Burchill, Bindel and Moore.

What happens now, asks Polari’s editor, in the wake of the controversy over Julie Burchill’s unhinged tirade against trans women?

“Instead of getting worked up over free speech, perhaps these writers should try showing some basic humanity, and recognising that this vile outburst is just not acceptable.”

Another Reason To Head To The City.

Media Ted was a comic strip that ran in the early days of Polari. Here we look back at the short life of the little champ. Episode 3.

Ted is telling Marcie what Big City Fairy thinks of “the gays in the Midwest”, and does not notice that Marcie is disproving their point.

Sweet Jesus, Mary!

Exodus International is a mission to renounce gay and become ex-gay. This blooper video shows how far they have to go.

“They clutch their imaginary pearls, and when they make a mistake exclaim with a wild abandon. Sweet Jesus, Mary! They may not love their gay selves, but their gay selves clearly still love them.

We Have Ways of Making You Gay.

Media Ted was a comic strip that ran in the early days of Polari. Here we look back at the short life of the little champ. Episode 2.

The plan was that Ted and his friend Marcie – yep, it’s a Peanuts reference – would eventually leave their home somewhere in the MidWest and travel to the Big City, home to Ted’s favourite gay magazine Big City Fairy!, its tagline: “We have ways of making you gay”.

Polari’s Gay Comic Strip.

Media Ted was a comic strip that ran in the early days of Polari. Here we look back at the short life of the little champ. Episode 1.

The plan was that Ted and his friend Marcie – yep, it’s a Peanuts reference – would eventually leave their home somewhere in the MidWest and travel to the Big City, home to Ted’s favourite gay magazine Big City Fairy!, its tagline: “We have ways of making you gay”.

[rating=4]
166 pages • Chapman and Hall • 19 December, 1843 [HB]

A Christmas Carol is the definitive Christmas story, and a tale founded not on religious dogma but our common humanity.

“The only reference of Jesus is as “the mighty founder of Christmas”. Dickens was interested in the idea of Christmas as a time of reflection rather than its religious significance.”

[rating=4]
196 pages • Ward Wood Publishing • 4 April, 2012

Always You, Edina is a deeply moving, deeply satisfying novel about a woman larger than life, and the impact she had on her family.

“’Aunt Ed was Gina Lolobrigida and Grace Kelly – fire and ice,’ the older and wiser Bonnie recalls. The magic of Edina’s personality, and the sway she had over others, is seen through the eyes of a child.”

[rating=3]
240 pages (estimated) • Rex Press • 25 August, 2012 [ebook]

Cry Shame! is the story of Graziella Serrano, the ambitious daughter of Mexico’s greatest lion tamer. It’s Vidal writing in bestseller form..

“Vidal would not allow the Kay and Everard books to be reprinted, which is somewhat telling. In August 2012, about three weeks after Vidal died, Cry Shame! was issued as an affordable ebook on Nook and Kindle. Cry shame, publishers!”

The Future of LGBT Ageing.

Christopher Bryant talks to Garry McGregor from the LGBT Age project about the problems that face the ageing LGBT population.

“If you look at gay media it would be easy to assume that the community doesn’t think about the elderly – unless they are the national treasures of showbusiness! But I think this oversimplifies things.”

Part 4: 2400 Years of Homosexuality in China.

The fourth part of series A Queer History that looks back to Early Greece and onward to now. Homosexuality in Imperial China.

“Homosexuality was considered a fact of life, and for the most part was not singled out as a vice that had to be punished or demonised.”