Strathclyde Switchboard on 0141-221 8373 nightly from 7-10pm. SWITCHBOARDS AND HELPLINES: ========================== ABERDEEN GAY SWITCHBOARD: Wed & Fri 7-10pm Phone: Aberdeen (01224) 586869 Minicom: Aberdeen (01224) 213355 Fax: Aberdeen (01224) 212333 BISEXUAL PHONELINE: Thurs 7.30-9.30pm Phone: 0131-557 3620 BORDERS GAY SWITCHBOARD: Mon, Wed 7.30-10pm Phone: Hawick (01450) 370700 Fax/Minicom: Hawick (01450) 377877 DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY L&G PHONELINE: Thurs 7.30-9.30pm Phone: Dumfries (01387) 269161 DUNDEE LGB SWITCHBOARD: Mon 7-10pm Phone: Dundee (01382) 202620 EDINBURGH GAY SWITCHBOARD: Nightly 7.30-10pm Phone: 0131-556 4049 EDINBURGH LESBIAN LINE: Mon, Thurs 7.30-10pm Phone: 0131-557 0751 FIFE FRIEND: Fri 7.30-10.30pm Phone: Kirkcaldy (01592) 266688 FORTH FRIEND: Mon 7.30-10pm Phone: Stirling (01786) 471285 GLASGOW LESBIAN LINE: Wed 7-10pm Phone: 0141-552 3355 STRATHCLYDE GAY AND LESBIAN SWITCHBOARD: Nightly 7-10pm Phone: 0141-221 8372 LONDON LESBIAN AND GAY SWITCHBOARD: 24 hours Phone: 0171-837 7324 ------------------------------------------------ REVIEWS: ======= Film: Strawberries and Chocolate (Tomas Gutierrez Alea/Juan Carlos Tabio) 1994 This is Cuba's first gay themed movie. It's really beautifully filmed at some excellent locations, has politics, passion and machismo and is daring by Cuban standards - bearing in mind that Cuba is the last communist state left. The story is of David - a child of Castro's revolution - locked into a world of misogyny and prejudice. He's an uptight closet - then he meets and gets involved with Diego. David's world is one of the prim and proper revolutionary child., whilst Diego manages to lead a gay lifestyle in an amazingly homphobic society. Their lifestyles collide with major consequences - a really interesting story and well worth watching. My Fair Lady (George Cukor) 1964 Just in time for Christmas, comes the re-release of the best musical ever made - the musical version of Shaw's Pygmalion. It has everything you could ever want from a musical - great music, costumes from Cecil Beaton, and it stars Rex Harrison and AUDREY HEPBURN. The rest of the cast includes a well cast Stanley Holloway and Wilfred Hyde White. As we all know, it's the story of phonetician Henry Higgins who teaches a flower girl to speak Standard English. This is my favourite musical. Audrey is superb - she plays the part so well and Rex does amazing things. If you don't get to see this in a cinema, buy it on video. To Die For (Peter Mackenzie Litten) 1993 This is an AIDS film...... yes, another AIDS film. I had hoped that after Zero Patience I'd never have to see another, but such is life!!! I've watched at least twenty since the epidemic started and the quality has varied from the dark Savage Nights to the Hollywood schmaltz of Philadelphia. This film deals with the dilemma: Do you tell your lover that you are positive? It stars unknowns Ian Williams and Thomas Arklie with a small part for Tony Slattery. I don't want to spoil this movie by saying too much because you should all go and see it. It is, at least, well acted. Super 8 1/2 (Bruce la Bruce) >From the legendary auteur of No Skin Off My Ass, this is the semi autobiographical story of a washed up strung out porn star who is rediscovered by an underground dyke avant garde film maker. It has some hardcore sex scenes and is described as "queer cinema". A crap film - one for the art house crowd who don't go into backrooms or even know what they are!! Video: EuroBoy 7 - Bjorn & Brad's coverboys It's always nice to see the young people enjoying themselves - and that's certainly what you see on this video! Despite the UK's infantile anti-porn laws, Prowler have managed to provide over an hour of raunchy erotica for the discerning adult. There are 2 duos and 3 solos - all featuring the most pleasant looking of smooth young guys. And all served up with Prowler's tongue in cheek humour! Home Made Bad Boys Volume 2 66 minutes of 'home movies' supposedly sent in by viewers who earn UKP200 a time. 'Seven guys showering, making out, stripping and wearing their kinkiest gear in the privacy of their own homes. Phwoar!' Yawn, more like. It really takes professionals to do this sort of thing properly. Mags: Those naughty boys at Prowler Press have done it again! Where do they get their men from? Certainly, I never see any like that in my gay local! Euro Boy 55 has a stunner (Robin) on the front cover - just a pity that some of the shots of him inside are a tad grainy. And Rajiv has, if nothing else, a pleasant smile! The rest of the mag has an interesting selection of smooth young guys. Prowl 28 contains the usual choice of hunky young men - some with a smidgen of hair. Unfortunately, all the pages of my copy are stuck together! Books: The End of Innocence by Simon Garfield Faber UKP17.50 A 350 page survey of the AIDS epidemic in Britain, Garfield's book is a damned good if somewhat depressing read at times. It documents not only years of government inaction, but the response of our community to that inaction as well as the disease. Essential reading. Good Beer Guide 1995 CAMRA UKP9.99 Putting the beer back into queer? Maybe not! Nevertheless, this annual publication is eagerly awaited in our gay household. Which are the gay pubs in it this year? Bloody hell! Can't find any. Oh well, it doesn't really matter. It's still an excellent guide to where to do some serious drinking - and it's surprising the faggots you meet on the straight scene anyway - or are they just there to oblige the straight guys queuing up to be bent after eight pints of Crudgington's Old Inhibition Remover? ------------------------------------------------------ CREDITS: ======= ScotsGay is a magazine for lesbians, gays and bisexuals which is edited, printed and published in Scotland. ISSN: 1357-0595. (c) Pageprint Limited 1994. Non profit use by the lesbigay community of material in the magazine will normally be permitted free of charge - but contact us first for permission. We haven't had sex with most of the people who appear in the magazine so we don't actually know what their sexuality is. Editor: John Hein. Advertising Manager: Gordon Gosnell. Contributors: Richard Wilson (News), Adam and Gordon (Scene), Rex Wockner (International), Tony Hiscox-Sloan (Smut), Martin Powell (Theatre), Braithwaite (Films & Media), Justin Milne (Videos). Editorial Enquiries: Write to: ScotsGay, Pageprint Limited, PO Box 666, Edinburgh. EH7 5YW. Telephone: 0131-557 0412. Fax: 0131-558 1262. E-mail: scotsgay@drink.demon.co.uk We welcome news, articles, photos, cartoons, etc. - especially lesbian material which we regret is totally lacking in this issue. Advertising Enquiries: Telephone: 0374 966402. Fax: 01505 335021 Subscribing by Internet: Scotsgay is available on the Internet. Send a 'subscribe scotsgay-list' message to listserver@drink.demon.co.uk and the text files of future editions will be delivered to you by e-mail. END