The festive season can be a lot of fun, but for some people it’s a time of heightened anxiety. It’s the season to be jolly, but sometimes that can tip over into excess. Here’s some information to keep you safer over the Christmas and New Year period.

If you’re partying know your limits. Everyone likes to let their hair down at Christmas but that morning glass of fizz can catch up with you if you’re still going by the evening, and parties do tend to last longer and be more frequent at this time of the year. You can find our tips for cutting back and pacing your drinking here.

If you fancy going booze-free for a month you can have a Sober Start (and you can even fundraise for us via a sponsored alcohol-free January or donate via Just Giving.

If you’re going to be partying using drugs you can find lots of information about reducing the risk here. Remember to look out for your friends, and if anyone at your party overdoses call 999.

If you’re having sex, or hoping to see the New Year in with a (gang) bang remember to stock up with plenty of condoms and lube. Gay & bisexual men will find plenty of safer sexual health advice over at the website of our friends at GMFA.

If you think you may have picked up an unwanted gift due to exposure to an HIV risk you can seek advice & PEP (within no more than 72 hours) from a GUM clinic such as 56 Dean Street, Mortimer Market Centre orBurrell Street in central London. If these are closed you can access PEP through your local A&E. In Central London these can be found at:

University College Hospital

235 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BU

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH

St Thomas’ Hospital

Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH

If you feel alone this Christmas and want to talk to another LGBT person our friends Switchboard will have their helpline open daily 10am – 11pm. The opening hours for the National LGBT Domestic Abuse Helpline run by Galop are available here. If you feel suicidal you can call Samaritans 24 hours a day. In an emergency go to your local A&E.

London Friend’s services will resume on Tuesday 2rd January as normal. Our first Antidote drug & alcohol drop-ins will run on Thursday 4th January in Soho then Monday 8th January in Kings Cross.

We wish you a happy, safe Christmas and a healthy 2018.

London Friend

“As we reach a day urging us to remember the impact of transphobia worldwide, media stories at home are making the depth of our own anti-trans sentiment impossible to forget.”

Ahead of the 2017 Transgender Day of Remembrance our CEO Monty Moncrieff talks about the current social climate for trans people in the UK.

Monday 20^th November 2017 marks 19 years of the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. The day is a moment to reflect, remember and honour the lives and memories of trans and gender-variant people whose lives have been lost to violence around the world.

It comes as reports indicate an increase in violence against trans people: the USA has recorded at least 25 murders of trans people this year, a record number, but this is dwarfed by the number recorded in South America, with over 150 brutal trans deaths in Brazil alone since last year’s Remembrance event.

Extreme violence like this is the product of extreme transphobia. Closer to home in the UK this level of violence is thankfully far rarer an occurrence, and trans people possess many legal protections such as the right to access medical care where required and the ability to have your (binary) gender identity recognised in law. In fact, the Government has even announced its intention to simplify the process by which this is done.

That intention seems to have unleashed what feels like a daily barrage of media stories portraying trans people in a negative light. As we reach a day urging us to remember the impact of transphobia worldwide, such stories at home are making the depth of our own anti-trans sentiment impossible to forget.

For many people, trans issues, especially the emergence of more people feeling able to express their gender identity in non-binary ways, are new, mysterious, and at times confusing. The media can help enormously in the public’s understanding of trans people and the issues they can face, as it undoubtedly did through people like Nadia Almada winning Big Brother, and Channel 4’s well-received My Transsexual Summer. Shows like these allowed us to get to know some trans people, to see their joy, their pain, their everyday reality.

Lately, some of the media has been less forgiving.

Some of the debate appears designed to misrepresent trans people ahead of that Gender Recognition Act review. We don’t yet know what the Government will propose to simplify this process, but that hasn’t stopped the claims that people will be able to demand legal recognition in a new gender by simply saying they have changed. I suspect the process will not be quite this easy, and evidence, rather than simple statement, of a change of role will still be required. It’s possible this could be current evidence of social transition such as a passport or other official documents in the new gender. It certainly won’t be, as some would claim, something granted on a whim.

Other reports claim a powerful ‘transgender lobby’ are forcing the erasure of men and – mostly – women, through attempts to force in gender neutral language. One piece of ‘evidence’ for this was a claim the Government wanted to use the term ‘pregnant people’ rather than pregnant women. Now, I’m not a journalist but it took me less than 5 minutes on Google to find the source document for this, a line in a consultation document which wanted to ensure that a right applicable to pregnant women wasn’t inadvertently taken away from a trans person who is pregnant but doesn’t identify as a woman. The term ’pregnant people’ wasn’t even mentioned anywhere, and never has been suggested by Government. Surely an experienced journalist with investigative integrity could also root that out as easily as I did, but why let the truth get in the way of some good old-fashioned manufactured outrage, eh?

The tone of coverage has also taken a sinister turn. Last week The Sunday Times published an article declaring trans children were being ‘sacrificed’ by being given irreversible gender treatments like surgery. This is not only a blatant lie – surgery is only available to adults in the UK – but it also creates a false impression of gender identity support for young trans people, the very point of which is to provide, over time, space for young people to discuss their feelings with families and professionals before deciding what’s right for them as adults. Another line perpetuated to criticise this support is that many young people referred to specialist support don’t go on to transition, although to me that seems like evidence that clinics are doing exactly their job: separating those young people who display a consistent and enduring strong identity in a different gender role and those whose feelings are resolved in other ways.

England’s sole gender identity service for young people has today spoken out to counter some of this misinformation. Reading it from their perspective makes it clear their “watchful, waiting” approach is one of some caution.

Of course, all the media commentators ever really say they want is that all-important ‘debate’. Working in LGBT health I’ve been following this ‘debate’ for many years now, and the questions haven’t much changed. Neither has the refusal to accept some of the answers. I can understand why trans people – who have been subjected to the same questions about themselves year after year – might feel a little fatigued. I can also understand that, when couched in inflammatory language like ‘sacrificing children’, you’ve really got to wonder about both the motives and the terms of this ‘debate’.

But discussion is not always a bad thing; I’ve highlighted above how media that allows us to properly understand the lives of trans people can have a positive impact. The key here is the honesty and the dignity with which it’s done. There are legitimate questions we can ask: we could all benefit from knowing why the myth of surgery on children persists; from a better understanding of why there’s an unexplained upswing in adolescent girls being referred to discuss their feelings further; and from a better understanding of what causes a very small number of people to regret transition. There’s plenty of work to do too to assure those who fear the advancement of trans rights will come at the expense of women that this is not a case of either/or – our rights are won together. But this has to happen honestly and respectfully, and needs a heck of a lot more integrity from our journalists.

So, join me this Transgender Day of Remembrance to honour our dead and to remember our living. Join me in supporting trans people and challenging the climate we’re currently facing. And join me in doing it with dignity, respect and the truth.

Monty

Information about the London TDOR event on Monday 20^th November 2017 can be found here.

London’s first ever Mindful Drinking Festival takes place on Sunday 13^th August, an opportunity for tasting the growing range of alcohol-free beers, wines, cocktails and craft sodas. But what does mindful drinking actually mean, and why are more and more LGBT people cutting down on alcohol, or stopping altogether? Our friends at Club Soda tell us more in this guest blog.

What is mindful drinking?

A lot of LGBT socialising happens in pubs and bars. That can be a problem if, for whatever reason, you want to cut down on your drinking, or not drink at all. How to say “no” when you are surrounded by alcohol and people drinking and having a great time?

Of course there are some non-boozy places to meet too, like the monthly “Queers Without Beers” socials organised by London Friend and Club Soda, but most of still want to go out sometimes. So what to do?

We believe that you can change the way you think and feel about alcohol, and that you can decide for yourself how often and how much you drink. All it takes is a bit of planning and preparation.

We often talk about “mindful drinking” at Club Soda. It is an attitude. For lots of people, mindful means moderation. That could be choosing a lower percentage drink or cutting the numbers. Some do sober sprints, taking a month off every now and then. And some others go completely alcohol-free.

People have different motivations too. It could be about slimming or fitness, saving some cash, keeping your mind sharp. Whatever your plans and goals, always remember this: drinking alcohol is never compulsory. Being mindful about your drinking is all about deciding what is right for you today. You are in control.

The seven habits of highly mindful drinkers

1. Plan

Winging and mindfulness don’t go so well together. So plan, plan, plan. Try to find bars with a better range of low and no alcohol drinks, so that you can choose to drink or not to drink. Tweet them, call in advance to find out what they have, so you know your options in advance.

2. Don’t panic

Stay strong at the bar. Don’t let a flash of indecision make you fall back on your ‘usual’. Take your time. Stay mindful. Chat to the bar staff about what you want to drink, and what they have on offer. They might love the challenge of whipping you up a virgin cocktail!

There are plenty of people who never drink and who are cutting down (one in five people in the UK, actually). So you can take a few moments to decide what to order.

3. Fake it

Sometimes you just don’t want another boring conversation about why you are not having a ‘proper’ drink. So fly below the radar. Here are a few sneaky tips…

- Arrange a ‘usual’ with the bar staff. They love helping you fake a Gin and Tonic (T&T) or putting a fizzy elderflower in a dressed up champagne glass.

- The never-ending shandy. Start with the lowest alcohol beer you can find, and just keep topping it up with lemonade or soda at each round.

- Pimp your water. Not sure if the pub you’re going to has something you like? Smuggle in a bottle of your favourite cordial and pimp your fizzy water all night

4. Assess your mood

Drinking when you’re happy can be great. But drinking when you’re lonely, tired and emotional? You know how that ends. Rather than add a hangover to your problems, face them head on. You’ll thank yourself in the long run.

Think ‘HALT’! Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired? Probably best to look after yourself rather than hide in drink. Listen to what your body needs.

5. Stick to your guns

Make your decision, put it into words and practice saying it out loud, “I have decided not to drink tonight.” Have a witty explanation at the ready if you need one.

If friends won’t give up trying to persuade you, shift the spotlight onto them. How was their day? What’s the best cat meme they’ve seen? Just move the discussion away from your drinking choices. Remember, you don’t need anyone’s permission to make a decision that is right for you. No one has the right to persuade you otherwise.

6. Safety in numbers

Everyone else is drinking, right? Well, not really. When you start to look around, you realise how many people aren’t drinking. Your pregnant friend, your friend on a health kick, your Muslim friend, and even just your friend who had too much last night and is nursing a wicked hangover. Seek them out, and go out together. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by a crowd of people drinking alcohol, a crowd of your own can really help.

7. Be an active customer

If we want the last LGBT venues to stay open, we need to stay friends. You want them to stock a great tipple; they want to know what drinks will keep you coming back. So ask them to stock your favourite non-alcoholic beers or craft sodas. Before they know it, those non-alcoholic drinks will be flying off the shelves.

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Club Soda is a mindful drinking movement, helping people cut down, stop for a bit or quit drinking. They’ve even built a pub guide for mindful drinkers.

Queers Without Beers meets monthly, you can find the details on MeetUp, Facebook and Twitter.

If you are looking for some non-alcoholic drink inspiration, why not come to the Club Soda Mindful Drinking Festival? Taste all the best non-alcoholic beers and wines, soft drinks and healthy new concoctions, enjoy some street food and live music. The festival is on Sunday 13 August at Bermondsey Square, London SE1, from midday to 6pm - and there will be a Queers Without Beers meetup there too! You can RSVP on MeetUp or Facebook or just turn up and find us.

Our Chief Executive Monty Moncrieff responds to the Government’s new Drug Strategy

The Government has finally launched its long-awaited refresh of their Drug Strategy today, an update on the 2010 Strategy published under the Coalition. There’s much to welcome, including a greater emphasis on recovery for those who have experienced drug problems, although the Strategy stops short of any moves to decriminalise drugs, rooting the overall policy in law enforcement rather than health.

For the first time, the harms of chemsex are explicitly addressed, placing the issue among a number of priority concerns, including use by vulnerable young people, sex workers, and homeless populations. An emphasis is also placed on novel psychoactive substances (NPS) – popularly known as ‘legal highs’ – which have become a particularly acute problem in prisons.

The strategy also addresses a recorded increase of drug related deaths. Whilst most of these relate to opiate use, research last year reported a 119% increase in deaths associated with GHB/GBL in London with most linked to chemsex. That’s about 1 gay man dying every 12 days in the capital.

The acknowledgement of the harms chemsex can cause is a significant move, and the strategy pledges that Public Health England will produce good practice guidance for local commissioners and providers, which will encourage greater collaboration between services and community groups to meet need.

This is a hugely welcome step forward, which helps those of us providing specialist chemsex support underline the need for services that understand the specific issues for men whose chemsex use becomes a problem. However, the acknowledgment comes without a single mention of gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men, or of a wider LGBT focus in drug treatment throughout the Strategy.

I’m disappointed by this omission, which is a retrograde step from the 2010 Strategy. Chemsex represents an important section of drug use with LGBT populations, but we know levels of other drug and alcohol use are higher across LGBT populations and the Strategy offers no focus for them.

At Antidote we know that LGBT people place enormous value on having services that are targeted towards them; that understand the complex issues of sexual behaviour, identity, belonging and esteem that often accompany problematic chemsex. 94% of our clients told us it was important to have an LGBT service, and only 12% say they’d feel comfortable going to mainstream treatment.

There’s an urgent need for drug and alcohol treatment services to understand the lives of chemsex users; how they use their drugs; and the sex they have whilst doing so. Through our Antidote service we’ve trained hundreds of health care staff and developed guidance such as our Out Of Your Mind report, which contains recommendations and toolkits for commissioners, drug treatment agencies, and frontline staff.

The NEPTUNE Clinical Guidance provides the most comprehensive clinical guidance for those working with NPS users, and the guidance comes with a supplementary chapter on LGBT use, including chemsex.

We’ve also begun working with drug treatment agencies in London through the London Chemsex Network, through which we’ll share knowledge, good practice and resources to work together to support those affected by problems with their chemsex use.

We know that some drug treatment services have already worked hard to respond to chemsex, often working with sexual health clinics or local LGBT services, an approach we've taken through our partnership with the CNWL Club Drug Clinic and with 56 Dean Street. Whilst other areas have work to do we’ve been working to extend access to support through our Friday/Monday pilot with Terrence Higgins Trust to offer counselling and groupwork online. In London our face-to-face services offer everything from brief advice to our ChemCheck and SWAP group programmes.

Our advice to men engaged in chemsex is to make sure you’re as informed as possible about the potential risks and take steps to reduce the risk of HIV and other STIs. More than with any other recreational drugs, the three main chemsex drugs (mephedrone, crystal methamphetamine and GHB/GBL) seem to catch more people out, and become problematic even where they may have used other drugs whilst clubbing for many years, so if you feel things might be starting to get out of hand seek some advice early, and before things get worse. We can help you stop completely, or to cut back to a level you’re happier with.

Monty

London Friend is 45!

This Pride we’re celebrating our 45^th birthday! Just like the event in London which saw the first Pride Rally in 1972, we also began providing services that year.

Like Pride, we’ve come a long way, reflecting the changing support needs of our LGBT communities. In our early days, as an offshoot of the political Campaign For Homosexual Equality, we provided social groups and other emotional support for people newly out, in the years following the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967. We offered a space for LGBT people to come together and provide support to their peers.

Today, London Friend still provides those groups as well as an LGBT counselling service. We support people coming out as LGB, and have added groups for trans people, older LGBT people, and those wanting a meeting space away from the commercial bar and club scene. Volunteers are still key to how we deliver our services, with a team of over 100 LGBT volunteers who collectively won the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2016.

Our services have expanded to work with some of the most pressing health needs in our communities today. In 2011 we took over running Antidote, the LGBT drug and alcohol service, and have been a leader in responding to chemsex.; in 2016 we joined the London LGBT Domestic Abuse Partnership to run a specialist counselling service; and in 2017 we joined the SASH sexual health partnership, ensuring continuity of work with LGBT sex workers, previously provided by the Swish project, as well as adding work with LGBT asylum seekers and refugees.

Some of our partner services have made the journey from the 70s with us, such as Switchboard, but other much-needed services like Pace and Broken Rainbow have sadly recently closed their doors. As we celebrate our first 45 years, we’re proud to work in partnership with so many fellow LGBT services in London and nationwide*, and our hope going forward is to be part of a thriving, vibrant LGBT voluntary sector.

YOU can help us achieve this by giving your time or money. Find out more about becoming a volunteer here; make a regular of one-off donation here; or find out  ore about fundraising for us here.

You can also donate via text: send FRND45 £10 to 70070 to donate £10.

(You can change the value of your donation by changing the amount in the text).

Thank you to all our past and present service users, volunteers, staff and partners for helping us reach this milestone. We’ll see you all at Pride in London this Saturday!

* London Friend works in partnership with: Galop; GMFA; cliniQ; NAZ; METRO; Stonewall Housing; Switchboard; ELOP; AfterParty London; LGBT Foundation; Birmingham LGBT; Yorkshire MESMAC; Terrence Higgins Trust; Wandsworth Oasis; GIRES; BiUK; LGBT Consortium; Club Soda; Queers Without Beers; Families Together London; Beaumont Society; Opening Doors London; Say It Loud Club; Kenric; CHE; Turning Point; Race Equality Foundation; Club Drug Clinic; 56 Dean Street; Burrell Street; Jefferiss Wing; Department of Health; NHS England; Public Health England; United4PrEP.

In January 2017 London Friend invited representatives of London-based drug treatment services to a scoping meeting with a view to establishing a Chemsex Network across agencies. Chemsex has become an increasingly prevalent issue amongst gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) leading to presentations at GUM and drug services. The initial thinking for a Network was prompted by the European Chemsex Forum, a three day conference and training event hosted in London in April 2016. Together with the AfterParty London service, London Friend’s Antidote service discussed the need for support in drug treatment services.

A summary note of the scoping meeting can be found here.

The scoping meeting served as a useful starting point, confirming an appetite for further networking and engagement on the topic. However, it was clear that most drug treatment service are not yet seeing significant numbers of people seeking support for chemsex. This raises questions as to why, which may be linked to the discussions that services attending the scoping meeting reported not feeling equipped to manage this. It also reflects findings of previous research that LGBT people often want to choose LGBT specific support.

Although aimed at drug treatment services there was a broader attendance from other services involved in supporting those engaged in chemsex. This highlights the key role such services are playing in supporting the many people seeking information, advice, support and treatment for chemsex but who are not seeking this in significant numbers from drug treatment agencies. Strategically this raises issues about the interface between non-treatment agencies, sexual health and GUM services, and drug treatment.

We are arranging a subsequent meeting on Friday 23^rd June 2017 – representatives of London’s drug and alcohol treatment services are invited to register to attend using Eventbrite here.

A mailing list for those wishing to join the network has also been set up, and you can join here.

Our CEO Monty Moncrieff recently visited Kyiv, and found out more about LGBT equality in Ukraine ahead of their hosting this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

For those who know me, or follow me on Twitter, it won’t have escaped your attention that I’m a huge fan of the Eurovision Song Contest. It’s a year-round hobby (some may say obsession) as I engage with many fan events, which play an important role in my social life when I’m not working on LGBT equality. Occasionally these two passions align, as they did when I was invited to this year’s host city Kyiv earlier this year, and given the opportunity to meet with local LGBT activists. Here’s what I learned.

Eurovision has long connected with the LGBT audience, and in ways beyond the superficial camp spectacle of the TV show. As early as 1961 the winning song Nous Les Amoureux follows a long tradition of coded meaning with a gay interpretation of a tale of forbidden love. LGBT people are not merely spectators at Eurovision, we’re there front and centre, celebrated on stage, and successful in winners like trans woman Dana International, drag queen Conchita Wurst, and our very own most recent UK winner Katrina, from And The Waves.

LGBT rights have become an important subplot in the Eurovision story, which despite its intention to be an apolitical event has long had small-p geo-social politics written through it like a stick of rock. Finland’s 2013 entrant Krista Siegfrid’s performance of Marry Me closed with her kissing her bridesmaid, a comment on her opposition to her country’s then lack of progress on same-sex marriage. Vienna welcomed visiting fans with same-sex couples on traffic lights, a playful gimmick that was later adopted in other world cities. Sweden has included risqué in-jokes in their presenters’ scripts as a nod to the large number of gay men in the audience.

Escaping the Soviet shadow

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, many recently independent nations have jumped on the Eurovision bandwagon with glee, and their efforts have been richly rewarded. Since the turn of the millennium we’ve seen victories for Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Serbia, Russia and Azerbaijan, and as the prize comes with hosting rights we’ve travelled to these countries the following year. This has often raised concerns for the safety of the many LGBT fans who travel to the event each year, and thrown the host country’s LGBT rights record under the microscope, as it does again with a return visit to Ukraine. I'm particularly interested in finding out more about the situation there, as I lived in the former Soviet Union as a student, something I've previously written about here.

Understanding the situation for LGBT people in Ukraine requires some knowledge of the recent history of the country. Emerging from the former Soviet Union the country has struggled with internal conflict and external image, and remains in some ways under the shadow of their Russian neighbour. Religion, banned under Communism, and nationalism are resurgent in some areas, and present considerable challenges to those seeking to shift their country towards Europe and more tolerant values. The Maidan Revolution brought a bloody stand-off between the pro-Russian Government and those seeking a more liberal future, and my Ukrainian hosts tell me there’s a sense of renewed energy in Ukrainian civil society following it.

Global events like the Euro 2012 football tournament and Eurovision offer an opportunity for nation-branding, and to present a fresh image to the watching world. When I asked locals and the organisers of this year’s Contest whether a second go at hosting is more important than the first, they’re all unanimous. It’s much bigger this time around than it was for them in 2005. There are opportunities to be grasped.

Those opportunities were a key consideration in the planning of this year’s Kyiv Pride. At a roundtable with local LGBT activists organised by our hosts at the British Council in Ukraine they tell me they first thought about coinciding their events with Eurovision, though this was later rejected and Pride will take place in Kyiv in June. Last year their Equality March took place for only the third time following years of cancellations and opposition by the authorities. It was again subject to threats of violence in advance from far-right thugs, and attracted some protest on the day, but was also the first to pass without major incident.

The risk of aggression, intimidation and violence sadly remain a reality for many LGBT people in Ukraine, in a social atmosphere where LGBT issues are poorly understood by the population as a whole, and which contributes to fears about coming out or being visible. 5000 police and 1200 special forces were on hand to provide security for 2016’s March, a 30-minute event in the city centre. They dwarfed the 1500 or so participants (who were shuttled to a secret dispersal point out of the city afterwards to avoid the risk of attacks posed by ultra-nationalist groups), but policing in favour of Pride participants is a huge step forward here after so many aborted attempts to march. The March attracted the support of 7 MPs and a largely positive response in the media. It’s small but important progress for local activists, but balanced with the sobering reflection that participants were urged not to wear clothing that could be easily flammable, in case of a violent attack.

Small legislative steps forward

Pride is an important event for its symbolism and visibility as well as its ability to act as a catalyst for change. Kyiv Pride is classed as a priority event for ILGA Europe to support, who rank Ukraine woefully low in their Rainbow Europe Index. Scoring just 13% on LGBT Equality Ukraine sits marginally ahead of Azerbaijan (last at 5%), Armenia and Russia (7% each) and Turkey (9%). Same sex relationships are legal, with an equal age of consent at 16, but partnerships still have no legal recognition. Access to healthcare to transition and legal gender change has been possible since 1992, though assessments for treatment come with significant and discriminatory barriers, with surgery only permissible for over 25s. (The gay activists I meet tell me there’s only a handful of visible trans activists, with most people opting to transition and live in ‘stealth’.) An important Directive in 2015 brought protections in the workplace, but legal advances remain few and far between.

Culturally there are some advances, with two prominent LGBT clubs in Kyiv, though little in other areas. The Kyiv Film Festival has had an LGBT sub-programme for 15 years. And I’m struck by the optimism of the activists I meet. They tell me that most young Ukrainians would not have a problem with LGBT people, and in fact most of the population is probably quietly tolerant of private relationships, but say most people simply don’t know how to talk about LGBT issues. Where they are discussed publicly it can be to stoke fear, for example claiming that closer alignment with the EU would force Ukraine to adopt same-sex marriage. Although I know how much more we’ve achieved in LGBT equality here in the UK, I’m immediately reminded of the way our identities were used to stoke fear here by those opposed to marriage equality just a few short years ago. The arguments our opponents use against us are the same the world over – perhaps we’re only a few short steps further down the road ourselves?

International support

The push for LGBT equality needs to come from many places, and just like in the UK it needs to bring others along with it. One place it’s being backed in Ukraine is through the UK Embassy. The current Ambassador to Ukraine, Judith Gough, is an out lesbian living with her partner and their children. I was invited to a breakfast meeting at her residence, and I get the impression she takes satisfaction in quietly challenging the stereotypes about her, and LGBT people more broadly. Just by turning up to events with her partner challenges perspectives on a small level (though she also challenges the perspectives in our visiting party of what an Ambassador 'should' be like with the revelation she was a regular at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern when she lived in London.) She’s also a huge Eurovision fan and is excited about the possibilities of the circus coming to town.

Gough is not just turning up and glad-handing officials though: she tells us about the work her office does with local LGBT activists and NGOs, along with the British Council. The UK Government has pledged to promote LGBT equality internationally and in Ukraine we see some clear examples of this happening on a very local level. It’s a reminder of the role external players (Governments, NGOs, human rights organisations) can play through engaging sensitively on the ground with local activists, learning from them and building their own capacity to work for change.

There’s a way to go though, and much progress to be made. We’re granted a meeting with the Kyiv city authorities to discuss their plans ahead of Eurovison, and it turns out to be at the very top of the office with the Mayor, Vitali Klitschko, the former boxer whose brother just suffered defeat in London to Anthony Joshua. He’s a huge, imposing figure, and it feels slightly surreal to be discussing LGBT issues with him. I ask whether the city has similarly invested in building the capacity of civil society groups like Kyiv Pride as the UK institutions have done. The question is met with bemused faces. This approach, so crucial in how central and local governments work with the voluntary sector in the UK, clearly just hasn’t even been considered.

'Celebrate Diversity'

The slogan for this year’s Eurovison is ‘Celebrate Diversity’ and throughout our conversations with the Kyiv authorities it’s clear that their thinking on diversity focuses on ethnic and religious difference. As we press our questions about how LGBT fans will be welcomed – and protected – they’re at pains to stress how all visitors to Ukraine will be welcome (and knowing the Ukrainian people’s reputation for hospitality I have no doubt this will be the case) but the sense that LGBT people often seek specific assurances about their safety just isn’t yet there. (The UK Embassy is acutely aware of this and has published information for those travelling to the Contest, with Kyiv Pride publishing a map of LGBT friendly places.)

There are further signs of progress though, sometimes in unlikely places. As we descend into the grandeur of Kyiv's Metro system a huge public health campaign for HIV is advertised along the escalator, depicting mixed- and same-sex couples. The ads encourage testing when starting a new relationship, and offer a free testing service. Our hosts tell us they've been subject to criticism, but importantly they're there and hugely visible., playing a small part in normalising same-sex relationships.

I’m left with an impression of Ukraine being at a crossroads. Like its geographical position, it’s influenced by both east and west; the European Union and Russia; tolerance and conservatism; collective European identity and nationalism. The latter remains a significant threat to LGBT people, with the very real threat of violence to those open about their identity and working to gain LGBT rights, and in countering those campaigns with oppressive voices. The social shift that was so crucial to boosting support for LGBT people and equality achieved here in the UK has yet to happen in Ukraine.

The spectacle of Eurovision will bring a brief spotlight on Ukraine, and the opportunity to use the Contest as a prism to view the record on LGBT and other human rights. NGOs working internationally can use this to focus attention (as with Serbia, Russia and Azerbaijan during their hosting tenure) though it’s crucial to maintain pressure as the show rolls out of town again. As individuals we can pledge our own support to the dedication and energy of local LGBT people and groups, showing solidarity and understanding of their work, and apply pressure on our own Government to improve support for LGBT equality worldwide.

Monty

Links to Ukrainian LGBT groups

Kyiv Pride

Gay Alliance Ukraine

Fulcrum

Disclaimer: My trip to Kyiv was in a personal capacity, not as a representative of London Friend. I travelled as a representative of OGAE UK, the UK’s Eurovision Fan Club (OGAE UK’s Kyiv update and travel advice can be found here). The trip was organised by the British Council and UK Embassy in Ukraine through the GREAT Britain fund.

London Friend is excited to be working in a new partnership providing community sexual health support in Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham.

The new Support and Advice on Sexual Health (SASH) service is a partnership between Metro, Naz, Marie Stopes and London Friend led by Turning Point which opened its doors on Monday 3^rd April. It will promote good sexual health in West London while continuing to offer accessible and responsive services to those with specific needs. These needs include HIV, specifically through closer links with HIV treatment services and additional education and employment support.

The service will be delivered from four main hubs, located at:

• Westminster – 209a Harrow Road, Westminster
• Kensington and Chelsea – Earls Court Health Centre, 2b Hogarth Road, London, SW5 0PT
• Westminster – 31 Wardour St, London, W1D 6PT
• Hammersmith and Fulham – 30 Blacks Rd, Hammersmith

A seamless service will be provided by a range of organisations, and there will be further advice and information available online for people to access outside of opening hours.

Service users will receive tailored support including general information and advice, peer support, group work, support for family and carers and complementary therapies.

SASH will work in close partnership with community reproductive health, contraception and STI screening services will be provided by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) from a new clinic at 7a Woodfield Road in the Westbourne ward and via GP surgeries in areas where they are most needed.

London Friend’s will lead on work with LGBT communities, which will include providing support to male, trans and other LGBT-identified sex workers with two new staff members joining our team who previously worked with the Terrence Higgins Trust’s SWISH service. The previous drop-in service provided by SWISH at the Earls Court Health Centre and 56 Dean Street will continue to operate as before.

Monty Moncrieff, Chief executive at London Friend said: ‘We’re excited to be joining the SASH partnership and leading on work with lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities. This will allow us to take a more holistic approach to wellbeing and good sexual health alongside our existing LGBT drug and alcohol service Antidote and our work on LGBT mental health.’

Gaby Price, Head of Operations at Turning Point said: ‘We are really excited by this new opportunity to build on our already substantial substance misuse health & wellbeing services. We are looking forward to working with our subcontractors and bringing together our collective expertise to deliver sexual health services.’

Dr Greg Ussher, METRO Charity CEO said: ‘We are delighted to be extending METRO’s service offering in the City of Westminster, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, drawing on over 30 years’ experience of delivering sexual health promotion, HIV prevention and HIV support. We believe in truly embracing difference across sexuality, gender, equality, diversity and identity to ensure the best services and support for everyone.’

A spokesperson from NAZ said: ‘NAZ is delighted to be delivering Sexual Health and Wellbeing Services as part of the SASH consortium to residents across the three boroughs. Based in Hammersmith & Fulham for over 25 years, NAZ has been serving local residents across the three boroughs for just as long. We look forward to working with our partners in SASH to deliver a rich breadth of services for local communities.’

Vix Proctor, Head of Communications and Marketing at Marie Stopes UK said: ‘We are really looking forward to being part of this innovative partnership with other leading health service providers. SASH will greatly improve access to sexual health services and information for men and women living in these three London boroughs.’

For more information, visit http://wellbeing.turning-point.co.uk/sexualhealth/

To get in contact with the service, call 020 7851 2955, or email info@SASHLondon.org.uk.

London Friend launches new support for LGBT refugees

London Friend is launching a new project supporting LGBT refugees. Working with Say It Loud Club, a community group that supports LGBT people who have fled persecution in their home countries, the project will provide social, emotional, and educational support.

The partnership will run regular workshops helping LGBT asylum seekers and refugees to become active citizens in the UK. Sessions will provide information on rights and responsibilities as LGBT citizens, accessing healthcare and engaging in local communities. Regular social groups will help build confidence and self-esteem, and reduce the isolation many LGBT people can feel from having to leave friends and families behind.

London Friend will also provide conversational English groups, helping to build language skills and confidence. Service users will also be able to access counselling with London Friend, and the project will recruit and train volunteers from LGBT refugee communities to sustain delivery of support groups in the longer term.

London Friend’s Chief Executive, Monty Moncrieff, said “We know that LGBT asylum seekers and refugees can feel isolated, and that many feel uncomfortable disclosing their identity in mainstream services, having come from countries where it can be unsafe to do so. By supporting them to gain confidence and make connections with other LGBT people with similar experiences this will help them to feel more able to engage in their wider communities, and access support to improve their health and wellbeing. We’re delighted to build on our partnership with Say It Loud Club to deliver this project”.

Aloysius Ssali, Coordinator of Say It Loud Club, said “I am extremely grateful that we will work together with London Friend in reaching out to LGBT refugees. London Friend is a place of inspiration to the men and women who have had to flee their countries of origin due to harassment and persecution because of their sexual orientation. Working with London friend will give LGBT refugees a unique opportunity to compare experiences and confront mutual challenges in a safe and comfortable environment which will lead to improved wellbeing”.

Educational workshops will run on the fourth Friday of each month 2-5pm. Social groups take place on the first Tuesday of each month 7-9pm. Conversational English groups take place every Wednesday 11am-1pm. Counselling is by appointment. All services take place at London Friend, 86 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DN.

For more information in the services click here.

The project is supported by players of People’s Postcode Trust, a grant giving body funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. The one-year funding will allow London Friend to build its own capacity to support LGBT refugees in the longer term and invest in volunteers from LGBT refugee communities.

Please note: this project provides social, emotional, and educational support to LGBT refugees. We are not able to provide legal advice on immigration. We suggest contacting the UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group for specialist immigration support.