Cornwall

Following the tremendous success of this years Cornwall Pride festival, the committee are pleased to announce next years festival will be held on Saturday 28th August 2010 in Truro.

This years event attracted almost 1000 people from the county's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities who all took part in a parade through Truro City Centre, an afternoon garden party and finished with a dazzling, star studded evening of entertainment on lemon quay. Although a day of fun, it’s purpose is to celebrate and embrace the diverse communities in Cornwall.

At the AGM on Thursday, Christian Diamant accepted the position of Chairman 2010 and offered twenty two seats on the committee which were all filled.

Read more: Cornwall Pride 2010 Plans Coming Together

Cornwall Chillout Cafe is a new and rather exciting cafe style event for LGBT people in central Cornwall.

‘Because sometimes all you need is a cup of coffee and some good conversation!’

The first event is from 2pm - 5pm on Sunday 18th October.

Crossroads Inn

Scorrier
Redruth
Cornwall
TR16 5BP

Contact cornwallchilloutcafe@hotmail.co.uk for further information on future events.

Ginnungagap is an exhibition by the Swedish artist Linda Tedsdotter and is now on at Newlyn Art Gallery, West Cornwall. 

'Ecstasy Island', the first exhibit, is a 27 minute film uncovering a thousand year old gay love story between Torgrim, a Normandy monk and Olafur, a settling Viking. Linda Tedsdotter documents her journey starting at a Swedish museum with a mysterious rune stone and leading her on to the discovery of a little known religious sect called 'The Cleansed' and the connection with the monastic order on St Micheals' Mount, Cornwall where Torgrim and Olafur fell in love. A former member of the sect speaks briefly of her shame around having lesbian fantasies and the persecution she invoked by a piece of writing she produced.

This is quite a journey that the artist takes and is not without some risk. The film has a couple of very suspense filled moments. It reaches its conclusion with the discovery of some ancient leather documents, heart rending love letters from Torgrim to Olafur. A translation of the documents are available at the gallery. The film is a delight to those with an interest in gay history but will also inspire anyone with a sense of adventure and romance. 

Read more: A Gay Love Story And So Much More!

Leading gay and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell will be appearing at Cornwall Pride, the annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender festival for Cornwall, which will take place in Truro on Saturday 8 August.
 
Tatchell has been a vocal campaigner on equality and rights issues for over 30 years. He is best known for attempting to citizen’s-arrest the Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe in 1999 and 2001 over alleged human rights abuses. In May 2009 Tatchell was held by authorities in Moscow following his support for a gay rights march in that city to coincide with the Eurovision song contest.
 
This is the first appearance by Tatchell at a Cornwall Pride event, but he is no stranger to controversy in the county, having previously called for increased self-rule for Cornwall and its own parliamentary assembly.
 
Tatchell will be leading the Cornwall Pride parade through Truro, leaving from Lemon Quay at 11am. He said: "I am looking forward to attending Cornwall Pride. I hope that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people from all over Cornwall will join me on 8 August in Truro, and bring your straight friends too because it’s going to be a fabulous party day for all the people of Cornwall.”

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“This year we are celebrating 40 years since the Stonewall riots in New York, which triggered the worldwide movement for LGBT rights.
 
“The Pride festival is fun, but there is also a serious side. We are still campaigning for LGBT equality.
 
“The LGBT community has made great strides towards equality, but we have not yet won equal treatment. There is unfinished business.
 
“The government supports the ban on same-sex marriage. Civil partnerships are not equality. They are a form of sexual apartheid, with different laws for gay and straight couples. This is wrong. In a democracy, we should all be equal under the law.
 
“Gay and bisexual men are prohibited from donating blood, even if they always practice safe sex and have tested HIV-negative.
 
“Successive Home Secretaries have given visas and work permits to reggae singers who incite the murder of gay people. Such incitement is a serious criminal offence.
 
“The government’s current Equality Bill is supposed to ensure equal rights for everyone but it specifically denies lesbian and gay people protection against harassment.
 
“Labour’s many commendable gay law reforms are no excuse for its refusal to get rid of these remaining aspects of homophobic discrimination.
 
“We won’t stop campaigning until we win full respect, acceptance, dignity and human rights,” said Tatchell.

Exeter Pride, Plymouth Pride and Cornwall Pride are joining forces for a Pride Walk and Picnic at Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park on Saturday 15th August.

The 4 mile walk leaves the fountain in the gardens at 11.45am.

The picnic starts at 2pm at the Temple of Milton, Barn Pool. 

Read more: Visitors have ‘Moor to Sea’ at this year’s Pride

The GU (sexual health) clinics in Cornwall have seen a rise in men testing positive for syphilis in the past few weeks.

Syphilis is easily picked up through unprotected oral and anal sex (a simple blow-job without a condom is enough to put you at risk) – it doesn’t always show symptoms, and left untreated it can cause serious damage to your heart, brain and nervous system in years to come.  

The clinics are keen for men who feel they may have been at risk to come forward and test – if you do test positive for syphilis you’ll be treated with antibiotics, which will clear the infection. All treatment is completely free and confidential – they won’t even tell your GP.

For more information on Syphilis and how to get treated go to the website: www.healthygaycornwall.org.uk or call 01872 255044 to make an appointment at the clinic.

Cornwall is preparing for its second Pride event on Saturday 8 August, and to help raise funds and countdown to the day, Bar Qdos in Truro is kindly hosting a special event this Sunday, 24 May.

The History of Pop Show will showcase songs from the 1950s up to today’s chart, including hits from Elvis, Kylie, Blondie, Take That, Elton John, Queen, and many more!

The show starts at 9 pm, so arrive early, have fun, and support Cornwall Pride 2009.