Articles Chinese New Year Culture ESEA community ESEA LGBTQ+ community LGBTQ+ Community London Lunar New Year News Originals Shanghai

How the queer, ESEA community is celebrating Lunar New Year

From underground queer raves in London to crafting new traditions in Shanghai, here’s how the Year of the Snake is being celebrated. WORDS BY ZOYA RAZA-SHEIKH HEADER DESIGN BY YOSEF PHELAN THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 2024 AND HAS BEEN UPDATED IN-HOUSE. Lunar New Year is upon us and it’s the year of the Snake. An annual 15-day cultural tradition, Lunar New Year marks the beginning of spring and the arrival of the new year.  For many of us, celebrations centred around family and heritage can be a difficult…

Read More
Articles Chelsea Chelsea FC Culture Football Gay Homophobia LGBTQ+ LGBTQ+ Sports London News Originals Sexuality sports Versus

“I’m in it for life”: How being gay shaped my relationship with Chelsea

First up in our editorial collaboration with Versus, Jake ‘Snake’ Denton reflects on the lasting impact of homophobic chants, football heteronormativity and his “love affair” with the sport. WORDS BY SNAKE DENTON IN COLLABORATION WITH VERSUS HEADER DESIGN BY JACK ROWE TW – Mentions of suicide and depression. “Dad, what’s a rent boy?” It was a question that my father probably didn’t know how to answer. Not that he had strong opinions about young male prostitutes, one way or another. There were just some things you’d rather not explain to…

Read More
Articles Brighton Cambridge Edinburgh LGBTQ+ student Life London Manchester News

Here are the 5 best UK cities to be an LGBTQ+ student

The five most LGBTQIA+ friendly UK cities for students have been revealed. Research conducted by University Compare analysed six metrics to create an index to determine the top five ranking cities. The study scrutinised 42 UK cities and compared the total LGBTQIA+ population in a city, rate of recorded LGBTQIA+ hate crimes, inclusivity of local mental health services and residents’ interest in engaging with LGBTQIA+ social groups. In addition, they reviewed data on the city’s queer clubs and online search interest in the city’s annual Pride event. The information was…

Read More
Articles Dean Street Dean Street Express Interviews LGBTQ+ News Life London Long Read Long Reads News Originals Sexual Health

Dean Street Express: How the clinic redefined LGBTQ+ sexual health in just 10 years

As the Dean Street Express LGBTQIA+ sexual health clinic celebrates its 10th anniversary, GAY TIMES revisits some of its biggest successes. WORDS BY CONOR CLARK PHOTOGRAPHY BY YOSEF PHELAN “The service isn’t just an NHS clinic, it’s like a community centre in the heart of Soho that serves and represents the needs of the community,” says Jon Clark, Clinic Manager of Dean Street Express, the LGBTQIA+ sexual health clinic he has worked at for the last decade. When it first opened its doors in February 2014, it did so to a…

Read More
Articles Government HIV HIV/AIDS Interview LGBTQ+ News Life London London Overground Mayor of London Mildmay News Originals Politics Sadiq Khan

Sadiq Khan on how the new Overground line honours LGBTQ+ history

Sadiq Khan is “hoping” that naming one of the London Overground lines Mildmay will encourage people to learn more about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Mayor of London announced on 15 February that, for the first time ever, each of the capital’s six Overground lines will soon be represented by a new name and colour. Each seeks to celebrate the city’s diverse culture and history, with the Mildmay honouring the Shoreditch-based hospital of the same name. During the 1980s, it played a pivotal role in helping patients during the earliest stages…

Read More
Articles Culture Drag Interview Jonny Woo LGBTQ+ News LGBTQ+ nightlife Life London London nightlife News Originals The Divine The Glory

The Divine: LGBTQ+ venue from team behind The Glory opens in London

Jonny Woo discusses The Glory’s iconic legacy and what he hopes to achieve by opening The Divine, London’s newest LGBTQIA+ venue. WORDS BY CONOR CLARK IMAGES COURTESY OF THE DIVINE HEADER DESIGN BY YOSEF PHELAN “Inclusivity is not a box-ticking exercise for us,” says Jonny Woo, one of the co-owners of London’s newest LGBTQIA+ venue, The Divine. “It’s not like, ‘You have to be inclusive, ta-dah!’ I feel like everything I’ve done has always been about bringing people in.”  As a drag performer, cabaret artist, curator and director, Woo has…

Read More
Articles health HIV HIV prevention HIV/AIDS LGBTQ+ News Life London News Originals PrEP PrEP Awareness Week Sexual Health video Vox Pops

“Have you heard of PrEP?” – This is how the public answered

With just 20 per cent of people in the UK having heard of PrEP, GAY TIMES took to the streets of London to find out what the public knows about the HIV prevention drug. WORDS BY CONOR CLARK PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of HIV, but knowledge of it still remains scarce outside of the LGBTQIA+ community. The drug reduces the risk of getting the virus from sex by 99 per cent when taken correctly, though findings from a YouGov poll last…

Read More
Articles G-A-Y G-A-Y Late Gay Nightclub Government Jeremy Joseph LGBTQ+ News Life London London gay clubs London nightlife Mayor of London News Nightlife Originals Politics Sadiq Khan

G-A-Y Late: Sadiq Khan addresses closure of LGBTQ+ venue in London

Sadiq Khan has emphasised the “need” for LGBTQ+ venues after it was recently announced that G-A-Y Late would be closing its doors for good. “I fully understand the importance of LGBTQ+ specific venues,” the Mayor of London told GAY TIMES during a recent interview. “I understand why people need a safe space, the empowering impact it has in relation to minority communities and so I was really sad when Jeremy Joseph announced the closure of G-A-Y Late.” In a statement issued to social media on 24 November, Joseph, the venue’s…

Read More
Articles Culture G-A-Y LGBTQ+ Club LGBTQ+ News Life London News UK News

“The end of an era”: G-A-Y Late to close its doors in December

It’s the end of an era! The iconic LGBTQIA+ nightclub G-A-Y Late is set to close its doors. On 24 November, the owner of the Heaven, Jeremy Joseph, took to his social media accounts to reveal the heartbreaking news. “It is with great sadness that I’ve made the decision to close G-A-Y- Late on Sunday 10 December. I know this will come as a shock to a lot of people, and many loyal customers will feel saddened by this news,” he explained. “But the last few years have been extremely…

Read More
8 at the londoner Articles Bel Priestly dinner dinner in london London News Originals speakeasy Tag Warner the londoner

Celebrating the Power of Queer Youth, Tag Warner & GAY TIMES celebrate Heartstopper’s Bel Priestly

This Summer, CEO of GAY TIMES Tag Warner celebrates rising star Bel Priestly’s GAY TIMES digital cover taking place at 8 at the Londoner. Taking place at the beautiful 8 at the Londoner’s rooftop Shima Garden on 11 September, the invite only event celebrated the Power of Queer Youth.  Celebrating the already esteemed actress, Tag also invited other stars and industry contacts, which included Priestly’s fellow Heartstopper co-star Bradley Riches, model Maxim Magnus and content creator Jack Remmington. On arrival, guests enjoyed the beautiful Japanese inspired surroundings of the garden…

Read More
FREE SHIPPING Worldwide On All Orders! #QUEERKSRead our Shipping & Delivery FAQs for details.
+ +