Hope in exile

TEN YEARS AGO, I was on the French Riviera for the first Lou Queernaval, an evening LGBTQ+ parade that is now part of Nice Carnival’s two-week celebration every February. Nice has been making merry at

‘WE WILL NOT be lambs led to the slaughter.” These are the words that echo around the gilded walls of the opulent Spanish Senate on a fine April morning. It is within this setting, beneath ornate ceil

‘I GOT SHOT at plenty of times,” recalls Flight Lieutenant Caroline Paige MBE of her 35-year Royal Air Force (RAF) career, which began in 1980. “There were really scary moments. Flying jets in the 80s

Meet the Irishman playing for the biggest club in Tunisia

‘I’VE NEVER HAD a problem with being open,” says Andy Bell. “I wear my heart on my sleeve.” It’s a simple statement, but one that has defined a career. From the moment he stepped into the spotlight wi

GROWING UP IN FERRYHILL, County Durham, was a struggle for drag queen Tess Tickle. “I would never have dared say that I was gay — being here, it would’ve resulted in two black eyes, broken ribs and pr