In the 1990s a phenomenon hit our television screens: Sister Wendy Beckett, a reclusive Carmelite nun became the unlikely star presenter of a series of art programmes, and the writer of over 20 books on painting and faith.
Like many other gay men at the time, I avidly collected some of these publications, and when I went to see a performance of an inevitable tribute - Sister Wendy, The Musical - in London, following her footsteps as she was feted in America and around the world, it was no surprise that the audience consisted predominantly of gay men. So what was the fascination of this Christian hermit for guys who more often than not expressed atheism and religious indifference? Read the rest of this entry »
Richard Dawkins, celebrated popular science writer and author of best-selling work, The God Delusion, has argued that not only does God not exist but that religious faith is a delusion too, and sometimes a lethal one, as evidenced by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Then in January this year Dawkins, in a joint campaign with Guardian journalist and comedy writer Ariane Sherine and inspired by gay outing, whereby prominent figures have been dragged from the closet into the public eye, emblazoned some of London’s red buses with slogans like: “There probably is no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Their aim was to “out” atheists, showing how common such thinking is, and conducive to a happier life. The fact that Dawkins used the word “probably” makes it seem he’s sitting on the fence a bit.
The controversial bus campaign
If Dawkins had taken the time to study some gay dating sites where religious affiliation is included in the profile questions, he might have been encouraged to see that while replies such as Anglican, Catholic, and Buddhist do occur, most register themselves as atheist or agnostic. A few describe themseves as New Age or Spiritual, and I spotted one Jedi. I would answer Spiritual, not as something achieved, but as someting I aspire to. Read the rest of this entry »
The recent adaptation of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights on ITV1 was the best I’ve seen. Coming from West Yorkshire, I know Haworth and the moors very well, and they were stunningly captured in all their grandeur and isolation. Best of all, though, Tom Hardy made a very sexy Heathcliff, with all the erotic, brooding passion to make gay boys go weak at the knees. What struck me most, however, was how the gothic power of this tale may hold a particular relevance for us in the 21st century.
It can’t be stressed too much how shocking Wuthering Heights seemed when the novel was first pubished in 1847, especially when it was discovered that the writer who went under the pen-name of Ellis Bell was not only a woman, but one who lived in a remote country parsonage. What’s more, the novel is full of sex and violence, extreme cruelty, necrophilia, alcoholism, dark powers and revenge; and yet it remains one of the most loved and poetically evocative creations of English Literature.
Lance Fougere of gay television network TV Polari filming in Andorra
TV Polari Gay Television Network
TV Polari has entertaining and original content
TV Polari is the exciting gay television network with a big personality all of its own. Still very young in television terms, TV Polari is gay television that has developed real teeth in its infancy with dynamic channels like Gabbi World (featuring the hilarious ‘Gabbi’), Lifestyle, PlanitGay Travel, and the very popular TLA movie channel.
Mothership Blog spoke to Lance Fougere (just love how that name rolls off the tongue!) who is one of TV Polari’s owners. Read the rest of this entry »
Gay Glastonbury? "It doesn't really matter about race, religion, sexuality..."
Glastonbury 2009 - a Mothership Gay Dating Member’s Diary
Mothership Gay Dating member longhairedrocker reports on this year’s Glastonbury from a gay man’s perspective.
I’ve been home 3 days now since the Glastonbury Festival and I’m only just about recovered!
Wednesday
Glastonbury Festival 2009
The journey to Glastonbury is on Wednesday. You have to go quite early to get a good camping spot and for us it was by train. Unfortunately, on arriving at the local station we had to wait 4 long hours in the sun for the shuttle bus. On the plus side we did talk to some fit lads in the queue, though of course never saw them again for the whole weekend. On Wednesday night there is the option to spend the night raving with everyone off their heads at the stone circle, but it was raining…so it was drinks by the campfire and then bed. Read the rest of this entry »
