Recognition for Justin Fashanu after 22 years

Justin Fashanu, Britain’s first and only OUT gay male footballer, is to be posthumously inducted into the UK’s National Football Museum Hall of Fame this week.

Sky Sports reports: “The award celebrates those who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport and comes 22 years after the former Norwich City and Nottingham Forest striker took his own life. He died in 1998, eight turbulent years after coming out publicly in a national newspaper.”

Fashanu’s niece told Sky Sports: “I think he wouldn’t believe it himself. I know he would be extremely honoured, and I know that I am extremely honoured and so is my family. I guess for Justin this would be a great moment and I think it’s a pivotal moment when we are finally recognising who Justin Fashanu was, not only as the openly gay footballer, but also as a very talented footballer and the first million-pound black player in England.”

Cape Town Pride Parade and Mardi Gras

When it comes to Gay Pride, Cape Town has its own style, The theme of Cape Town Pride 2020 is “No Excuses. No Regrets.” Pride partner Cape Town Carnival will be lending some of their costumes to add extra fabulosity to the parade which culminates the pride festival. The 10 day festival includes a variety of events such as drag shows, book launches, sporting events, film shows, poetry reading, and art exhibitions.
The Cape Town Pride festival kicks off on Friday 14th February 2020 with The Mr and Miss Cape Town Pride Pageant taking place at the Joseph Stone Auditorium (Athlone) in the evening.
The Parade and Mardi Gras will take place on Saturday 29 February. The Parade starts at 12 pm in Prestwich Street, De Waterkant and will move towards Reddam Field at the Green Point Urban Park. There will be a variety of entertainment on stage including some of the best drag acts, live bands and singers which the Mother City has to offer.
Pride includes people of every race and faith, whether disabled or able-bodied, and all sexualities and genders including lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, queer, questioning, intersex, trans*, genderqueer, gender variant or non-binary as well as straight and cis allies. Cape Town Pride is run entirely by volunteers. They came together as Cape Town Pride LGBT+ Community Pride in 2014 to find a way to deliver a Pride that Cape Town deserves. In order to cover the massive costs that are involved this is a ticketed event. Pre-booking is available through Quicket with the basic price of R50.00 going up to R280.00.
Artists taking the stage at the Mardi Gras include some of the best local LGBTI+ such as:
• Latheem Gabriel
• Miloh Ramai
• 3D
• Manila von Teez

Why Climate Change Is an LGBTQ Issue

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication has reported a startling poll finding: 39 percent of Americans believe there’s at least a fifty percent chance that climate change will kill off the human race. A sense that we’re doomed seems to be creeping in. Perhaps it’s not a surprise, given President Trump’s energy policies. He is, after all, cramming CO2 into the sky like a James Bond supervillain. No wonder the public feels on edge.
So far, though, we haven’t seen much protest. Indeed, there’s a growing sense of resignation. Friends of mine almost casually mention the appearance of bizarre craters all over Siberia. It seems that the decaying permafrost is leaking CO2 and methane into underground pockets. They explode, popping out giant chunks of tundra. The entire Arctic, apparently, is fizzing with thawed greenhouse gases. Clearly, the situation is hopeless.
But what if it isn’t? Surely we must fight this doomsday trend. There’s so much at stake. For example, future generations. Readers of this magazine tend not to have children at the heterosexual rate, but lots of us are raising kids, and we have nieces and nephews. Of course we care about children. We’re not just sybarites living for “the now,” are we?
But for the sake of argument, let’s say that many of us live for the present and avoid having children. Why should we care about the future?

Farewell tour Andre The Hilarious Hypnotist

Farewell tour Andre The Hilarious Hypnotist
The Studio Theatre @ Montecasino
22 January – 23 February

Andre The Hilarious Hypnotist, one of South Africa’s funniest entertainers, is a firm favourite on the Johannesburg theatre scene each year in January as one of the best ways to chase away the New Year Blues.
2020 is no different as he has returned to The Studio Theatre at Montecasino from Wednesday 22 January – Sunday 23 February – but this time it’s as part of his FAREWELL TOUR.
After an unprecedented 28 years in the industry, this will be the last time Joburg audiences will be able to enjoy Andre in action as he presents his Andre The Hilarious Hypnotist Farewell Tour.
Andre will be hanging up his colourful coat as he leaves our shores to practice his hypnosis on other willing participants abroad.
Says Andre, “I want to thank the Joburg audiences who have supported me in a career; those who have volunteered on stage and those who sat and laughed out loud, each one a person without which I would never have had a career.”

Sex is a smorgasbord

by Race Bannon

I've noticed a creeping trend lately when it comes to how some people present their sexualities, kinky or otherwise. This happens mostly online on cruising sites and apps, but it seems to be happening increasingly during face-to-face engagements I've witnessed.

What I've noticed is how remarkably precise and specific some people have become with their stated sexual identities and options. Not only have sexual positions and power dynamic roles often been demarcated, but the erotic options within those structures are listed with no wiggle room for adventure or exploration.

My ex, Guy Baldwin, had a wonderful metaphor he'd use in his presentations and writings about sexuality, kink sexuality in particular, but it pertains to all of sexuality. I've poached this metaphor many times because it's so good.

Guy would liken sexuality to a smorgasbord. While there may be a seemingly endless variety of foods on the table, few people like them all. Nor should they feel compelled to like them all. We can pick and choose those that we like and leave the others for people with different tastes. The goal is to have an enjoyable meal, not to try everything on the table.

Just as with gastronomic tastes, sexual tastes vary. Some like spaghetti and some like egg rolls. Some like both. No choice is better than another. It's all a matter of personal preference.

Plus, we get to choose different foods each time we walk up to the table. How many of us have eaten the same meal every time? Few of us. We like variety in our food. Most of us like variety in our sexuality too.