FOCUS

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It’s time for this year’s Attitude Awards — and after months of hard work, everyone on the team is thrilled to reveal our amazing line-up of winners.

The word on the street

The Attitude Awards are here! What do you deserve to

BIG I N A WIG

GREAT AT SPELLING AND HAPPY IN CHANGING ROOMS, GINGER MINJ WANTS TO BE A GOLDEN GIRL

LIFE’S TOO SHORT

#FASTLOVE IS BACK. ARE YOU READY TO EMBRACE THE EXCITING ETHOS OF THE ATTITUDE + JAGUAR PARTNERSHIP? TO FEEL THAT HEART-THUMPING IMPULSE AND SEIZE THE MOMENT? SURE YOU ARE. EVERYONE KNOWS THE STORY OF THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE. BUT HAVE YOU HEARD THE ONE ABOUT THE JAGUAR? WHEN LIFE GRABS HOLD OF YOU, GO WITH IT. HERE’S SOMETHING TO GET YOU STARTED…

WELCOME

Welcome to the Virgin Holidays Attitude Awards powered

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Dear readers,

People often ask Virgin Holidays why we care so much

AGENDA THINGS WE LIKE THIS MONTH

Flower power is in full force for H&M’s 2017 collaboration.

CLIFF JOANNOU

What kind of gay scene do you want?

THE RULES

For making an award-acceptance speech

MAYA JANE COLES

SOMETHING OF AN ENIGMA ON THE MUSIC SCENE, 29-YEAR-OLD BRITISHJAPANESE MUSIC PRODUCER AND DJ MAYA JANE COLES HAS JUST RELEASED HER SECOND ALBUM. WE TALK STAYING IN CONTROL, NICKI MINAJ SAMPLES AND MAKING TIME FOR HER GIRLFRIEND

LEO RICHARDSON

And the award for not getting invited to awards ceremonies goes to….

SHAMEFUL

Dating app Daddy Bear allows its users to discriminate

PAUL FLYNN

JAY-Z’s amazing musical tribute to his mum rewrites the rules

DANNY LEE WYNTER

The only bae is Essex. I’m in love with Gemma Collins

SECOND THOUGHTS

JESSIE J IS BACK, AND TRY AS HE MIGHT TO RESIST, JAMES BARR HAS FALLEN IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN

THE AMORE THE MERRIER

NEW GAY ROMANCE WILL WARM THE COLDEST OF HEARTS

DIFFERENT TALES, DIFFERENT CITIES

THE NEW MEMOIR FROM THE AUTHOR OF TALES OF THE CITY IS WARM,

Culture club

Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal were the real thing, not some PLACEBO

Kelly Clarkson

WINNING AMERICAN IDOL SET HER ON THE ROAD TO FAME AND FORTUNE BUT THERE WERE SOME BLEAK TIMES ALONG THE WAY. NOW, THOUGH, SHE’S BACK — AND SOUNDING BETTER THAN EVER

MAN OF THE YEAR: NYLE DiMARCO

BEING A TIRELESS FIGHTER FOR EQUALITY AND HIS CAMPAIGNING TO HELP THE DEAF COMMUNITY MAKE NYLE DiMARCO THE PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR AN AWARD. BUT WHEN YOU FACTOR IN A CASUAL ADMISSION ABOUT HIS SEXUAL FLUIDITY AND HIS WINNING WAY WITH PEOPLE, IT’S LITTLE WONDER HE’S OUR MAN OF THE YEAR

DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES

WHEN SO MANY TURNED THEIR BACKS ON GAY MEN SUFFERING WITH HIV/AIDS, AND THE FEAR GENERATED BY THE EPIDEMIC WAS USED TO FUEL PREJUDICE AND HATE, PRINCESS DIANA BRAVELY STEPPED IN AND CHANGED THE CONVERSATION

NIGEL OWENS

HE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE, SUFFERED FROM BULIMIA AND FELT ASHAMED TO BE GAY, BUT NIGEL OWENS SURVIVED IT ALL AND WENT ON TO REFEREE A RUGBY WORLD CUP FINAL. NOWADAYS, HE SHARES HIS STORY TO HELP OTHERS. THAT’S WHY HE’S OUR HERO

LAVERNE COX

FROM PLAYING A RECURRING ROLE IN ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK TO FRONTING FASHION CAMPAIGNS FOR BEYONCÉ, LAVERNE COX IS POSSIBLY THE MOST IN-DEMAND TRANS WOMAN IN THE WORLD. SHE’S ALSO A BEACON OF LIGHT FOR A COMMUNITY STILL SUBJECT TO DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE — SOMETHING SHE KNOWS ALL ABOUT

GREG LOUGANIS

HE CAN RISE TO ANY CHALLENGE — AS EVIDENCED WHEN HE WON FOUR OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS — BUT NOTHING WAS MORE DIFFICULT FOR DIVER GREG LOUGANIS THAN DISCOVERING HE WAS HIV POSITIVE AND LIVING WITH WHAT, AT THE TIME, SEEMED TO BE A DEATH SENTENCE

CHARLI XCX

SHE’S WRITTEN MASSIVE HITS FOR MAJOR STARS, MAKES MUSIC WHICH RARELY FAILS TO SURPRISE, AND KNOWS THE DEBT SHE OWES THE QUEER COMMUNITY FOR HER SUCCESS. WHY WOULDN’T WE GIVE CHARLI XCX AN AWARD?

ERASURE

THANKS IN NO SMALL PART TO OPENLY GAY SINGER ANDY BELL’S HIGH VISIBILITY, ERASURE CONTINUE TO COMMAND A LOYAL QUEER FAN BASE, 30 YEARS AFTER THEIR FIRST HIT ALBUM

MOONLIGHT

BEYOND THE DRAMA AND ALMOST FARCE OF ITS OSCARS-NIGHT

MATT LUCAS

ONE OF BRITAIN’S BEST-LOVED FUNNYMEN, MATT LUCAS IS KNOWN FOR

AMANDA HOLDEN

SHE’S CHAMPIONED GAY ACTS ON BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT, ADORES MUSICALS AND IS NEVER AFRAID TO STAND UP FOR HERSELF. AMANDA HOLDEN, WE LOVE YOU

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE

BROUGHT TO LIFE BY THE SHEER GRIT AND DETERMINATION OF ITS TALENTED CREATIVE TEAM, EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE IS THE NEW BRITISH MUSICAL THAT’S SET TONGUES WAGGING AHEAD OF ITS ARRIVAL IN THE WEST END IN NOVEMBER

DERAY MCKESSON

AN ACTIVIST AND EDUCATOR, DERAY MCKESSON IS ALSO AN OUT AND PROUD VOICE OF THE #BLACKLIVESMATTER MOVEMENT

KYLIE MINOGUE

ANYONE ELSE SHOULD BE SO LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY TO HAVE THE LGBT+ FAN BASE AFFORDED TO KYLIE MINOGUE. A STAUNCH ALLY OF THE COMMUNITY, SHE’S PROVIDED US WITH COUNTLESS CELEBRATORY MOMENTS. HERE ARE JUST A FEW…

STYLE

Evolution has shown that humans just keep on growing.

SMART BOY

It’s time to smarten up and play dress-up with this season’s must-have tailoring

HORSE PLAY

NIC ROLDAN IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE US POLO TEAM. HE TELLS US ABOUT LIVING DANGEROUSLY, DRAG QUEENS AND TATTOOS

THE PERFECT VIFIT FOR YOUR TRAINING

Vifit Sport’s new range of sports recovery products make it a doddle to get all the protein you need after a hard training session

REACH FOR THE GOLD STANDARD

Zone in on success with a range of premium sportsnutrition products and take your game to the next level

ACTIVATE

THE LATEST TECH, GEAR AND INFO

BACK

AS TAKE THAT SAID: BACK FOR GOOD

REAL BODIES

DOMINIC HILTON, 25, SUPPORT WORKER AND PART-TIME MODEL

Right on the money

ABBA ONCE TOLD US: IT’S A RICH MAN’S WORLD. AND NOWHERE IS THAT MORE TRUE THAN IN THE PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO. TOKEN POOR BOY SIMON BUTTON HEADS TO MONTE CARLO, WHERE HE FINDS A WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITIES — AND CELEBS GALORE

Wonderful Wiltshire

SALLY SHALAM CONTINUES HER TRAVELS AROUND THE UK BY CAR, WITH THE HELP OF LEADING CAR HIRE COMPANY HERTZ. THIS MONTH SHE VISITS WILTSHIRE, HOME TO A CONTEMPORARY ARTS SCENE, SCENIC LAKE WALKS AND COSY LOCAL PUBS — THE IDEAL AUTUMNAL BREAK

Just the ticket

TRAVEL TIPS AND A ROUND-UP OF ALL THE LATEST HOLIDAY NEWS.

A whole new direction

Chris Harper had a glamorous career producing some of the UK’s most successful plays and musicals. But his life didn’t feel complete until he became a dad

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

FIND YOUR TRIBE

Cosy snoozer or “bogi” — whatever your bedtime group, nod off in no time with sleep solutions from Casper

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Long & Waterson is a new development in East London’s

JOY RIDE

IT’S BEYOND BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT, AS QUICK AS YOU LIKE

Buddy brillant

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

Table for two

Luke and Jacob dined at M Restaurant Victoria Street, London

Stepping ut 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?