Date: Sun, 22 Oct 1995 23:26:34 GMT From: "Listserver@drink.demon.co.uk" SCOTSGAY MAGAZINE ================= ScotsGay is a bi-monthly magazine for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. Edited, printed and published in Scotland Issue 6 - October 1995 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 1995. 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. The printed edition of ScotsGay is available by post at the following rates: 6 issue sub (UK & EC) 6ukp 6 issue sub (Overseas) 12ukp 12 issue sub (UK & EC) 10ukp 12 issue sub (Overseas) 22ukp Make Cheques and POs payable to 'Pageprint Limited' or 'ScotsGay' and send them to: Subscriptions ScotsGay Pageprint Limited PO Box 666 Edinburgh Scotland EH7 5YW ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this edition: Editorial - One Year On News - Reports and Investigations Politics - A Closer Look at Mr Blair Students - Gaysoc Society International - News from around the world Serial - Our sexy duo try something new Arts - Whats Glasgay!ing On Reviews - Films and Books Listings and Helplines - Updated every useful ScotsDyke - An American in Scotland ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: With this issue of Scotsgay, we mark a full year of publishing the new magazine. Many said it shouldn't have been attempted, many said it wouldn''t last, but it was and it has! ScotsGay was launched to fight the monopolisation of our media by an essentially elitist view of lesbigay culture and politics. In our first year, we've attempted to range widely over Scottish events, politics and views - and it seems to have worked, judging from the reaction of our faithful readers. Last month, we launched InsideOut as a standalone free title coming out in the month that ScotsGay does not appear. (InsideOut, of course, remains part of ScotsGay every second month.) Now, we're happy to announce that ScotsGay will be available free of charge in selected pubs and clubs although it will continue on sale at ukp1 in bookshops and newsagents. We're doing this several months earlier than we'd thought possible, thanks to the support of our advertisers. ScotsGay is now the largest circulation lesbigay magazine produced, published and distributed in Scotland by and for Scots (and that's not taking our major Internet presence into consideration). Which is not quite how it was put in one small circulation gay arts magazine! You see, because we don't have the expense of an office and a paid staff, because we produce the magazine as a labour of love and not a nice little earner, because we want to give something back to our community instead of just taking, we CHOOSE to give the magazine away. We hope that you CHOOSE to enjoy it. John Hein --------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS: LESBIANS LASH LIBRARY BOSS Following zaps by the Glasgow chapter of the direct action group the Lesbian Avengers, Glasgow library boss Andrew Millar has partially backed down on his decision to ban the Pink Paper from the City's 41 public libraries. Miller made the decision to ban the weekly Pink Paper as he believed that stocking it would contravene Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 which stops local authorities from "promoting homosexuality". He did this totally on his own initiative and without consulting his Council's lawyers. Now Miller, in an embarrassing climb down, has claimed that the paper was never banned but would remain unstocked in the city's libraries "because there is no demand for it". And he says that the Pink Paper does not cover enough events in Scotland to be worth stocking. Earlier, he'd claimed that he was "uncomfortable" with the paper's "explicit" contact ads. After a meeting with two Avengers, Miller agreed that the Glasgow library service would liaise with local lesbigay groups with regard provision of lesbigay titles. As part of this, ScotsGay has been contacted by the library service and asked for a sample copy of the magazine. And now, ScotsGay has written to the other library services in Scotland offering free copies of the magazine to any public library that wants them. Meanwhile, a single copy of the Pink Paper is available on request at the Mitchell Library. NOT QUITE 21 The Edinburgh Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre celebrated its 20th birthday in style on 14th October. An open day at the Centre saw the Toast to 20 Years being given by local MP Malcolm Chisholm. Centre owners OUTRIGHT Scotland took the opportunity to launch their ukp45,000 appeal to bring wheelchair access to the building as well as generally brightening up the place. Convenor Ian Dunn announced that, thanks to its manager Stevie McLean, ukp700 had already been donated by local gay bar Route 66 and this would go towards the Gallery and Meeting Room. A display of the plans for the Centre is now in the lobby outside the Eat Out Caf The Centre's back garden was used for the first time ever when Chris Whyte and David Kinloch gave readings to a small but appreciative audience. Later, the Stephen Duffy Trio played jazz inside the Centre where West & Wilde had earlier run a bookstall. Unfortunately, many members of OUTRIGHT Scotland were unaware that the event was taking place. The mailing telling them about it was only posted a few days before, and although some did get it in advance or on the day of the event, several people only got their invites the week after! LIBDEMS Some Liberal Democrat members have hit out at a new LibDem leaflet on HIV and AIDS which somehow manages to avoid using gay' anywhere in its 900 words. And there was disappointment too at the refusal to allow a full scale debate on the age of consent at last month's Party Conference held at the SECC in Glasgow. LibDem MP Simon Huges claimed that a range of proposals concerning young people "weren't ready} for debate and will come up next year instead. (Hughes went against his party's long standing policy of Equality at 16 in the Age of Consent Debate in Parliament by proposing an age of 17 for everybody.) However, a crowded Fringe Meeting on lesbigay partnerships, organised by DELGA, was supported by a several LibDem MPs and leaders who heard Mark Watson of Stonewall Immigration Group speak on the UK's discriminatory immigration policy as well as the retired Bishop Derek Rawcliffe who claimed, "We are not sick and therefore we don't need healing"". At another Fringe Meeting on HIV/AIDS, over 100 people heard MP and LibDem Health Spokesperson Alex Carlisle attack the government's total ban on condoms in prisons as "absurd". YOUNG MURDERERS GAOLED Four young thugs who brutally murdered a gay man in an unprovoked attack in Glasgow's Queen's Park have been gaoled by a Glasgow Court. Earlier, the court had heard how the gang had gone on a spree terrorising gay men in the popular South Glasgow cruising ground. Sentencing them at the High Court, Lord Manson lifted reporting restrictions to allow them to be named. Richard Bell (20), Richard Ferguson (16), John Cairns (18) and Claire Cadona (14) were all given life sentences for the murder of Michael Doran in Queen's Park in June, whilst James Knox (20) received 21/2 years for assault and robbery. Sandra Hepburn, sister of the murdered man, said later: "You could not describe these people as animals because no beast would have done what they did. They picked on my brother because he was gay and they did it for pure fun". BLAZING WILDE West & Wilde, Scotland's only lesbigay bookshop in Edinburgh's Dundas Street, was the target for a fire attack on Sunday 17th September. According to partner Bob Orr, "Burning rags were put through the letterbox but luckily burnt out. We discovered it the following morning when we went to open up. People live upstairs, so thank goodness no-one got hurt." Although some ukp15,000 of damage was caused to books and magazines, mainly by smoke, everything is likely to be covered by insurance. But the shop had to be closed for several days for redecoration and salvage work. However Bob is sure it wasn't a homophobic attack. "There was a little bit of trouble at our weekly club, Taste, earlier in the evening when we had to deny entrance to a few people - we think it had something to do with that." SADNESS AND ANGER AT SAM CLOSURE Scottish AIDS Monitor have closed their office in Glasgow following the slashing of funding from Strathclyde Region who, earlier this year, decided to fund PHACE West instead. The move comes hot on the heels of the resignation of SAM's Chief Executive Marwan Ash who had earlier promised the Glasgow operation would continue without extra funding. According to SAM's Board, "SAM has faced many changes in the past year and now faces the loss of the majority of Strathclyde services, the Prison and Roadshow Services. These cuts are being made despite the Board's belief that all of these services currently offered by SAM are unique and valued within the communities they serve. However, our financial position, as a result of the cuts in Strathclyde and national funding, have left the organisation with no alternative but to close the Strathclyde Office and terminate the Prison Work and Roadshow posts." "It is with great sadness and anger that the Board of SAM have had to take these decisions." SAM will continue to maintain a limited Buddy Service in Ayrshire and Arran where they are still funded by the local Health Board. They'll also continue to offer support to current buddies and clients who wish to remain within the organisation and make use of the SAM support system. As a community mobilisation project with lots of volunteers, the Gay Men's Project will continue to undertake HIV education, condom distribution and other activities through the volunteer action groups. PHACE West's co-chair Maureen Moore, commented: "It is always sad to see any HIV agency having to rationalise and close its services". SAM's services in Lothian and Tayside which are currently funded by the local Health Boards and Lothian Regional Council will be unaffected by the cuts OUTRIGHT DUMPS FOCUS GROUPS Campaigning group OUTRIGHT Scotland's Co-ordinating Committee claims to have wound up all of its Focus Groups to concentrate on three specific areas of work: Disabilities, Equality 2000 and the Lantern. In the mailing to members which brought this startling news, no mention was made of the International Focus Group to which OUTRIGHT Scotland has a constitutional commitment. The Focus Groups, which included Diversity (Anti-racism), Women, Law Reform and Police Liaison, were originally created to encourage participation by both members and non-members without interference from the group's central bureaucracy. There is also to be a Special General Meeting in the Edinburgh Lesbigay Centre on 16th December to discuss a constitutional amendment which would allow the Centre to be run by a charitable body - this could have financial advantages. Unfortunately, as the Centre is not yet wheelchair accessible, wheelchair using members who are not prepared to suffer the indignity of being carried into the building will be excluded from the debate. Recent General Meetings had been held in fully accessible venues. GLASGOW The new Gay and Lesbian (where are the bisexuals?) Centre at 11 Dixon Street in the City Centre is set to open on Saturday 4th November. WREATH OUTRIGHT Scotland will lay a wreath at the Edinburgh Cenotaph on 12th November to mark the homosexual fallen' in all conflicts. STUC Bill Spiers, Deputy General Secretary of the STUC has invited a wide range of lesbigay groups to a meeting in Glasgow on 18th November. It's designed to consider lesbigay rights' in the workplace and how the STUC can help. HAMILTON PHACE West Gay Project Worker Kenneth Henry has launched a new group for gay men in Lanarkshire which recently held its first meeting in Hamilton. INVERNESS Mail from Reach Out was stolen and burnt shortly before an incident which involved one of their clients being seriously assaulted and driven from his home because he was HIV+. SHORTLEET Sacked RAF nurse Jeanette Smith, one of the plaintiffs in the Gays in the Military case, is on the shortlist for the 1995 Mike Rhodes Award given to an individual who has significantly promoted understanding of lesbigay life. The winner will be announced at a reception in November. STIRLING Forth Friend will be holding their next disco in the Guildhall on Saturday 4th November. STUDENTS The National Union of Students is to hold a conference on discrimination in Glasgow on 1st November. CARDS Eat Out Caf in Edinburgh has produced an attractive set of postcards featuring the attractions of the lesbigay scene in the City. BISH BASH Peter Tatchell and the former Bishop of Durham, David Jenkins, will be debating at Rebalancing Human Sexuality at Glasgow's St Mary's Cathedral on 28th October. FORUM Lesbigay Social, Campaigning, Health and Union Groups in Lothian, Borders and Fife are to meet at the SOLAS Centre on Monday 4th December at 7.30pm to discuss the creation of a forum for collaboration and information- sharing. ---------------------------------------------------- POLITICS: A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME Tony Blair seems a thoroughly nice chap who quite likes pooves and dykes and a lot of people expect him to be Britain's next Prime Minister. However, our political correspondent John Buchanan has been looking behind the media hype surrounding New Labour and sounds a few warning bells. Call Anthony Charles Lynton Blair a Fetishist and he'd probably politely point out that actually he's an Old Fettesian. Nevertheless, his Edinburgh education has stood him in good stead when it comes to projecting that douce middle class fresh faced appeal which seems to endear him so much to the UK's bourgeoisie. And it's an enduring freshness too - whilst not perhaps in the same league as Sir Cliff Richard, Tony is not quite as young as he looks having been born in 1953. Make no mistake, Blair has worked miracles in turning the public's perception of the Labour Party from a socialist dinosaur to a modern get up and go party. But, these changes have been at the expense of many of the things which made many believe in Old Labour. Or have they? The messages coming from the Spin Doctors of Walworth Road can be confusing. They're also self contradictory if you actually get to hear a good selection of them rather than the ones that are intended just for you. Take the Lesbian and Gay Issue: we may all assume that New Labour is queer friendly but there don't really seem to be any firm commitments to action. As the manifesto for the next election has still to be written, that may be excuseable, but it doesn't exactly demonstrate enthusiasm although Walworth Road is full of what Blair waffled about at Party Conference. Nevertheless, Labour's last general election manifesto didn't actually offer very much other than a free vote on the age of consent in the next parliament. When Labour lost the election, there was a free vote in parliament anyway (which we lost) and there were a number of Labour MPs who voted against us. Having read some of Blair's public pronouncements on the subject, I think that Blair (like Ashdown in the LibDems) genuinely does believe in Lesbigay Equality. But is that personal conviction going to be enough to ensure that satisfactory legislation emerges under a Labour government? Just look at the USA where President Clinton was widely perceived as a friend of our community yet, when the chips were down, and depite clear manifesto committments, he failed to deliver on gays in the armed forces. There's also the fact that despite there being a lot of homosexuals in Blair's Kitchen and Shadow Cabinet, only Chris Smith has come out of his own accord. Peter Mandelson, widely acknowledged as the mastermind behind Blair's leadership campaign, was outed by the gutter press a few years ago and has been so discrete since that he was effectively outed again recently by press reports following the publication of Brian Gould's new book. And, one of Blair's closest colleagues nurses a rock safe majority in a Scottish constituency. Nevertheless, he obviously felt that he had to take a back seat in the leadership race when it became clear that allegations of his friendship with male prostitutes in Glasgow would emerge if he became a runner. If New Labour is really serious about equality, why don't more of their MPs feel able to come out? The truth is that Blair, in trying to appeal to a new constituency of younger more affluent and supposedly more tolerant people can't completely afford to ignore the roots of his party which can be very homophobic. He could, of course, actually tackle that homophobia by getting out and selling his policies to his grassroots (in the way that the mining communities were educated by lesbians and gays during the Miners' Strike). But New Labour seems to prefer to try and appeal to as many people as possible by not actually saying very much. Some of their policies are clearly pretty ropey. The plans for a Scottish Assembly are intended to steal the thunder of the SNP - but probably won't ever amount to very much. As Teddy Taylor says, there is an argument to be made for Independence but not for Devolution which is solely designed to save Labour's skin (and the Union) and isn't really very practical when you look at the expense involved. Look back to 1974 when the Labour Party was all for the Union but got a fright when the SNP took 11 seats in the autumn election. It was only by having a sudden conversion to a devolutionist stance that the Labour Party was able to trounce the Nats the next time round in 1979. You'd expect a radical party to be against Nukes - but they're not. "Trident, please, and keep the Nuclear Power industry working as per usual", seem to be the official line. Their Economic Policies are even more vague and amount to little more than "We're sure that we can do better and be nicer to everybody but, until we see the books, we can't tell you what we will do if we're elected". That's all very well, but a set of costed alternatives scaled according to what the books actually show would be nice. So, can we trust a party which makes a virtue of promising nothing? I used to think that we could, but then I spoke to a friend who had been present at the Labour Party's Campaign Headquarters at the Littleborough and Saddleworth Byelection. This chap, a stalwart of many byelection campaigns, told me that New Labour frightened him. "It's not so much that they're ruthless about achieving power, it's more the feel that power is an end in itself and they don't have any clear idea what they'll do with it when they have it." I value his judgement. Will they ever have power? I'm not so sure. The Tories have been written off before but have bounced back. Listening to their Conference this week, I think they may just be able to pull it off again by appealing to the worst in people. There are three million people in the UK who aren't on the electoral register and most of them are assumed to be Labour voters. New Labour might just be better off by appealing to them and getting them onto the register rather than going for the votes of people who are doing all right thank you and have been so damaged by Thatcherism that they have lost the capability to care about others. In reality, whilst the majority of the lesbigay vote will probably go to Labour this time, there's no reason why it should. In the USA, now that the Clinton Bubble has burst, the Gay Republicans are becoming a political force to be reckoned with. This could happen with the gay Tories (once their gay ministers finally stop parading their wives about just to try and convince us that they're really straight). The SNP and LibDems too can claim their fair share of our vote even if some of their most ardent lesbigay campaigners are actually straight! So, Young Tony, if I was writing your report card, I'd have to say: "Shows promise, but must try harder". --------------------------------- STUDENTS: GAYSOC SOCIETY Now that most students have headed off to University and College (are there any Poly's left?), all the GaySocs are in full swing. John Hein has been out cruising the campus and reports from his old shagging grounds. It was somewhat strange going back to my old uni at Stirling to see what the students of today were up to. Whilst remembering the place with some fondness, I honestly can't say that my four years there were the best years of my life - in fact, there was very little sex as I frightened a lot of guys off by being pretty militantly out, something which didn't go down too well with many at the time. Despite the best endeavours of the interior decorators to stick bits of wooden panelling on the walls in an attempt to give the place a heritage' feel, Stirling remains a monument to white breeze block construction. The GaySoc meets bi-weekly on a Wednesday in the newly constructed (since I was there) Council Room - along past the supermarket, into Student Union Land and then in a usefully discreet side corridor. I arrived early and found a few people hanging around equally discreetly until a janitor turned up to open the door. Then, much to my surprise, within the space of a few seconds, there appeared from the woodwork (or possibly the breeze blocks) fourteen people. Bloody hell - that's considerably better than we ever managed back in the 70's, I thought to myself. This initial gathering of seven men and seven women continued to grow so that, over the evening, some twenty- five people had seen fit to attend what some would find a fairly boring meeting in a pretty uncongenial formal meeting room. This particular meeting had been arranged to discuss the perrenial problem of what do we do at the next meeting?' And that is what the assembled friendly bunch of pooves, dykes and bicycles proceeded to do over the next hour or so with a few diversions into Glasgay!, what was going on at Forth Friend, fund raising, the pestilent Christian Union, and so forth. They decided that their main event of the Semester (Stirling doesn't have Terms) is to be a Free Love' evening in one of the Halls of Residence. This will take the form of stalls, free condoms, leaflets, and, most importantly, a few homosexuals standing around being Out and Proud. And they'll even be taking along one token heterosexual who has invited them to 'put her on a banner and wave her about'. That decided, we came to the most important part of the evening: the social in the Union Bar where I took the opportunity to chat to a few of the prime movers behind Stirling's GaySoc. Amy McIntosh, the GaySoc's President, is a 3rd year student studying English. She's from the wilds of Caithness and didn't come out until she came to Uni. "We try to run the whole thing as a Committee to maximise involvement in the group. The previous set-up was purely social which probably maximised attendance as politics puts some people off. Nevertheless, we have over 40 members at the moment." Jamie Heckerty, a visiting student from Grinnell College, Iowa, studies Psychology with Gender and Womens Studies. I asked him how he found Stirling after his large American campus. "Well, I'm used to being highly visible, but not the most visible queer on campus as I am here!", he laughed. GaySoc at Grinnell seems to be one of the biggest clubs and societies there. Quite a difference! James Forrest is a 1st year student studying Computing and Education. He's a local lad, hailing from the Hillfoots and links Town and Gown by serving as Secretary of Forth Friend's Youth Group. "What we're aiming for with GaySoc is to create a friendly environment for people to come out. It's vital in a small town like Stirling." Quite so! I made my excuses leaving the nucleus of the group chatting and drinking whilst I headed off home secure in the knowledge that although Stirling's GaySoc might be small, it was perfectly formed for its pupose. GAYSOC LIST Most of the larger Colleges and Uni's have a GaySoc of some sort. This list was compiled with the help of David Armstrong, Lesbigay Officer of the National Union of Students Scotland. Aberdeen University Cardonald College Clydebank College Coatbridge College Dundee College Edinburgh University Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow University Heriot-Watt University Langside College Moray House Institute Napier University Queen Margaret College Telford College, Edinburgh The Robert Gordon University University of Abertay University of Paisley University of Stirling University of Strathclyde If you don't see any posters around, ask at your Students Union Office (phone if you're too shy to call round in person). What to do if your College or Uni doesn't have a GaySoc? Pop along to your Student Union and ask how to go about setting up one of your own. Most Student Unions merely require you to hand in a list of members along with a constitution (they'll usually provide a model constitution on request). You may also have to collect a membership fee from your members. The best thing to do is to go and sign up a bunch of your friends, irrespective of their sexuality. When you've done this, you'll have access to all the Union's facilities and will probably be eligible for a Clubs and Societies grant of some sort. If you have any problems with your Student Union, do get in touch with the National Union of Students Lesbigay Officer David Armstrong. He can be contacted on 0131-556 6598 (E-mail: nus-scot@dircon.co.uk) or write to NUS Scotland, 11 Broughton Market, Edinburgh. EH3 6NU. Check our listings for regional contacts and addresses. --------------------------------- INTERNATIONAL NEWS from Rex Wockner CONFERENCE DELETES LESBIAN RIGHTS In its final hours on Sept. 15, the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, deleted from its "Platform for Action" language urging the world's governments to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. The delegates, who came from 189 countries, could not reach consensus that lesbians should be protected, but they did retain other language that is being construed as pro-lesbian. One clause asserts that women's human rights include the rights to control and decide matters related to their sexuality, free from coercion, discrimination or violence, and another clause notes that "various forms of the family exist." Rachel Rosenbloom of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission called the surviving language "very good" and predicted that at the next U.N. women's conference, in the year 2005, lesbians will achieve their goal. She noted that at the 1985 conference, only one nation defended lesbians whereas more than 30 did so this year. Supporters included the EU nations, Australia, Barbados, Canada, the Cooke Islands, Cuba, Israel, Jamaica, Latvia, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland and the U.S. Opponents included several Islamic and predominantly Roman Catholic nations, and seven African countries. ROMANIAN CHRISTIANS TO RE-BAN GAY SEX The Romanian parliament's seeming legalization of gay sex has provoked the Christian Orthodox Students organization to begin collecting signatures for a voters' referendum to recriminalize homosexuality. The group has gathered about 200,000 of the 500,000 signatures needed. Under pressure from the Council of Europe, Romania's Chamber of Deputies joined the Senate last month in voting to legalize gay sex unless it creates "public scandal." President Ion Iliescu still has to sign the measure. Gay sex that scandalizes the public will be punished with up to five years in prison. This sounds as if it criminalizes only public copulation, but the gay organization Bucharest Acceptance Group says the clause actually permits police to gaol almost any gay or lesbian at whim. BAG explained: "Comments by members of parliament during the long debate made it perfectly clear what the purpose of the revision was: to enact a cosmetic change while making it punishable for gays or lesbians to develop any public or political identity. The only existing definition of public scandal' in Romanian law dates from 1938, and identifies it as any act which becomes known to more than two persons who disapprove of it.' "Moveover," BAG said, "new language added to Article 200 drives the point home: proselytizing, associations, or any form of propaganda' for homosexuality will be punishable by a stiff prison term. This language ensures that any public expression of homosexuality will lead directly to the prison cell. Not only gay love but gay organizations, politics, clubs, bars, meetings gay life itself will remain persecuted by police." FRANCE Notorious French rightist leader Jean-Marie Le Pen says there may be gays in his National Front party but there are no flamers. "There may be homosexuals in the FN but there are no queens among us," Le Pen said. He was speaking to reporters about the murder of FN official Jean-Claude Poulet-Dachary in Toulon recently. Police say the macho ex-soldier had visited gay bars just prior to his death. "I don't know if he was a homosexual," Le Pen said. "But if all homosexuals were murdered in France, there would be a mass slaughter, especially among the establishment." POLAND The Polish Catholic Church's attempt to get the film "Priest" banned led a record 75,000 people to see it the first week it played, in late September. Pawel Dutkowski of Solopan distributors said the church protest was "solely" responsible for the huge turnout. "Massive audiences have been attracted," he said. "We ourselves could not have afforded such a large promotion campaign." GERMANY The Munich city police are discriminating against gay foreigners. Members of the gay group Rosa Liste have shown passports of two gay Poles who had been arrested in a bar raid. One passport was stamped "homo- scene" and the other "homo-rent," meaning "gay prostitute." A police spokesman admitted the stamping of passports was illegal and said the officers involved will be disciplined. He urged foreign gays with defiled passports to bring them in for "cleaning." PHILIPPINES A Philippine congressman has filed a bill to create a seat in Parliament for gays. "Civility requires that this peculiar segment of our people be extended our understanding, not ridicule, our compassion, not harassment," said Congressman Reynaldo Calalay. The constitution allows the Philippine president to appoint 25 legislators as representatives of minority groups. RUSSIA Four years ago, about 20 percent of Russians told pollsters that homosexuals should be killed, 30 percent said they should be arrested and 40 percent said they should receive forced medical treatment. Now, new polls show only 10 to 15 percent favouring execution of gays. "This is progress," said Vladislav Ortanov, a leading Moscow gay activist. ZIMBABWE Following President Robert Mugabe's repeated harsh denunciations of gays and lesbians, a member of Zimbabwe's parliament has called for homosexuals to be quarantined. "Like tuberculosis patients, they should be hibernated [sic] in an isolation hospital until they are treated," MP Aeneas Chigwedere said. ---------------------------------------------------- SERIAL: DAVE GETS A BIG SURPRISE In the last episode of Tony Hiscox-Sloan's tale of two guys growing up gay together, the young lovers came out to Dave's parents without any problems. What happens next? Will they ever finish the large box of condoms? Read on and find out ... Coming out to Mum and Dad was a lot easier than I could ever have imagined. Whether our middle class background had anything to do with that or not, I guess I'll never know. The proof of the pudding could well be in the eating when Paul's parents eventually find out. However, for the time being, it will have to be our secret until Paul is ready to come out to them. I was on my own for a while as Lover Boy had to go home - clean knickers required after last night's bouts of passion. I did hope he managed to get them into the wash without being spotted! I had just started to clean out my room in his absence when the phone rang. "Hi Sexy", came the voice at the other end. "Who's that?", I pretended in my best innocent voice. "How many lovers do you have then, Big Boy". "God, we've only just left each other", I teased. "So, you don't want to speak to me then?" "Oh, stop teasing! And why the phone call?" "I just wanted to call you to tell you something." "Well, go on then." "I was thinking of you when I was coming back here on the bus." "Yeah!", I replied. "Well, you know that we had some really good sex before I left your place this morning." "How could I forget, my arse is still throbbing!" "Well, I got another hardon on the bus just thinking about it." "You randy sex mad sod", I cried. "You know what, Dave? I'm hard again just talking to you now. Is it OK to come back up once I've sorted a couple of things out at this end?" "God, you'll wear me out", I said in a mock theatrical voice. "Yeah, come on up, I'll be waiting." "See you in about an hour then. Byeeee!" The phone went dead. The thought of Paul needing me again so soon really sent me into a spin. Last night's and this morning's sex were really great and I thought I had satisfied the beast in him for the time being anyway. Obviously not. It was nearer two hours before he appeared and I was beginning to wonder if something had happened when the front door bell rang. When I opened the door, there stood Paul dressed in white jeans and t-shirt. God, he looked great. He had obviously gone to a lot of effort to dress just the way I liked him. His dick was in a semi-erect state and it was plain to see that he had no pants on - a fact that really turned me on. All pumped up and ready for action. "Hi! Come on in. We're on our own and the house is ours 'til five o'clock." Paul closed the door behind him and grabbed me, spun me round and kissed me with a passion that took me by surprise for a second or two. We fell on a heap at the foot of the stairs still kissing away madly. I could feel his hard manhood bursting to get at me. I couldn't wait to get in bed. Nothing surprised me about Paul any more, but what lay in store certainly did this time. We had stripped our clothes off and were giving each other a good sixty nine when Paul looked at me in a funny kind of way, leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Have I got a surprise for you, Lover Boy, I want to be fucked". Well, up to then my man was just that in our relationship, the man. This was a really turning point, here was Mr Straight' wanting the lot. I turned Paul onto his belly, pulled out the KY and lubricated him well. "I'll try not to hurt you." He just smiled and whispered to me to get on with it. Quickly I rubbered up my rigid cock and slipped the head towards his very willing arse and soon found that I had no real problem in deflowering my man. Once inside, we soon got into the rhythm and I must say I was a bit surprised at how quickly Paul began to enjoy the experience. This was to put a whole new meaning into our sex lives. As I had already come not so long ago, I was able to last for quite some time - a fact that seemed to please Lover Boy. By the moans from him as I thrust away at his beautiful bum, I could sense that he was really into it. When I was ready to come, my balls were aching to shoot my next load and I tell you no lies when I say that my orgasm was the best I have ever experienced - bar none. I came from the soles of my feet, shooting up my length and bursting into a spasm the likes of which I had never known before - but hoped to God they were all like this in the future. Exhausted, we fell into each other's arms and just smiled contentedly. Well, almost. Paul's little pecker was still demanding attention and who was I to refuse? ------------------------------------------- ARTS: THERE'S A LOT GLASGAY!ING ON! Glasgay! 1995 is Europe's largest lesbigay arts festival and will be attracting visitors from all over the world from Friday 27th October until Sunday 5th November. There's a lot of public money involved, the gay arts mafia has managed to screw ukp32K+ out of the Scottish Arts Council and the local authorities much to the disgust of Glasgow Tory Councillor Bill Aitken. Over 23,000 folk turned out for the last Glasgay! in 1993. This year, who knows? There's a lot on the menu for the ten days of the fest and you should be able to pick up a copy of the brochure in most of the pubs and clubs as well as the many venues who are staging an event. Internet punters can have a gander at http://www.wonder.co.uk/glasgay/ Main sponsor of Glasgay! is Gay Xchange, the gay telephone entertainment company which has just created history by having its adverts on the telly! >From a community point of view, the highlight of the festival will be the Grand Opening of the Gay and Lesbian Centre on Saturday 4th November at 12 noon. It must be 15 years since Glasgow lost it's first Centre and a lot of people have put a lot of work into the new project. We wish it every success. Much of the money for the new Centre has come from the tireless efforts of the fundraisers. There will be another fundraiser - a Ceilidh - in the Winter Gardens on 31st October. The Stonewall Group will be putting on an all-star cast for their A Show For Glasgay! Two at the Citizens Theatre on 29th October. The Citizens Company itself will be doing The Night I Grooved to Disco Tex & the Sex-o-lettes in Barry Blue's Poncho. Bobbie Macaroni is the six time winner of Opportunity Knocks as Max Sharp hosts this evening of 70's tack. The Citz is also doing Noel Coward's A Song at Twilight in a new production by Giles Havergal who is, himself, something of a gay institution and really deserves a sainthood from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. No faggot fest would be complete without Clyde Unity. They're on at the Tron with A Little Older which won the 1992 Independent Theatre Award. Chloe Poems is at the Arches Theatre with an extravagance of eloquence, compassion and hilarity'. A Tory MP by day, a gay socialist, transvestite, poet and raconteur by night. 7:84 and SAM's Gay Men's Project will be Talking Bollocks on the 3rd and 4th. So, what's new? Seriously, sounds like good stuff. Gay Sweatshop are at the Cottier from 31st October to 2nd November with The Hand - a lesbian horror ballet. And then there's the biggy: Samhain '95 - Glasgay! Fire Festival. Over 200 performers including the delightfully LOUD SheBoom will be taking part in an explosive performance of sound, fire and dance to celebrate the ancient celtic fire festival of Samhain (Hallowe'en). And not forgetting your goodselves, of course. You're invited to bring along something to bang as well as lights, gay clothes and sensible shoes. There's so much going on that it's really not possible to do justice to it in this small space - it would take the whole magazine. But do get over to Glasgow for a few days if you can - it really will be worth while. Martin Powell ------------------------------------------------------ REVIEWS: film: For a Lost Soldier (93mins) Netherlands 1992 - Cert 18 Roeland Kerbosch This is paedophilia with clogs on! A delightful little film which has been around in a cut version on video for a couple of years, the British Premiere is at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh on 20th October when the young star of the film, Maarten Smit will attend. After a short run in Edinburgh, it will transfer to the Glasgow Film Theatre. The story is of a young boy, clearly pre-pubertal, who is evacuated to the Dutch countryside during WWII. When the liberating Canadian soldiers come, they get off with the girls of the village apart from one who gets off with the young boy. Here, the film includes a most tender buggery scene part at least of which was cut from the video release. Of course, the soldier then goes away, like soldiers do, and the boy is sad. A most touching little story - and a true one apparently. The screening at the Filmhouse has been organised in conjunction with Scotland on Sunday - surprising in view of the usual media attitude to cross generational sex. This film could only have been made in the Netherlands - here such a controversial subject would be taboo. Do see the film if you can. For my part, I wonder if Smit has grown up into someone shaggable - I must confess that it was his older friend in the film who interested me! The Neon Bible (92mins) UK 1995 - Cert 15 Terence Davies Another growing up movie, based upon John Kennedy Tool's book, gay film maker Terence Davies's latest feature is set in 1940's America. In a small Southern Bible Belt town, young David's life is transformed when his flamboyant Aunt May comes to live with him, but even her vitality can't deflect the inevitable senso of tragedy that hangs over his home. This one is on at both the Filmhouse and the GFT before going on tour. Justin Milne books: Bayswater Bodycount by Graeme Gordon Serpent's Tail, ukp7.99 Bayswater Bodycount provides you with a chillingly humourous trawl through a very sleazy contemporary London. There is carnage and mayhem galore in this book, from the illicit pleasures of drug abuse to the wierdest fetishistic sex practices via the coolest raves and the most incredible people one could ever wish to meet. Just to give you a bit of an idea I'll just provide you with a tantalizing peep into some of the going ons within these covers. There are of course the teenage pan-Arabic terrorists who murder a Jewish boy in a Halal butchers. And then there are the Zionist rent boy dwarves out for revenge and to top it all, their bosses and customers at an evenings entertainment of pig baiting. Confused, you will be, but also humoured, entertained and riveted. See for yourself! Buck Falaya by James Killgore Polygon, ukp7.99 Story of two brothers growing up without a mother in the deep south of the U.S.A. in the sixties. Some appealing moments, but never a page turner. Yet another addition to the literature of adolescence. Perhaps worth getting from the library. The Burning Library (Writings on Art, Politics and Sexuality 1969 - 1993) by Edmund White Picador, ukp6.99 If you've read and enjoyed "A Boys Own Story" or "Forgetting Elena" by this gifted writer you simply must read this collection of essays and Newspaper articles by Edmund White. It's provided me with a riveting insight into the mind of this writer, who so clearly positioned himself either as a gay man speaking to other gay men or as the intermediary between the gay and the straight reading community. The book is presenting the writings in chronological order, thereby providing the continuity of thought and growth of White's changing concerns as a writer and thinker. It charts the elation felt by many a gay man after the Stonewall Riots, but also the depth of despair felt by as many a gay man about the advent of AIDS. Rarely have I had the opportunity to read a book as deeply moving and yet incredibly funny, full of the charm of a style of journalism sadly not found very often these days and the wisdom of a true gay philosopher. You can tell that I'm impressed so do yourself a favour and get a copy. You won't regret it! Egyptian Faience and Glass by Paul T. Nicholson Shire Publications. ukp3.95 If you've ever seen Egyptian art and artifacts and marveled at their beauty and perhaps wondered just how they made these things so perfect and colourful, then this book is certainly for you. This little edition is packed with a comprehensive history of the making of Egyptian Faience glass and the pictures would be stunning were they reproduced in colour. Still, at ukp3.95 I suppose you can't expect glorious Technicolour. Definitely a good reference book for your shelf and if you are really interested, this book is number 18 of a Shire Publications series, which deals with all aspects of Egyptology in the other titles available. False Witness by Dexter Dias Hodder & Stoughton, ukp9.99 Although usually not this reviewer's cup of tea, I was thoroughly absorbed by this legal thriller. Dexter Dias, a barrister in his early thirties met Ruth Rendall while defending a murder case and she told him to get on with writing this first novel. He wrote it in his breaks at court, during lunch, at breakfast and whenever he could find a minute or two to scribble a few lines. The book itself is, apart from the courtroom setting, a tour de force through ancient mythology, fucked up minds and a collection of weird and wonderful persons, well structured and not a stray thought in sight. Although not of particular "gay" interest I consider it well worth reading. Jasmine Nights by S.P. Somtow Penguin Books, ukp 6.99 I was ten years old in 1963 and this book set in that year brought back loads of memories from those years. At twelve years old, Little Frog has a fantastic and sustaining inner life. His parents have disappeared, laeving him in the care of relatives on the families estate in Bangkok. Little Frog refuses to accept his Thai heritage, only eats english food, speaks only English and answers to the name of Justin. Like Justin, for me the first encounter with a black kid was a momentous occasion. Like Justin, I was in the turmoil of growing up and trying to make sense of an increasingly confusing and disturbing world. And like Justin, I spent a lot of my time in my own little world of fantasy and make believe. This book handles the thoughts and action of this boy left in the care of his three aunties, affectionately known as the three Fates in Bangkok with incredible tenderness and a large springling of humour. The author kept surprising me with little gems like describing being stuck in a traffic jam in unbearable heat with this sentence: "The traffic oozes like the final dollop of toothpaste from a tube squeezed to its ultimate flatness." It's one of those books I was very sorry to finish and I look forward to reading more by this gifted wordsmith. Man Enough to be a Woman by Jayne County with Rupert Smith Serpants Tail, ukp11.99 Call me an old hippie if you like, but I really related to this one, man. Wonderful flashbacks to the age of my youth abounded in this book. Names like Bowie, Andy Warhol, John Lennon and many more are dropped in an amazingly weird and whacky journey through the life of this artist. Wayne County was born into a female dominated household in deepest rural Georgia and from a very early age felt compelled to dress in women's clothing. His transvestite feelings led to him becoming one of the most outrageous constituents of the blossoming Hippy and Gay culture from the Stonewall/Woodstock era in the 60s and his career stretches right to the present day. He did consider very seriously going whole way and undergoing sex change treatment, but decided not to continue after a prolonged period of taking hormone treatment. She now has taken a female persona though and has changed her name to Jayne County. A fascinating insight into a very varied and unusual life is provided by this book, which is by no means a literary masterpiece, but the contents excuse the rough edges. Anecdotes like the following extract are liberally scattered throughout this volume: - Johnny Rotten had been quoted as saying that Wayne County was the only woman he would ever consider marrying, so naturally I was curious to meet him. Johnny said, "I hear you've got tits!", and he reached over and grabbed me and said, "Naaah, my tits are bigger than that." So I reached down and grabbed his cock and said, "Yeah, and my cock's bigger than that." We got on fine after that. - Definitely recommended reading. The Muscle Art of Ray Lawrence ditions Aubrey Walter, ukp19.95 I've always had problems with expensive arty wank books - but this really isn't one of them despite the publisher it comes from. It's just not particularly erotic - but that makes this fairly cheerful set of drawings all the more charming. They're fairly crudely executed, but I'd be glad to have any of the originals on my bathroom wall. Lingering Lessons by Sarah Veitch Nexus, ukp4.99 It isn't really necessary to read this book to review it - just a glance at the cover photograph (semi-naked female, bottom bared, submissive) and a thought or two given to the title gives us more than enough. Only the keenest male dom/spanking/bondage fan could read this and honestly enjoy it. To be fair, the rude bits are moderately raunchy and, at first, genuinely erotic, but thereafter for non-devotees the thrill abates. Based on a plot thinner than a poser's pouch and sadly bereft of wit and imagination, this book doesn't inspire and would cause instant apoplexy to any P.C. lesbian unfortunate enough to peruse its panting pages. Making Out; The Book of Lesbian Sex and Sexuality by Zoe Schramm-Evans with Photographs by Laurence Jaugey-Paget Pandora, ukp14.99 It may cost fifteen quid, but this is one of those quality sex books that only a bona-fide uptight prude could criticize. Simply written, informative and practical, it effortlessly answers more questions than I could think to ask. There is a genuine truth about this book, which allows it to be sexually explicit without ever being offensive. Its content is comprehensive, yet its author manages to convey a feeling of love and sensuality, but never schmaltz or sentimentality. It does lack a preface or a conclusion, but I guess this is just me wanting more of the author's views, and sound ones they seem too. Included is a series of erotic photo stories which enhance what is surely the lesbian handbook. Old Jewellery Duncan James Shire Publications, ukp4.95 Not so long ago I was asked if I had seen any good books on old jewellery. Well, I can tell that dear old drag queen, that I have found a wonderful book for her, and it's called, funnily enough, Old Jewellery. Very informative and well written, it explains such things as carat values, old workshop practices, precious gem stones, the cutting of gem stones and much, much more information on this subject. If you like old jewellery then you must go out and buy this book, you simply can't afford not to. -------------------------------- LISTINGS We TRY to provide Scotland's most up-to-date and accurate 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. 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. SWITCHBOARDS AND HELPLINES ABERDEEN LESBIAN & GAY SWITCHBOARD: Wed & Fri 7-10pm Phone: Aberdeen (01224) 586869 Minicom: Aberdeen (01224) 213355 Fax: Aberdeen (01224) 212333 AYRSHIRE GAY AND LESBIAN SWITCHBOARD: Mon, Wed & Fri 7-10pm Phone: Ayr (01292) 619000 BISEXUAL PHONELINE: Thurs 7.30-9.30pm Phone: 0131-557 3620 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 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 7.30-9.30pm Phone: Stirling (01786) 471285 GLASGOW LESBIAN LINE: Wed 7-10pm Phone: 0141-552 3355 LOTHIAN GAY & LESBIAN SWITCHBOARD: Nightly 7.30-10pm Phone: 0131-556 4049 STRATHCLYDE GAY AND LESBIAN SWITCHBOARD: Nightly 7-10pm Phone: 0141-332 8372 LONDON LESBIAN AND GAY SWITCHBOARD: 24 hours Phone/Minicom: 0171-837 7324 NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND is Scotland's oldest 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. To contact, write to: The Secretary, OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND, 58a Broughton Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3SA or send e-mail to tmh@dcs.ed.ac.uk EDINBURGH: The Lantern is a drop-in discussion group which meets every Monday 7.309pm in the Edinburgh Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre at 58a Broughton Street. Varied programme please drop down any Monday, no formalities, new members welcomed. Details: Phone Gerry on 0131-448 2040 or Marshall on 0131- 467 4456. 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. Why not join OUTRIGHT SCOTLAND? Membership is ukp12 waged, ukp6 low-waged (under ukp10,000 pa) and ukp3 unwaged. Life membership is ukp150. 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 annual lesbian, gay male and bisexual Pride event in Scotland. Phone: 0131-556 8822. Or write: c/o 58a Broughton Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3SA. Pride Scotland would like to thank all those who worked so hard to make this year's event such a success. All kinds of help are urgently required for next year! LOCAL ORGANISATIONS ABERDEEN: Aberdeen Gay Group caters for all ages and meets 3rd Sunday of every month. Phone Ron on Aberdeen (01224) 640996 for 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. AYR: Ayrshire Forum is a group for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals providing support and acting as a social focus. Meets every Wednesday 7-10pm. For info: Telephone Ayr (01292) 268900 Tue and Thur 7-10pm or write c/o The Leisure Centre, 24 Wellington Square, Ayr. 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 Ayrshire Mesmen Group for gay and bisexual men. Meets Tue 7-10pm. Details from Ayrshire Switchboard. 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 each 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 7.309.30pm or write to Dumfries and Galloway Lesbian and Gay Group, PO Box 1299, Dumfries. DG1 2PD. DUNDEE: Tay Friend, holds regular social meetings for gay men. 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 Blue Moon, 36 Broughton Street. Phone Lothian Switchboard for details. The Lantern is an informal discussion group held every Monday 7.309pm downstairs in the Edinburgh Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre, 58a Broughton Street. Phone: Gerry on 0131-448 2040 or Marshall on 0131-467 4456. ELGIN: Elgin Gay Switchboard is trying to get off the ground. For more details, telephone Bobby on Elgin (01343) 542928. Moray Gay Group meets second Wednesday of each month 8.15pm in the lounge (enter from car park) of the Cat's Whiskers pub in New Elgin. Phone Douglas on Elgin (01343) 547107 for details. FIFE FRIEND: Small voluntary phoneline offering support, advice and information to lesbians and gay men within Fife. Friday: 7.30pm10.30pm. Telephone: Kirkcaldy (01592) 266688. Write to PO Box 19, Kirkcaldy, Fife. KY1 3JF. Runs a monthly disco. GLASGOW: 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 0141-227 6936 (Phone/Fax). For childcare, phone and ask for Kim (at least 1 week in advance). BSL Interpreter is usually available (check 2 weeks in advance). Glasgow Gay Group is an informal social group for gay men. Has a regular weekly pub night as well as running other social events like 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. 12.303.30pm in Austin's Bar, 183a Hope Street, Glasgow. Details from Strathclyde Switchboard. HAMILTON: Lanarkshire Gay Men's Group is a new group which meets regularly. Details from Kenneth Henry at Phace West: 0141-332 3838. INVERCLYDE: Inverclyde Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Group imeets every Tuesday 7-10pm. Details from Joe Hammill on Greenock (01475) 729174. 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. IV1 2XX. 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 8.30-10.30pm. Details: Phone Sandra on 0141- 887 2649 or contact Strathclyde Switchboard. WOMEN'S GROUPS ABERDEEN LESBIAN GROUP: Meets every Wednesday 8-10pm in the Women's Centre, Shoe Lane. Phone Aberdeen (01224) 625010 or 627415 for details. EDINBURGH: AD Group: For lesbians 45+ (younger lesbians who support the concerns of lesbians 45+). Meetings for discussion and support, first Saturday (15pm) of month in The Women's Centre, 61a Broughton Street. For more details, phone Edinburgh Lesbian Line. 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 7.3010pm. For information, advice and counselling in confidence. Write to: PO Box 169, Edinburgh. EH1 3UU. Edinburgh Bisexual Group meets every Thursday at 8pm-9.30pm in the Edinburgh Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre, 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 Women's Library, 4th/5th Floors, 109 Trongate, G1 5HD. Tel: 0141-552 8345. Open Tue-Fri 1-6pm. Sat 2-5pm. Closed Mon. Lending and reference library - books, magazines, journals, videos, leaflets and information. UK and overseas feminist and lesbian publications. Contains the Lesbian Archive and Information Centre - unique national collection of publications, journals and ephemera by and for lesbians. Lesbian Avengers: Meets regularly. Phone 0141-552 8345 for details. Lesbian Line: 0141-552 3355 Wednesdays 710pm. 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. Crche and fares help available. Phone Lynne on 0141-221 7150. Lesbian Networking Meeting: Contact Glasgow Lesbian Line for meeting details and Lynne on 0141-221 7150 for childcare information. Lesbian Sports Group: Squash, badminton, tennis. Meets weekly. Phone Glasgow Lesbian Line for details. Lesbian Youth Action: Contact Lindsay Jane Morgan c/o Glasgow Lesbian Line. Olderwomen's Group: Contact Glasgow Lesbian Line 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 Glasgow Lesbian Line 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. OL14 5TZ. Please enclose an sae. Phone/Fax: Todmorden (01706) 817235. BISEXUALS EDINBURGH BISEXUAL GROUP: Meets every Thursday at 8pm-9.30pm in the Edinburgh Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre, 58a Broughton Street. There's an excellent programme of talks and speakers usually followed by a visit to a local pub for socialising. Phone Bisexual Line on 0131-557 3620. 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. Phone/Fax: Kenilworth (01926) 58450. BEARS BEARS' CLUB UK: For hairy men and admirers. Meets in the New Town Bar, Edinburgh on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 8.30pm. Write to: BCUK, 56 Albert Street, Beswick, Manchester. M11 3SU. BEREAVEMENT LESBIAN & 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. Active Scottish section. Write for details to GBMCC, PO Box 33, Nottingham. NG10 2BF. CHRISTIANS L&GCM: Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement. Scottish Helpline 0141-334 2286 Thurs 710pm or write to PO Box 1436, Glasgow. G31 2NY. METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH: An inclusive church for the lesbigay and trangendered community in Edinburgh. Meets every third Sunday in the Chaplaincy Centre, 1 Bristo Square, at 6pm. Write: MCC Edinburgh, PO Box 12433, Edinburgh. EH1 3FU or phone Middlesborough (01642) 534344. 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. Telephone: Linkline Glasgow on 0141- 552 8328. Sunday 710pm. Or you can write to: Quest, PO Box 280, Glasgow. G12 0AW. COMPUTER BUFFS BORDERS BULLETIN BOARD: Computer based info every evening 6pm-8am. Hawick (01450) 377877. To get at the Gay areas, leave a message for the SYSOP asking for access. CHAPPS BBS: 24 hour board operating at speeds up to 28,800. 0131-539 1132. Fido echoes. LAMBDA BOARD EDINBURGH: A free 24 hour 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. GLASGAY!: Scotland's Lesbigay Arts Festival taking place 27th Oct - 5th November. Write: PO Box 1590, Glasgow. G12 9XZ. Phone: 0141-204 0741. Fax: 0141-204 0742. 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. Promotes social events, education and mutual help services and publishes a magazine. Phone Robert: Falkirk (01324) 632185. 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. 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 E1 6LS 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 Rob Nunn, 25/6 West Pilton Park, Edinburgh. EH4 4DU or telephone him on 0131-332 9662. National Helpline: 0171-566 0044 Wed 7-9pm. HEALTH MATTERS AYRSHIRE AIDS AWARENESS PROJECT: Support and assistance for those living with AIDS/HIV. Befriending and buddy services. Phone: Ayr (01292) 619000 Or write: PO Box 1043, Ayr. KA6 5JQ. BODY POSITIVE (GLASGOW): Providing support for those HIV+ and with AIDS in the West of Scotland. Phone: 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): Phone to speak to a gay positive person 1:1 on 0131-652 0754 Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri 10am-4pm, Thur 10am-7pm. Or write to: 37-39 Montrose Terrace, Edinburgh. EH7 5DJ. CENTRE FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH: 6 Sandyford Place, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. G3 7NB. Open Tue-Thur 10am-4.30pm (other times by arrangement). Fully accessible. Telephone: 0141-211 6700 (Minicom: 0141-211 6701). 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 79pm 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: 0141-842 7203. PHACE WEST: A locally based and managed agency for people affected by HIV/AIDS serving Glasgow and the West of Scotland. 49 Bath Street, Glasgow. G2 2DL. Phone: 0141-332 3838 (Fax: 0141-332 3755). 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. Phone: 0131-558 1122. PSORIASIS GROUP: A new self-help group for lesbians, gays and bisexuals affected by psoriasis. Write to: Stuart Easton, 7/9 Orwell Terrace, Edinburgh. EH11 2DU. REACH OUT HIGHLAND: encourages and supports people throughout the Highlands whether living there or visiting to take responsibility for, manage, and make informed choices about their sexual health and well- being. 28 Huntly Street, Inverness. Phone: Inverness (01463) 711585. 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. Phone: 01382 461167 (Dundee), or 0131-555 4850 (Edinburgh). Or write to c/o SWT Dept, Northern College, Gardyne Road, Broughty Ferry, Dundee or 26 Anderson Place, Leith, Edinburgh. EH6 5NP. SOLAS NATIONAL HIV INFORMATION CENTRE: 2/4 Abbeymount, Edinburgh. EH8 8EJ. 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: 0171-831 3535 (Mon-Fri 7-9.30pm). State clearly that you seek Scottish legal advice as our law is very different from that of England and Wales. ORDERS ORDER OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE: The Sisters and Brothers of the OPI are part of a world wide order of queer men and women of all sexualities which is open to all who feel the habit. Its tenets are: The expurgation of stigmatic guilt and the promulgation of universal joy. Contact Sister Solicitation OPI, c/o Eat Out, 60 Broughton Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3SA. OUTDOOR CLUBS GAY OUTDOOR CLUB: Holds regular events including walking, cycling, swimming, hillwalking, windsurfing, cross-country skiing, camping and youth hostelling etc. Also holds regular swimming/social meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow. For more details about GOC, write (enclosing an A5 sae) to: GOC, PO Box 24, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 8YZ or ring one of the Scottish Contacts:- East: Grant on 0131-556 8705 (Hill- walking), John on 0131-226 2341 (Swimming), Iain on 0131-539 0715 (Cycling). West: Douglas on 0141-848 6643. North: 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: Phnix, PO Box 103, Wallington, Surrey. SM6 9SJ. PARENTS PARENTS' FRIEND: Phone: 0113-267 4627 from 7.30-10pm. 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 Lothian Switchboard 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: Works 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 UK. 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 postage 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: libgay@libparty.demon.co.uk RAPE/SEXUAL ABUSE RAPE AND ABUSE LINE: For male and female survivors. Women: Dingwall (01349) 865316 7-10pm nightly. Men: Dingwall (01349) 862686 Mon and Wed 7-10pm. Or write: PO Box 10, Dingwall. IV15 9LH. SCIENCE FICTION GLASGOW GAY SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY: Meets every 3rd Sunday of the month. Contact Paul on 0141- 339 9176. S/M SM GAYS: Write to SM Gays, BM SM Gays, London. WC1N 3XX. E-mail: bandanas@dircon.co.uk SPORTS 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 BRITISH GAY AND LESBIAN SPORTS FEDERATION: Encourages participation in sport. Write (with sae) to BGLSF, Central Station, 37 Wharfdale Road, London. N1 9SE. EDINBURGH ALTERNATIVE WRESTLING CLUB: Phone Derek on 0131-467 1465. EDINBURGH GAY MEN'S RUNNING CLUB: Meets for 34 mile casual local run. Call Alistair: 0131-661 0008. GAY BODYBUILDERS/WEIGHTRAINERS CLUB: contact Winston Duncan on 0171-379 3480 for contact with Scottish members and nationally. Club produces "Iron-Up" magazine as part of ukp25 membership. 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. 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 0131-556 6598. North of Scotland: Write to Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Officer, North of Scotland Area NUS, University of Aberdeen, 50/52 College Bounds, Aberdeen, AB2 3DS. West of Scotland: Write to Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Officer, West of Scotland Area NUS, Cathcart House, Langside College, 50 Prospecthill Road, Glasgow. G42 9LB. 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. E-mail: nus-scot@dircon.co.uk. 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 Lothian Switchboard for further information. GLASGOW: Crosslynx meets second Wednesday of each month from 7pm-10pm. Phone Strathclyde Switchboard for more details. VISUAL IMPAIRMENT VISUAL IMPAIRED GAY GROUP SCOTLAND (VIGG): Offers a listening ear and support to women and men in close co-operation with the Lesbigay Disability Forum. Phone Colin and Jim: Dumfries (01387) 261679. 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. WRITERS INDELIBLE INC: New LGB Writers' Group formed in Glasgow. Poetry, plays, exchange ideas, collaborations, informal meetings. Phone: Brian 0141-946 2078. YOUTH GROUPS LESBIAN YOUTH SUPPORT INFORMATION SERVICE: PO Box 8, Todmorden, Lancashire. OL14 5TZ. Please enclose an sae. Phone/Fax: Todmorden (01706) 817235. LOTHIAN LESBIAN AND GAY YOUTH MOVEMENT: For those under 26. Phone Lothian Switchboard or write to: LLGYM, PO Box 169, Edinburgh. EH1 3UU. STIRLING YOUTH GROUP: Meets Mondays fortnightly. Details from Forth Friend on Stirling (01786) 471285 Mon 7.30-10pm. 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 or Glasgow Lesbian Line. ------------------------------------------------------------ SCOTSDYKE: AN AMERICAN IN SCOTLAND Being a foreigner marks one out as different. But then, lesbians are already different, so what the hell. T. Marie Mammoser gives her views on being differently different (if that makes a difference). My years in Scotland have been rather like a hiking weekend I had. Driving back from hills near Pitlochry, my friend Fiona and I had to find a toilet desperately...and Gleneagles Hotel happened to be along the way. We wandered the grounds and went inside pretending we belonged there. I try desperately to pretend I'm not a foriegner here, but I'm always immediately tagged as an american (I refuse to capitalise the word), whatever that means. Some seem to assume this means I'm an outspoken radical lesbian who knows all about San Francisco. While admitting to the first, I'm afraid I'm just a mostly introverted, converted city girl who hasn't been West of the Iowa cornfields. I came out' in Dundee, found a place unlike Chicago where gay men and women might drink together. But, like everywhere else, everyone still needs to find an identity. I would hardly think half the people at Deva's thought I was gay, because I didn't want to cut my hair and I don't drink pints. I couldn't resist the temptation to play pool though. We all have our weaknesses. We have this natural urge to compare things and people, so most people ask me how America is different to Scotland. Mostly about bars, scenes, etc. I was never out in Chicago. I only know the gay men's scene because I lived in the middle of it. (Great fun!) I have no gay friends at home. I knew the scene' here first and went home to compare it there. More and more I realised that I couldn't find the lesbian haunts (though I'm told there's many) and my area, Boystown, was probably more fun anyways. So my mother thinks I'm gay from living in Boystown, and my friends here say I should give London a try for a better scene. Basically, I couldn't care less about a scene. I love Scotland, and want to stay here, despite the dismal job prospects and lack of gay coffee shops. London's nice for a visit, but I wouldn't want to live there, so why should I just for a scene? Why should we be dykes first and people second? Why should I yet again try to fit in somewhere I probably don't belong? It would be easier here if my newsstand ever had a decent gay magazine in stock when I buy my Wired and Writer's Magazine, but at least I can commute to Edinburgh for a decent coffee. (And the toilets in Gleneagles are down the corridor to the left of the reception desk.) -------------------------------------- ScotsGay: a bi-monthly magazine for lesbians, gays and bisexuals edited, printed and published in Scotland. ISSN: 1357-0595. (c) Pageprint Limited 1995. 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. Contributors in this issue: Dick Wilson (News), John Buchanan (Features), Gordon, Graham & John (Scene), Paul Macalinden (Music), Rex Wockner (International), Tony Hiscox-Sloan (Smut), Martin Powell (Arts), Justin Milne (Films and Books), Dirk, Andy & Dokta (Books), T. Marie Mammoser (ScotsDyke). Editorial Enquiries: Write to: ScotsGay, Pageprint Limited, PO Box 666, Edinburgh. EH7 5YW. Telephone: 0131- 539 0666. Fax: 0131-558 1262. E-mail: scotsgay@drink.demon.co.uk We welcome news, articles, photos, cartoons, etc. especially lesbian and bisexual material. Advertising Enquiries: Telephone: 0131-558 1279. Fax: 0131-558 1262. 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. -- Listserver@drink.demon.co.uk Please note that e-mail sent to listserver@drink.demon.co.uk is dealt with by a computer programme and is not read by humans. If you require a human to deal with any problem, please direct your e-mail to postmaster@drink.demon.co.uk