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WELCOME TO THE GAY BELFAST WEBSITE
Thanks for visiting the Gay Belfast website we hope you like our website. Do contact us with your comments. Should you have trouble finding your way around the website? Try the Gay Belfast Site Map or Search Page facility. Click here to make Gay Belfast your default homepage. Fancy a Gay Belfast T-Shirt, Mug or Mouse Mat? Then we have opened the Gay Belfast Shop just for you. Check it out!
Coming to Belfast? Let Gay Belfast plan your day finds out what's happening each day in Belfast's gay scene or check out the Gay Belfast recommended hotels and guesthouses for places to stay. For example Jurys Inn Belfast
or the Hilton Hotel
. Both are located in the centre of the city and just two minutes' walk from the prime shopping areas
of Donegall Place and the Castlecourt Centre. And a walk to the centre of Gay Belfast. For some hot tourist tips click here. We also like the new discover belfast website.
Gay Belfast Scene News
Belfast Pride Festival: Belfast Pride is Ireland’s largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans festival appealing to audiences of over 12,000 people in the summer of each year. In 2010 Belfast Pride holds its 20th Anniversary so expect someting special. Belfast Pride celebrates our diversity with a week long celebration which take place at the end of July and feature a programme of events which we are sure appeals to even the most diverse range of tastes. The pride parade is the highlight of the Belfast Pride Festival, and is the culmination of a week-long celebration, which included lectures, exhibitions and performing arts events. The main Belfast Pride parade and events will take place on Saturday 31st July 2010 including Party in the Square at Custom House Square.
Other Pride Events include: On Saturday 24th July, Revue presents a Crows Nest Reunion in the Deers Head, Belfast. This will be a fundraising night for Cancer Lifeline. There will be cabaret from the divine Miss Kandi B and the fabulous Miss Mae, and great music from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and noughties with Andy T. Doors open at 8.30pm for a great buffet, and a night of nostalgia and craic for all Crows Nest customers and staff. Then, on Thursday 29th July in the White Box Cafe on Hill Street, Belfast Pride and Kaleidoscope Films present the premiere of ‘Wasteland’, a locally written, filmed and scored film. This film explores the lives of a group of young people in Belfast, and there is a gay-themed love story in the midst of it all. The film starts at 8pm, and cast and crew will be present!
Belfast Pride Party Weekender Ticket: is a collaboration of two independent events in Belfast to bring you the most affordable gay weekend in Ireland. Something for the boys, something for the girls & a fab weekend that certainly won’t break the bank at £25. Your ticket will include 2 nights accommodation in a hostel in the gay quarter along with entry to either Men of the North at Copperfields with DJ RYAN on the decks or Kitty Killer & Gaydar Girls at Mynt on Friday 30th July (both of which are offering “extras” & drink promos)…along with a £1 donation to Belfast Pride. To book your Weekender Ticket visit www.belfastprideparty.co.uk. Please note this hostal is very basic (read the Trip Adviser Reviews) so if you would like a hotel we would recommend you click here.
Pride Short Story: Linda McVeigh has just been shortlisted for a national short story competition. The story is set during Gay Pride in Belfast and is called 'Troubles'. Part of the judging is by public vote so if you would like to support Linda - vote here.
Many other prides are taking place this year we have a special focus on Scandinavia which hosts several pride festivals each year, making it a popular gay travel destination. Read our report on the Copenhagen and Stockholm pride festivals here.
20 Years of Belfast Pride Photographic Exhibition: Belfast Pride is presenting a photographic exhibition to mark the 20th anniversary of our organisation in Belfast Central Library. The exhibition celebrates the work done by all members and volunteers of Belfast Pride in the last 20 years to promote LGBT rights and equality, and pave the way for the annual Pride parade becoming Ireland’s largest. The exhibition will feature photographs, Pride guides, t-shirts and other vibrant memorabilia spanning the life of the organisation, as well as a visitors’ book. As we celebrate our 20th birthday, this is a perfect opportunity to look back at Prides of the past. You might spot some familiar faces! The exhibition will run until 7th August at Belfast Central Library, 126 Royal Avenue. Opening times are Monday to Thursday 09.00-20.00, Friday 09.00-17.30 and Saturday 09.00-16.30.
Slide: on Ann's Street is the newest gay bar in Belfast. Slide is owned by the same people who own the very popular Muriel’s Cafe Bar and The Spanard. Slide used to be the old Capstain Lounge. The very stylish venue with table service on one floor and on another a small but comfortably sized dance floor is a must. It's hard to find just look out for Little Wings Pizzeria - its above it. It also seems to rent out the bar out a lot for private parties so be prepared to be sent packin! A worthwhile addition to Belfast’s growing bar and club scene. Tel.: 02890247222.
Gay Basketball Team Members Wanted Message from Joanna Ryde: Hey guys! We've set up a basketball team being run from my new home town of Waterford and we've 10 teams but none north of the border! Would love Belfast, Derry and Newry involved! We've got teams in 8 towns and cities so far and all are mixed so they're not gender specific! Everyone plays on the same team! Would be nice to have the North involved! let us know if you can help out! www.Rainbow-League.com or mail me at JoannaRyde@gmail.com
Gay Belfast Hunk of the Month Check out the latest Gay Belfast Hunk of the Month. Check out previous hunks such as Northern Ireland swimmers Andrew Bree, Mitch Hewer and Gregory Michael the US actor who plays Kevin Archer in the sexy US gay soap hit Dante's Cove. We also have a special on Matthew Mitcham who won a diving gold at the Olympics. You can also still droll over Shayne Ward who played in Belfast's Odyssey Arena last year. To view this months hunk and check out previous hunky men including Hayden Christensen, Jesse Metcalf, Bryn Cunningham, Calum Best, Laurence Graham, Johan Kenkhuis and Kevin Bishop or suggest future hunks; visit the Gay Belfast Hunk
of the Month Page.
Staying in? For the Best Gay and Lesbian DVD's click here
Sean Penn gets in touch with his feminine side in Gus Van Sant's powerful, moving biopic about the activist and San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk. Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, but was murdered soon afterwards. Read our review of MILK.
“CHECKUM” campaign hots up
Recently voted the best-looking housemate ever; BIG BROTHERS Dale Howard is the latest celebrity to join forces with over 40 other top celebrities for the Famousmales Testicular Cancer Awareness Campaign in Association with Macmillan Cancer Support. Dale looking even better after leaving the BB house is now a Personal Trainer and is working in Manchester. Dale said ” I’ve never gone completely nude for photographs before but this is such an important cause that I just had to drop my pants and “CHECKUM”. The campaign has attracted Top Celebrity support with names like Ronan Keating, Westlife and Shayne Ward to name but a few. The message is loud and clear - Check yourself and get to a Doctor if you have any worries at all!” more on this story...
Gay Belfast News
Launch of anti-hate crime campaign: An advertising campaign aimed at encouraging the reporting and awareness of hate crimes and incidents is being launched by the Police Service. The advertisements carry a simple message ‘nobody deserves this and nobody deserves to get away with it’ with photographic images representing the six areas of hate crime - racist, homophobic, transphobic, sectarian, religion and crimes against people with disabilities.
The advertisements will appear on billboards, adshels, washroom posters and online for the next month and will feature primarily in areas of high reporting. In the past year there were 671 racist hate crimes, 108 homophobic hate crimes, 27 faith/religion related hate crimes, 1200 sectarian hate crimes, 4 transphobic hate crimes and 63 disability related hate crimes reported in Northern Ireland. Over the same period in 2008-2009 there were 771 racist hate crimes, 134 homophobic hate crimes, 35 faith/religion related hate crimes, 1,017 sectarian hate crimes, 2 transphobic hate crimes and 28 disability related hate crimes.
The Robinsons, the developers and the £5 land deal: First Minister Peter Robinson bought a piece of land from a developer in Northern Ireland for £5, the Democratic Unionist Party confirmed. 
However the party said its subsequent sale to another builder was not essential for access to a major development in east Belfast which the Robinsons made thousands of pounds from. It claimed there were no tax implications after the Stormont First Minister and his wife Iris made £460,000 from the sale of part of their garden following the exchange. A DUP statement said: "The sliver of land was bought for £5 and sold for £5, a fact that has never been hidden, and Mr Robinson derived no financial benefit whatsoever from the transaction. "There were a number of other access possibilities and the sliver of land was not essential for access." more news
Iris's 'Gay Cure' psychiatrist reported to GMC: The psychiatrist who worked with shamed former MP Iris Robinson has been reported to the General Medical Council for his work in trying to “cure” gay people. Dr Paul Miller, who has a private practice in south Belfast, was the therapist referred to by Mrs Robinson when she made her now-infamous remarks about gay people in June 2008. Read More About This Gay Belfast News Story
Intolerance growing in Northern Ireland: Homophobia and racism are on the rise in Northern Ireland, a survey of public attitudes reveals today. Anti-gay prejudice has almost doubled in three years, according to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. In 2005, 14% of people it surveyed said they would have a problem with a gay, lesbian or bisexual person. That figure rose to 23% in the 2008 poll published today. The report comes after a series of statements by local politicians have been branded homophobic. Iris Robinson, the Democratic Unionist MP, faced widespread criticism after she said homosexuality repulsed her and could be "cured" by psychiatry. Bob Collins, the commission's chief executive, said: "The results of the survey highlight the breadth of work which remains to be done in order to effectively change perceptions and attitudes towards citizens in Northern Ireland." more news
Homophobic crime rife in NI: A significant percentage of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people living in Northern Ireland have been the victim of homophobic hate crimes during the last three years, according to a new report. However, 64 per cent of homophobic incidents experienced by individuals were not reported to the police. Through Your Eyes - perceptions and experiences of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual people towards homophobic hate crime and policing in Northern Ireland , is published by the Rainbow Project and supported by the PSNI and the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Read More About This Gay Belfast News Story
Northern Ireland moves closer to a Bill of Rights: the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has handed the British government its advice on the potential for a Bill of Rights for the province. The commission will have been influenced by the recommendations of the Bill of Rights Forum which includes local gay groups in Belfast. Read More
Guide tackles homophobic bullying in Schools: The booklet, titled Leave It Out, is aimed at helping schools provide a "tailored approach" to the problem. According to the booklet, a number of pupils suffer homophobic bullying because they are perceived to be gay or lesbian. read more
Its not right to attempt to cure homosexuality: Therapists should not attempt to change an individual's sexual orientation, says reader of the Northern Ireland morning newspaper the 'NewsLetter'. Asking people for their views about the controversial subject, ahead of Richard Cohen's appearance on BBC Northern Ireland's The Nolan Show. See the Gay Belfast News Section.
Gay Terrorist Comes Out: Sam 'Skelly' McCrory was one of the most dangerous terrorists in Western Europe, the last commander of Ulster Defence Association inmates in the Maze prison, the closest confidant of Johnny 'Mad Dog' Adair, who called him his 'top operator' and one of two UDA leaders chosen to meet Mo Mowlam 10 years ago in her talks in the Maze aimed at salvaging the loyalist ceasefires, and he was having an affair with a gay Royal Ulster Constabulary policeman. He has swapped a life dominated by direct involvement in UDA assassination squads in Northern Ireland for one of gay activism in Scotland, writes The Guardian. See the Gay Belfast News Section.
VIDEO: Belfast band 'The Sons of Robert Mitchum' have created their version of 'Mrs Robinson' Enjoy It.
Gay Belfast Online Dating & Friendfinder
Fancy a date or a chat tonight? Check out our new dating and friendfinder service. Talk to belfast guys and beyond online now! Gay Belfast Dating is an online dating and friendfinder service. With Gay Belfast Dating you can meet new friends, find romance or simply meet up online with people sharing similar interests and hobbies. You can register for free and search the site completely anonymously right away - and it's completely safe, secure and confidential.
FILM
If you're after old classic gay titles like My Beautiful Laundrette, Better Than Chocolate, or great TV like The L Word, Queer As Folk, or the brand new steamy series Dante's Cove, or even theatrical hits like Brokeback Mountain and Mulholland Drive, you've come to the right place. Browse the store for all the hits you know and love, and discover other great titles. Keep an eye on the latest offers and bestsellers. The Gay Belfast Gay and Lesbian DVD Shop is the best place to hunt out hard to come by gay and lesbian titles, and to grab a bargain at the same time.
See also the most popular items in Gay and Lesbian DVD Bestsellers via Amazon
A Touch of Pink (Our Rating: GGGG)
Playing it straight is about to get complicated in
the fabulous screwball comedy A Touch of Pink starring heartthrobs Jimi
Mistry (from East is East) and Kyle MacLachlan (Sex and the City). Alim
(Jimi Mistry) is a young Canadian, now living in
London, who is so caught up in the romance, style and dreams of the old
movies that he has adopted the spirit of Cary Grant (Kyle MacLachlan)
as his lifestyle advisor. Whilst Cary freely
gossips about his defunct co-stars and offers sartorial tips, Alim is
enjoying a hot romance with his new sexy boyfriend Giles (Kristen
Holden-Ried from The Tudors). But his life of leisure and
pleasure begins to
unravel when his mother Nuru (Suleka Mathew from Men in Trees) shows
up. She has
come to London to find Alim a proper Ismaili-Muslim girlfriend and to
convince him to return to Canada and join the family for his cousin's
spectacular wedding. Once in Toronto, Alim's different worlds begin to
collide and he has to choose between his fantasy life with Cary, his
family and the earthier pleasures of real life with his man.
Paying homage to the Cary Grant and Doris Day movies of the late '50s
and
early '60s, A Touch of Pink is a clever and big hearted screwball comedy.
TOUCH OF PINK is available to buy on DVD or click here to rent the DVD from LoveFilm.com
View the Touch of Pink Trailer
Loving Annabelle (Our Rating: GGGG)
Loving Annabelle a beautiful story of love between
a teacher and a student that is told so beautifully that the viewer is
instantly drawn in as the relationship develops. The leading actresses,
Erin Kelly as Annabelle (the student) and Diane Gaidry as Simone (the
catholic boarding school teacher) are excellent and believable, the ensemble
cast likewise and the locations and the cinematography are beautiful. Katherine
Brooks has done a wonderful job in writing and directing a thoroughly
enjoyable but thought provoking movie. There is such depth to the story
that you indeed forget that the subject matter is taboo and forbidden, it
is simply a love story. Buy
Loving Annabelle from Amazon and support our website or click here to rent the DVD from LoveFilm.com
NOT ANOTHER GAY MOVIE
Andy is your typical All-American seventeen-year-old gay virgin. Like everyone
else, he's dying to lose his virginity. Totally out of the closet and crazy
for it, this naive high school senior is caught in that awkward vortex
between child and adult. Much to the dismay of his MOM (who wonders why
all her carrots and cucumbers keep disappearing), Andy spends much of
his private time practicing for the big moment when he'll finally take the
plunge.
Andy is not alone. He attends high school with his three best friends, all of
them totally out-loud-and-proud. JAROD is a buff, blonde varsity-jock
stud. GRIFF is the valedictorian, sinewy sexy, and a closet romantic.
NICO is the pierced alternative-kid gay-cinema expert. The guys all have
one thing in common - they're all booty-virgins.
MUFFLER, 18, the boys' bulldyke Casanova stud bud, delights in pointing this
out. Muffler is a cheerleader-magnet with loads of sexual experience
under her mullet. The final straw for the guys comes at Muffler's graduation
party, where everyone is having sex but them. That night they make a
pact to do "the
big A" by the end of summer.
What follows is a raunchy ride on the bumpy road to butt love. Along the way,
the film spoofs not only American Pie and gay movies from Trick to The
Broken Hearts Club, but also the entire gay lifestyle.
After the end-of-summer blow-out bash at Muffler's, the boys' lives (and asses)
will never be the same...
Will Andy decide he's not ready for sex after all? Will Griff act on his raging
crush for best friend Jarod? What is Nico doing with MUFFLER'S GRANDPA?
Will Andy get that gerbil out of his ass?
Beneath the film's sex-romp exterior beats the true heart of the story - one
of friendship and loss of innocence. Each character experiences his own
rite of passage on a journey that spans from boys to men.
Not since John Waters' early Pink Flamingos days has a legitimate theatrical
release been so totally filthy and yet lovably innocent. Five G Stars. Buy
Another Gay Movie from Amazon and support our website or click here to rent the DVD from LoveFilm.com
. See our video
section for clips.
For
the Best Gay & Lesbian DVD's click here
Visit our video section for the latest movie clips.
click here to rent the DVD from LoveFilm.com
HellBent - the world's very first "gay slasher flick". (Our Rating: GGGG)
HellBent, the directorial debut of Texas-born art director
Paul Etheredge-Ouzts, makes the rather unique claim of being the world's
very first "gay slasher flick". It's also a pretty well-crafted and
surprisingly intelligent little psycho-thriller, and one that manages
to surpass its own gimmicky description while giving the adventurous
genre fans something interesting to chew on - the hot guys also help!
The plot is certainly nothing revolutionary: A group of fun-loving
friends plans to spend one wild Halloween together -- despite that
fact that a local lunatic has been slashing gay guys to ribbons while
they make out in parked cars. That's pretty much it, plot-wise, but
hey; it's not like Friday the 13th is a masterpiece of brilliant narrative
structure, so off we go to the Halloween slash-fest. Those expecting
some sort of pedestal standing tract on the equality of homosexuals
will be pleased to note that HellBent does not preach or make speeches.
It's just a nasty little hack-'em-up in which the victims simply happen
to be young gay guys instead of football jocks or busty cheerleader
chicks. The actors are not only very hunky but they can also act, the
kills are enjoyably and gruesomely nasty, and the subtext is clear
and obvious enough as to avoid a feeling or button-pushing or outright
pretence. It's not deep and it's not unique, but HellBent approaches
an oft abused sub-genre with just enough originality and creativity
to warrant praise. Buy
Hellbent from Amazon and support our website or click here to rent the DVD from LoveFilm.com
. Visit our video
section for clips.
Nina's Heavenly Delights (Our Rating: GGGG)
Nina,
a young lesbian woman, leaves home under a cloud. When her father dies
she returns to the family owned Indian restaurant. Her return brings many
surprises - discovering her father's gambling debts, a confrontation with
a jilted ex-fiancée, and meeting, Lisa, a charismatic young woman
who now owns half the restaurant. Amid an identity crisis and after having
a row with her father, Indo-Scotswoman Nina leaves home. Peace and tranquillity
is short-lived when she receives news that her father has died and that
she must return home to run the family curry house. With the Best Of The
West curry competition heating up and a romance with her father's former
business partner brewing, Nina must pull out all the stops if she is to
win both of the prizes she covets. A heart-warming comedy with a spicy
flavour. Great performances from Shelly Conn (Nina) and Laura Fraser (Lisa).
Would recommend it highly. Buy
Nina's Heavenly Delights from Amazon and support our website or click here to rent the DVD from LoveFilm.com
.
For more DVDs click here or visit are film page
BOOKS
The most popular items in the Gay and Lesbian Bestsellers in Books
We have a Gay and Lesbian Books Section with reviews of the latest books: visit our book review webpage.
Household Idols by Mark Henderson
What happens when
you take a 17th century Art Historian, hand him a camera along with a
couple of the most gorgeous models around, and allow him total free reign
in a beautiful home setting? Well, the answer of course is laid out right
before you . Introducing the stunning culmination of photographer Mark
Henderson's work, Household Idols.
How do men become idols? And how can we get close to them? Mark Henderson places beautiful, unreachable men in a domestic ambience. Bedrooms, kitchens and gardens become backdrops of sexual attraction, and all of a sudden these men seem touchable. This is why Henderson shot most of them in his private home; color manipulation makes the ambient new every time. Mark Henderson prefers luscious colors and harsh contrasts to enhance the immediateness of his photographs. He colors individual items on monochrome works to set them apart. read more
Buy Household Idols from Amazon
Gay Belfast: the award winning website for scene news and events for the Belfast gay and lesbian community and those visiting the city. Coming to Belfast? Let Gay Belfast plan your day finds out what's happening each day in Belfast's gay scene. We tell you the best gay bars and clubs in Belfast so you do not waste any time. Check out the Gay Belfast recommended hotels and guesthouses for places to stay.
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