A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

In every issue of Attitude we try to bring you different stories about gay life and explore new and unexpected aspects of the gay experience. But I can’t help noticing when common themes emerge. And one to emerge recently is addiction.

The word on the street

What’s your biggest fashion faux-pas?

BIG IN A WIG

THE HEAD GURL OF DRAG SUPER-GROUP DENIM — ALONGSIDE MEMBERS SHIRLEY DU-NAUGHTY, CRYSTAL, ELEKTRA CUTE AND APHRODITE GREENE — GLAMROU AIMS TO BRING THE GLITTER TO AUDIENCES WHO HAVE NEVER SEEN DRAG BEFORE

Agenda

THE THINGS WE LOVE THIS MONTH

FIL YOUR BOOTS

ARMED WITH KILLER HOOKS AND QUEER LOOKS, BRITISH-CHINESE INDIE POP PROVOCATEUR LE FIL BREAKS DOWN STEREOTYPES AHEAD OF HIS 24/7 LIVE SHOW

CLIFF JOANNOU

Life in the Attitude office is completely alien to the reality of most gay men…

Northern SOUL

It’s been likened to Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain, but a new ilm about the relationship between two sheep farmers on the desolate Yorkshire moors looks set to become a classic in its own right

THE RULES for dressing to impress

COCO CHANEL SAID, “A girl should be two things: classy

LEO IN LA LA LAND

Always determined to rise out of the gutter, chavvy LEO RICHARDSON suddenly discovers that it’s actually the place to be

FAITH HEALER

He’s the driving force behind queer collective Hercules & Love Affair and as the group return with a new album, ANDY BUTLER talks about getting clean as well as the power of belief

PAUL FLYNN

Tears for the ghosts of HIV victims and a city no longer there

A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

The reduction in the deferral period for allowing gay men to donate blood is a welcome move but there is more to be done, writes campaigner ETHAN SPIBEY

DANNY LEE WYNTER

Art can’t always save us from the idiotic homophobes

GET OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT-LONG

WEDDING BELLS MIGHT BE SOUNDING FOR JAMES BARR — AND THERE’S JUST ONE SINGER HE WANTS AT HIS NUPTIALS…

MOOR OF THE SAME — BUT BRITISH AND BETTER

GAY LOVE STORY SET ON A SHEEP FARM IS A TRIUMPH

MANNING THE TRENCHES IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST DRUGS

A HARD-HITTING LOOK AT THE CHEMSEX UNDERWORLD ALL TOO PRESENT IN THE GAY COMMUNITY

Culture club

Focus your attention on the work of photographer DAVID

Stockard Channing

AS THE ACTRESS PREPARES TO TREAD THE BOARDS OF LONDON’S WEST END, WE CHAT TO HER ABOUT APPEARING ON STAGE AND SCREEN, AWARD-NIGHT NERVES AND, OF COURSE, HER UNFORGETTABLE TURN IN GREASE

THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS

BEING THE FIRST OUT GAY COUNTRY MUSICIAN IN AMERICA IS A TITLE THAT COMES WITH ITS FAIR SHARE OF BURDENS. AND FOR STEVE GRAND, THE ALL-AMERICAN BOY HE WAS SINGING ABOUT WAS HIDING A DARK SECRET…

FAMILY GUY

AS CORRIE’S GAY COUPLE, BILLY AND TODD, TAKE IN DAUGHTER SUMMER, ACTOR DANIEL BROCKLEBANK TALKS ABOUT THE SHOW’S QUEER HISTORY, PUSHING BOUNDARIES AND THE WORK THAT STILL NEEDS

CHEMSEX WAR ZONE

WHEN EX-SOLDIER JAMES WHARTON APPEARED ON ATTITUDE’S COVER IN 2012, HE WAS CELEBRATED AS A GAY HERO. BUT AFTER THAT HE FELL INTO ADDICTION. NOW THE IRAQ WAR VETERAN HAS WRITTEN A BOOK ABOUT EXPERIENCES HE DESCRIBES AS MORE HARROWING THAN HIS TIME IN THE ARMY

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A ray of light

SMALL STEPS TOWARDS QUEER RIGHTS ARE BEING TAKEN IN LEBANON BUT VIOLENCE AGAINST LGBT+ PEOPLE STILL GOES UNPUNISHED, WHILE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WITH POLITICAL POWER CONTINUE TO RAIL AGAINST HOMOSEXUALITY. CONFLICTING IDEOLOGIES WITHIN THE GAY COMMUNITY ARE NOT HELPING EITHER…

CRUSH

The things we’re pining for this season

BRIGHT SPARKS

This Autumn-Winter, Marks & Spencer are all about three things: great style, great fit and great quality

STREET WISE

The high street has lots to offer this Autumn-Winter…

Tweed but not twee

WORDS: JOSEPH KOCHARIAN PHOTOGRAPHY: JENNY BROUGH FASHION:

The Simple Life

It’s time to wrap up warm and take to the countryside to see what Autumn-Winter ’17 has to offer

WICKSY PEDIA

HE WENT FROM CITY WORKER TO REALITY TV STAR AND NOW PETE WICKS IS SHOWING OFF HIS TATTOOS AND ABS AS HE TALKS KEEPING FIT, STAYING GROUNDED AND THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

ACTIVATE

THE LATEST TECH, GEAR AND INFO

FOCUS

THIS MONTH, MATT LISTER IS STARTING HIS NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS EARLY — VERY EARLY! HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD, TOO

REAL BODIES

“I try not to be naked, even in front of my husband

Our kind of town…

OFTEN OVERSHADOWED BY NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO IS ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST ATTRACTIVE AND EXCITING CITIES. AND, AS MATT CAIN DISCOVERS, IT’S ALSO HOME TO ONE OF THE BEST GAY SCENES IN THE WORLD

Just the ticket

TRAVEL TIPS AND A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST HOLIDAY NEWS. THIS MONTH, TRIPS TO MAKE YOUR SUMMER LAST JUST A LITTLE LONGER…

A head of the game

After growing up in the US, Mexican-born Rafael Campos Valdez ran into visa issues when he finished university in 2009 and had to leave his family behind. But his love of gaming helped him make a new home in the UK

Man of the month

Each month we profile one of you guys, our readers, to find out what you get up to in your life

A problem shared

Got a problem? DR RANJ SINGH and WAYNE DHESI are here to offer their advice…

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

If you’re fed up with public transport and want an

JOY RIDE

In a world where technology moves so fast it’s on the

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Table for two

Stefan and Alastair dined at M Restaurant Victoria Street, London

Buddy brilliant

In a celebration of queer friendship, we ask best mates some telling questions and find out just how well they really know each other

Stepping out

We all remember that exciting, nerve-racking night when we made our debut on the scene. So what was it like for you, the first time you walked through the door of a gay venue?