The World’s First Flock of Gay Sheep

These gay sheep are the stars of the hour. The flock of 21 rams on a farm in Löhne, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany have risen to fame through a fashion brand called Rainbow Wool, which produces caps, patches and shoelaces from the wool of the fluffy new celebrities. What’s more, the profit goes entirely to LGBTQ+ causes.

Since the project launched, shepherd Michael Stücke’s phone won’t stand still. “In the last weeks, there hasn’t been a day on which I haven’t given an interview. The number of enquiries we’re receiving at the moment is bombastic”, the 51-year-old farmer says. A member of the Gayfarmer Network in Germany, Stücke is gay himself and lives on the farm with his husband.

The project developed from a conversation he had about homosexual behaviour in sheep with a friend who works for a PR and communications agency. According to studies, apparently about one in 12 sheep is gay.

“Sometimes rams jump at each other trying to mate or entirely reject the females and only show interest in the male species,” Stücke said

As Stücke explains, regulations dictate that there must be one ram per 50 ewes and that ram is expected to sire offspring. “If the ram is gay, he obviously doesn’t do that.” So, like many other male sheep, the gay rams end up at the slaughterhouse.

Stücke’s friend wondered if anything could be done to change this and if the rams’ wool could be used for something. It was then that the idea for Rainbow Wool was born, and the friend’s PR and communications agency bought 21 gay rams from breeders. In September 2023, the first rams moved to Stücke’s farm.

The results are the products available in Rainbow Wool’s online shop, for quite a high price, however. Do people really pay that much? “Yes”, says Stücke, “the products are in high demand. I learned very fast that this goes down really well with the younger generation. They find it cool to have shoelaces made from the wool of gay rams.”

He continues, saying: “What really delights me, is that so many people profit from the project, not just one person who came up with the idea.” The entire profit goes to The Federation Queer Diversity in Germany (LSVD+) which helps various LGBTQ+ causes. According to the Human Dignity Trust, 63 countries still criminalise LGBTQ+ activity, and LSVD+ supports international projects aiding people in these places.

To stop breeders from claiming their rams are gay just to make a profit, Stücke shares how they recognise homosexual behaviour in the animals. “The jumping on each other isn’t the criterion but showing no interest in the ewes and refusing the mating act is a good sign. The flock we have here, they obviously show interest in each other.

We shear the gay sheep separately from our own to gain their wool independently. If a few more gay rams appear and if everything can be marketed well, the project might be able to successfully grow and products be extended. We have plenty of ideas.”

LGBTQ+ Businesses Contribute £106 billion to UK Economy, Landmark Report Finds

LGBTQ+ businesses in the UK contribute a staggering £106 billion to the economy, according to a landmark report published on 28 October.

The first of its kind LGBTQ+ Business Count report was compiled in partnership between OutBritain, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce, and Open Economy Network (OPEN), a think tank focused on diversity and tech, to fill a hole left by official UK data about the LGBTQ+ businesses.

Based on the largest-ever survey of UK LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, the report found that there were around 250,000 LGBTQ+ businesses in the UK that employ at least 750,000 people, with 57% employing a majority of LGBTQ+ people.

However, despite the significant and vital contribution that queer-owned businesses provide to the economy, the LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs survey noted a number of unique barriers and challenges that affect queer businesses.

Of those entrepreneurs surveyed, 57% said that doubt and a lack of self-confidence was something that they had faced.

Meanwhile, 44% had experienced invasive or inappropriate questions about their identities, while 37% said they had encountered some form of discrimination. Respondents also reported feeling like outsiders in the business world, with 36% saying that they were disconnected from mainstream business networks.

Despite the challenges, there are positives to operating a LGBTQ+ business. In fact, 83% of those surveyed said that their business had benefited from being LGBTQ+, with seven out of ten saying their identities made them more determined to succeed. Similarly, 67% suggested that a diversity of perspectives and experiences led to business benefits.

Of course, there are still disparities among LGBTQ+ businesses. The majority (61%) of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs identify as gay, while nearly two-thirds (64%) said they were men. Likewise, 89% of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs are white, 4% from mixed or multiple ethnic groups, 3% Asian or Asian British, and 2% Black, Black British, Caribbean or African.

The report identified three recommendations that would support LGBTQ+ businesses to overcome some of the barriers and difficulties they face, including better data collection, specific support and increased representation and supplier diversity.

In a statement, Philippe Legrain, Founder of OPEN and lead author of the report, said: “While the UK has made huge progress in tackling legal injustices and social prejudices against LGBTQ+ people, the past leaves scars.

Moreover, business tends to lag behind society as a whole in its acceptance of LGBTQ+ people; among the chief executives of the FTSE 100 leading companies, only one is openly gay. So, it is hugely important to document both the contribution and the challenges of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in the UK, which is why we have produced this report as a call to action to the government, mainstream business organisations and large corporations.”

First Case of More Spreadable Mpox Detected in UK

A single case of mpox – formerly known as monkeypox – linked to the recent outbreak in parts of Africa, has been detected in the UK. It is part of the Clade 1b outbreak, which appears to spread more easily between people.

Mpox was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation in the summer.

The UK patient had recently been on holiday in at least one of the affected countries in Africa and began to feel sick 24 hours after flying home. The patient developed flu-like symptoms on 22 October and a rash two days later.

An mpox rash of pus-filled lesions can last for up to a month. Other symptoms include fever, headaches and low energy.

The infected UK patient is being treated at the Royal Free Hospital’s specialist high consequence infectious diseases unit in London.

Laboratory testing confirmed the infection was Clade 1b. This form of the virus has been causing mounting concern. It appears able to spread more easily from person to person through close physical contact, including sex, than other types of mpox.

In Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda have all reported cases of Clade 1b mpox this year.

Its close relative Clade 1a is largely connected to exposure to infected animals or eating bush meat.

Clade 1b appears to be milder than 1a, although it’s difficult to know for certain because precise figures on the exact numbers of people infected are hard to pin down.

The patient’s close contacts, including those in the same household, are being traced. This is thought to be fewer than 10 people.

“This is the first time we have detected this clade of mpox in the UK, though other cases have been confirmed abroad,” said Prof Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency.

She said: “The risk to the UK population remains low, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread.”

Sweden, India and Germany have all detected cases of this strain of mpox linked to travel to affected countries.

This is a different outbreak to the one that primarily affected gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in 2022, called Clade II. These mpox infections still happen at low levels.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “The government is working alongside the UK Health Security Agency and the NHS to protect the public and prevent transmission. This includes securing vaccines and equipping healthcare professionals with the guidance and tools they need to respond to cases safely.”

Royal British Legion Pride Poppy Badge

The Royal British Legion is a charity that helps serving and former members of the UK’s armed forces and is best-known for running the Poppy Appeal each year.

The red poppy is considered a symbol of remembrance, particularly for those who gave their lives in the two world wars and the conflicts that followed.

There are, and always have been, LGBTQ+ people in the navy, air force and army, who faced homophobia and discrimination for their sexuality.

This badge symbolises support for our LGBTQ+ community who are a vital part of our Armed Forces past and present.

Available here for £8.00.

Trouble at Mill

This week 25 of us headed oop north to that Burnley in darkest Lancashire to visit Queen Street Mill Textile Museum. We took buzz X43 and had us dinners in a Wetherspoons “The Boot Inn” afoor teking another buzz up to Harle Syke. I was reet chuffed that we found da place without too much fretting or mithering.

We had a guide – Roger – who were a reet good egg. He knowed everything bout the place. He weren’t a thickun at all. The machinery were dead loud an’ each person worked four looms by their sen. Mind you, if you worked there you wouldn’t nod off, or you’d end up with cloth ears.

Who’da thowt it? Before we left we had us a brew.

More photos can be seen here.

Exploring the Not-So-Secret Gay Life of Famed Playwright & Performer Noël Coward

Noël Coward was an acclaimed actor, playwright, songwriter, singer and director.

Born to a working class family in the suburbs of London in 1899, he turned his passion for the arts into a multi-faceted career that established him as one of the most revered voices in entertainment, from the West End to Broadway, thanks especially to his hit plays like Private Lives and Blithe Spirit (by 30, he was already the highest paid writer in the world!).

He was also gay – a truth that almost everyone knew, but no one talked about.

Of course, that’s not the most surprising thing considering the era Coward rose to prominence. But it’s only in recent years that we’ve begun to fully appreciate the impact he made, not just as a dramatist, but as a queer dramatist.

While his work was never expressly gay, it was undoubtedly imbued with his queer sensibilities. Take for example, “Mad About The Boy,” one of his most well-known numbers written for the comedy I’ll Leave It To You, originally intended to be sung by women daydreaming about their movie-star crush.

But, come on: “I know it’s stupid to be mad about the boy, I’m so ashamed of it but must admit, the sleepless nights I’ve had about the boy”? It’s not hard to read those lyrics from the perspective of a gay man!

While Coward largely kept his private life private, he did eventually find a hunky screen idol of his own: The South Africa-born stage and screen actor Graham Payn, who would appear in a number of the writer’s works over the years. The true nature of their decades-long romance was kept a secret until after Coward passed.

From his lovers to his lavish lifestyle to his lasting legacy, all of that and more is explored in the fascinating documentary Mad About The Boy: The Noël Coward Story – taking its name from his signature song, naturally! – directed by filmmaker Barnaby Thompson (who also helped produce Spice World).

The film recounts his life, from impoverished childhood to jet-setting star up until his passing in 1973, told largely through his own words, music, and rarely seen home movies.

Listen carefully and you’ll hear a number of familiar voices. For one, many of Coward’s famous contemporaries and admirers – from Frank Sinatra to Lauren Bacall to Dame Maggie Smith – sing his praises via archival footage. And, reading direct from the icon’s diaries, as the voice of Noël Coward himself, is out star Rupert Everett.

And the whole thing is narrated by recent Emmy winner Alan Cumming, whose lilting Scottish brogue is the perfect complement to Coward’s incredible story.

Watch the trailer for Mad About The Boy: The Noël Coward Story below:

LGBTQ+ Abuse in Immigration Detention

As soon as Joel Mordi was driven into the asylum detention compound, he described it as if the ‘gates of hell’ had just opened.

Wearing a blazer and Doc Martens with rainbow laces, he was guided through the big hall of Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) lined with yellow doors and gangs of people clustered together.

Joel immediately felt powerless, as homophobic insults from fellow detainees started.

“People called me a sissy. Then there was faggot and batty boy, but there were so many street terms that I didn’t know. The ones I couldn’t understand were probably really bad. It felt like I had a target on my back, but the officer I was with didn’t do anything.”

Joel was just 21 on 5 November 2019, when he touched down in London after leaving his home country of Nigeria – where homosexual acts are punishable by up to 14 years in prison. He fled Lagos after organising a public protest for LGBTQ+ rights and receiving death threats as a result.

But his ordeal wasn’t over. Claiming asylum at Heathrow Airport immediately after landing, he says he was held in a waiting room for 11 hours – where he was strip searched – and then transferred to Harmondsworth IRC.

Joel spent one night in the facility’s annex, then was transferred to the main detention area, where the homophobic insults from fellow detainees occurred. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning.

Joel adds: “One night, the door handle started rattling and someone I didn’t know opened it. He had come to gain sexual favours and threatened to hurt me if I didn’t comply. Eventually, I did what he wanted and then he left.

The following night, he came into my room again. This time, he wanted something different, but I couldn’t go through with it. He tried but I screamed and he left,” he says.

Joel was left shaken and scared for his life, especially with how eerily silent it was in the aftermath when his world felt like it had completely crumbled.

At the time, he tried to report to one of the officers what had happened to him, but Joel says she didn’t want to hear it and so dismissed him. 

Five years on, Joel still recalls vivid and traumatising details of the assault, including the man smelling of weed or the countless cuts on both of his arms. Thankfully, to Joel’s relief, he was granted bail less than a week after his detainment. But the damage was already done.

In the years since, his mental health suffered immensely, including insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks and major PTSD. “Detention never really leaves you,” he says. “I remember everything. I’ve tried to undo it but there are some things that will be forever etched in me.”

According to figures via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from immigration charity Rainbow Migration, there were at least 259 LGBTQ+ people held in immigration detention in 2023 – which is almost exactly double the amount (129) in 2022.

The Home Office does not systematically collect or publish any data on LGBTQ+ people in detention, which is why they’re reliant on FOI data – but even that has its limits.

The data provided is missing eight months’ worth of numbers from Derwentside and nine months’ worth from Colnbrook and Harmondsworth – some of the biggest detention centres in the UK. That missing data, and the fact that what data there is relies on LGBTQ+ people voluntarily outing themselves to detention centre staff, is why the true number will be significantly higher.

Thankfully, since his detention, Joel has been supported by LGBTQ+ and immigration charities – AKT, Safe Passage, Micro Rainbow and Rainbow Migration – who he says have been a ‘lifeline’.

But after his traumatic ordeal in detention, he has a message for the Home Office. ‘If detention is already a damned place for our counterparts, times it by at least 11 and that’s how it is for LGBTQ+ people,’ Joel says. ‘It’s not fit for purpose’.

* Name has been changed.

Intersex Awareness Day

Intersex Awareness Day is observed on 26 October to uplift and honour intersex people around the globe. 

What’s Intersex Bodily Autonomy? 

Intersex is an umbrella term most often describing when someone’s reproductive or sexual anatomy that at birth does not fit into binary definitions of male or female.

In most hospitals, bodies are evaluated at birth and assigned male or female. When people with intersex bodies do not conform to this male-female sex binary, they are subjected to nonconsensual, permanent surgeries due to medical and social pressure.

This often means multiple surgeries throughout childhood and lasting effects on socialisation and self-image. Intersex people deserve bodily autonomy and should have the right to decide what is best for their bodies. 

Up to 1.7 per cent of the world’s population is born intersex, a figure roughly equivalent to the number of redheads. Watch this video “Common as Red Hair”:

Sweden becomes first country to meet global HIV targets

Since the detection of the first AIDS cases in 1981, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), there have been an estimated 85.6 million infections and there were 39 million people with HIV (PWHIV) at the end of 2022. With access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), life expectancy of PWHIV is approaching that of people without HIV.

Anonymous and free HIV testing and care is available for anyone in Sweden; free ART has been available since 2004. Testing for HIV is offered to all pregnant women and to migrants. It is also recommended to test people diagnosed with an HIV indicator disease.

Most new infections are acquired from undiagnosed PWHIV who are unaware of their HIV status. This means they cannot take preventative measures to reduce onward transmissions, including suppressive ART which is known to prevent further spread.

The World Health Organisation targets for the HIV epidemic, to be reached by 2025, means that 95% of all people living with HIV have been diagnosed, 95% of them are receiving treatment, and 95% of those treated have undetectable viral load.

Sweden had reached each of the three UNAIDS 95–95–95 targets by 2022, with 96% PWHIV being diagnosed, 99% of diagnosed being on ART, and 98% of those on ART being virally suppressed.

Henry Paget, The “Dancing Marquess”

In North Wales you can find an historic estate with a unique gay story.

The estate, “Plas Newydd”, meaning “new house or hall” has the same name as the estate belonging to the two Ladies of Llangollen.

This story centres on a flamboyant aristocrat who knew how to throw a party and wear a ball gown, but not necessarily produce a watchable theatrical production, though his life is about to hit the big screen in a film starring Rupert Everett, Siobhán McSweeney and Callum Scott Howells.

The handsome and huge Plas Newydd House and Gardens (Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Wales), built in 1470, overlooks the Menai Strait on the island of Anglesey. The property is now operated as a museum and parklands by the National Trust, but following a line of succession, it was home to 19th century aristocrat Henry Paget, fifth Marquess of Anglesey, nicknamed the Dancing Marquess. Adhering to the philosophy of live fast, look good, die young, Paget died of an undiagnosed illness at age 29 after spending £43 million on “clothes, pink poodles and cars that billowed perfume.” 

Born in 1875, Paget inherited Plas Newydd in 1898 along with about £110,000 a year (about £18 to £20 million) today. He renamed it Anglesey Castle and set about trying to make the property a centre of cultural life.

Despite much speculation, there is little documentation of Paget’s sex life, inside or outside his short marriage to his cousin. The 1997 BBC series The Aristocracy: Born to Rule 1875-1914 reported: “The closest (his) marriage ever came to consummation was that he would make her pose naked covered top to bottom in jewels and she had to sleep wearing the jewels. The marriage only lasted six weeks till she came running home.”

But Paget’s flamboyant tendencies and penchant for dressing in feminine clothes raised questions about his sexual orientation.

“He spent a very large amount of money on clothes, which he loved. I think he had 400 pairs of pyjamas and 300 waistcoats, most of which were never worn,” says Christopher Sykes, the seventh Marquess of Anglesey, in the BBC documentary. “He was mad keen about the theatre. He started a full theatre here, and he used to pay famous actors and actresses from London to come and play second to him.”

Paget frequently rewrote shows to include his signature performance, “The Butterfly Dance,” which involved waving a voluminous robe of transparent silk around like wings. (Sadly, there is no visual documentation of the dance.) He toured the dance around the UK and to Berlin and Dresden. One of his favourite roles was Queen Eleanor, which required a particularly voluptuous costume. “Such stories only confirmed the growing public view of the aristocracy as profligate and indulgent,” states the BBC documentary. Despite his extraordinary wealth, Paget blew all of it and died deep in debt in 1905.

In the coming film version of Paget’s life, called Madfabulous, written by Welsh screenwriter Lisa Baker, the marquess will be played by queer Welsh actor Callum Scott Howells, who starred in the British mini series It’s a Sin as Colin Morris-Jones.

Also cast are Rupert Everett, one of the first mainstream British movie stars to come out publicly, and Irish actor Siobhán McSweeney, who played the wry Sister Michael in the cult sitcom Derry Girls – all signs indicating that the filmmakers are leaning into a gay camp portrayal of Paget.

Mini Cini

We dined at the Piccadilly Tavern before walking to Ducie Street Warehouse where the Mini Cini is housed. The Mini Cini is a small 36 seat cinema where we are able to show our own film selections.

This time we had a number of short films:

Why?;

That Don’t Impress Me Much;

Wings;

Old Gays Share their Coming Out Stories;

Old Gays Try Drag;

A Short Film in Polari; and

Being Gay in the Thirties.

Why? Is a new video celebrating 40 years since the original song by Bronski Beat. It’s part documentary, part music video.

Wings from 1927 showed the first on screen same sex kiss by two men.

Polari was a form of slang used by gay men in Britain prior to the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967, used primarily as a coded way for them to discuss their experiences.

It quickly fell out of use in the 70s, although several words entered mainstream English and are still used today. All I can say is let us put our best lallie forward and with our eeks shining with hope, troll together towards the fantabulosa futurette!

Despite a couple of technical hitches, the afternoon went well. The main feature was Being Gay in the Thirties.

In this outstanding episode of pioneering 1980s TV series “Gay Life”, Gifford Skinner describes what it was like to be a gay man in the 1930s.

Illuminating and nostalgic, Gifford recalls picking up guardsmen in Hyde Park as well as some of the homosexual ‘characters’ he encountered in London’s West End. The gay activist, historian and sociologist Jeffrey Weeks is interviewed about gay law reform. This episode is presented by Michael Attwell, who also produced the series for the London Minorities Unit.

London Weekend Television may have screened “Gay Life” in the Sunday night ‘graveyard’ slot of 11.30pm, but it attracted a lot of publicity, some of it negative. Lesbians protested that they were excluded from the first series in 1980, so this was rectified for the much-improved second series in 1981.

In the pages of Gay News veteran activist Dudley Cave welcomed “Gay Life”, saying it reached “into the homes and the closets to places where Gay News never gets.”

US Military Amends Records for ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

In a move long fought for by LGBT+ veterans, the United States military has upgraded the records of service members discharged under the controversial anti-LGBT+ “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

On 15 October 2024, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the action on Twitter/X with a full statement saying that 851 service members who lost their positions under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would have their status changed to “honourable discharge.”

Austin’s statement reads: “Brave LGBTQ Americans have long volunteered to serve the country that they love. Some of these troops were administratively separated from military service under the now-repealed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.”

Protest! – Documenting Dissent

Initiative Arts Projects Ltd will be launching their new project – Protest! – at 6.00pm on Wednesday, 4 December 2024 at Manchester Art Gallery.

Please keep the date in your diary as Out In The City members have been invited to attend.

During the previous project (Legacy of ’67) a recurring theme in the stories collected was the importance of protest in advocating for equality and securing and maintaining rights for LGBTQ+ people.

At the centre of Protest! will be the recording of oral history testimonies and the project will result in an exhibition, public performances, film, and regular lectures, guided tours, workshops and symposia.

Protest! will launch at the end of November 2024 to coincide with the 21^st anniversary of the repeal of Section 28 in England and Wales.

Giorgio Armani Breaks His Silence On His Male Lovers

With an estimated worth of over $13 billion, Giorgio Armani has been a fashion powerhouse since launching his namesake label in 1975.

The Italian designer, who turned 90 in July, is also immensely reserved and has rarely spoken on his private life. While he’s considered to be part of the LGBT+ community, one of the last instances of him addressing his sexuality was in a Vanity Fair article from 2000 where he noted: “I have had women in my life. And sometimes men.” 

But in a new and very personal interview, Armani has opened up about his relationships with male lovers throughout his life and shared intimate details of these special romances.

After disclosing that he lost his virginity to a girl in his class, Armani spoke candidly about his first male crush that occurred while at summer camp.

“I’ve never talked about this. It happened under a shed on the beach at Misano, at 5 in the afternoon, when all the boys from the summer camp were supposed to have a bit of a quiet time.”

While he didn’t fully elaborate if he had an actual experience or if it was the first time he had same-sex feelings, the object of Armani’s burgeoning affection was for one of the camp counsellors.

“I was in a group of boys, and there was a supervisor, a young man, who I felt immediately attracted to. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, and I didn’t pursue it,” he said. “But from that moment on, my life took a different turn.”

Like many young boys, Armani’s “gay awakening” left him confused and excited.

“I didn’t understand what it was. I didn’t distinguish between men and women at the time. It was just an attraction I felt, something beautiful: I couldn’t wait to be near him, to be touched …  I felt a huge connection,” he added, before taking pause to honour what a monumental moment that was in his life.

I’ve never told anyone about this. It’s still a very emotional memory for me.”

In the ’60s, Armani met architect Sergio Galeotti. The duo became business partners, but even more importantly, they were in a relationship for more than a decade.

“We met near the Capannina night club, in Versilia, where I was on holiday for a couple of days,” he recounted. “I saw Sergio in his car and I immediately fell for his Tuscan smile.”

Armani and Galeotti were together throughout the ’70s and ’80s, until tragedy hit. In 1985, Galeotti died from complications due to AIDS and Armani was left completely devastated.

“When Sergio died, a part of me died with him. I must say I’m still amazed that I found within myself the resilience to withstand such an immense pain,” Armani shared.

“I had to tap into my willpower to deal with all the pain and anguish. A whole year spent next to Sergio in his hospital bed. And it all happened as our career was taking off, when we were becoming known, setting up our company, reaching worldwide fame. It was the moment I was gaining confidence in myself, and then this blow hit me.”

For the last several decades, Armani has had his collaborator Leo Dell’Orco, who is the Head of the Men’s Style Office for all collections, at his side.

While the pair are not legally married, Armani wears a ring on his left hand as a symbol of their enduring relationship. “It’s a wonderful ring with a diamond. Leo gave it to me.” Despite their strong connection, Armani is still hesitant to say he is in love with Dell’Orco.

“I’m a bit indifferent to that. I think it over and realise there’s no point in being in love and giving it so little space, because I just don’t have that much space,” he clarified. “But I have deep affection for Leo Dell’Orco, who has lived with me for years and is the person closest to me.”

For now, Armani shows no sign of slowing down as he’s set to debut his spring 2025 collection on Thursday, 17 October.

Bronski Beat’s “Why?” Gets Reinvented With a Striking New Video 40 Years After its Original Release

This month marks the 40th anniversary of The Age Of Consent, the landmark debut album from British synth-pop trio Bronski Beat, initially made up of musicians Jimmy Somerville, Steve Bronski, and Larry Steinbachek.

Powerful, propulsive, and unabashedly gay, the group’s music was a much needed calling card for the LGBT+ community in the ’80s, especially at a time when Margaret Thatcher’s conservative reign was actively silencing queer voices and HIV/AIDS continued to spread.

While first single “Smalltown Boy” remains Bronski Beat’s most enduring hit, their follow up “Why?” is just as potent and deserves to also be remembered as a timeless LGBT+ anthem.

The song was inspired by – and dedicated to – friend of the band Drew Griffiths, a gay playwright who was chased out of the country by his boyfriend’s angry family and eventually murdered.

Lyrically, “Why?” doesn’t hold back, nor does it attempt to mask its righteous queer themes in metaphor. “Contempt in your eyes when I turn to kiss his lips”, vocalist Sommerville sings. “Broken I lie, all my feelings denied, blood on your fist.”

Over cascading synths and a wail of horns, the chorus repeats the question, “Can you tell me why?”, begging, pleading for someone to explain the point of the ceaseless homophobic violence. Meanwhile, the bridge offers a defiant rallying cry: “You and me together, fighting for our love.”

Upon its release “Why?” came complete with a conceptual video, which featured Sommerville as a butcher in a market overrun by gluttonous consumers. When what we can assume is meant to be a gay couple have their money refused at the counter, Sommerville defends them before being dragged away to a court where judges are being puppeteered by a spiteful god. He’s then sent to work on a messy, factory line job, where he eventually leads the others in a riotous protest.

Filmed on an intricate set in a single soundstage, the video is actually quite striking, though it’s been said Bronski Beat was “never happy” with the visuals as they felt “frivolous and sidestepped the anger and passion behind the song.”

Considering “Why” was written in memory of a friend lost to violence and is so direct and urgent in its lyrical messaging, it’s not hard to see why the band members might have preferred something more to the point.

In the four decades since, Bronski Beat’s roster changed a number of times, and Sommerville split off to pursue projects of his own. Today, he’s the only surviving member of the original trio (Steinbachek passed in late 2016, and Bronski in 2021).

In celebration of The Age Of Consent‘s 40th anniversary, Sommerville wanted to honour his bandmates’ legacies, as well as the generations of fans who have been empowered by the trio’s trailblazing work. Along with a deluxe, remastered re-release of the album, he also commissioned a new video for “Why?”, tapping filmmaker and activist Matt Lambert to reimagine visuals that would match the song’s revolutionary spirit and perpetual timeliness.

The result is “Why?”, a hybrid documentary and music video that uses Bronski Beat’s towering anthem to link the past to the present. Lambert assembles archival footage to set the scene of the early ’80s, providing some context for the fraught era that birthed the song.

But as the synth beats fades in and Sommerville wails, “tell me whyyyyy?”, the clips jump through time, right up to this very minute, alternating between scenes of real-world cruelty and homophobia to moments of unity and celebration.

“It was such a dream to look into the past and future with Jimmy,” director Matt Lambert shares in a press statement. “This project was born out of an ongoing dialogue about the past and our ongoing responsibilities to protect what we’ve fought so hard for.”

In an ’84 interview with the Record Mirror, Sommerville shared the song was about “a constant fight for your right to love and that’s a right everybody should have – to love who they want.” Today he adds: “I never thought a song that we wrote in 1984 would resonate even more powerfully in 2024.”

As wrenching and heartbreaking as some of the footage in the new “Why?” video may be, it stands to remind us of what Bronski Beat always hoped we’d take away from their music: We’re here, we have always been here, and we’re not going anywhere as long as we stand by one another.

It’s no accident that the new, extended mix of the song brings its bridge to the end, letting Sommerville sing, “you and me together, fighting for our love” as a final, hopeful note of resistance.

Rainbow Lottery Super Draw!

Please support Out In The City by buying a Rainbow Lottery ticket or two (or more!)

With each Rainbow Lottery ticket, you are not just entering to win exciting prizes, you are also supporting our mission to support older LGBT+ people.

It’s a vital part of our fundraising as we receive 50p for every £1 spent and you have the chance to win cash prizes each week from £25 for three numbers up to a jackpot of £25,000 for six numbers – while helping us to achieve more for the LGBT+ communities over 50 years.

Buy tickets here.

This month we have a terrific tech prize for you. On Saturday 26 October, one lucky person will win the just-released iPhone 16 Pro!

This top-of-the-line phone is built for Apple Intelligence, for a whole new smartphone experience. It comes in Grade 5 Titanium with a Super Retina XDR display with a state-of-the-art GPU for gaming, and the most advanced iPhone camera system yet, for professional photos and the highest quality video in a smartphone!

Your regular weekly tickets already enter you into the draw to win this fantastic prize – but did you know you can now top-up your tickets, just for the Super Draw weeks!? And just imagine what you could do with this huge prize …

Play Now!