GAY TIMES Magazine

17 June 2022

The history of GAY TIMES is long and storied, but for this special Pride issue of GAY TIMES Magazine, we want to look forward to the future. Who are the people today paving the way for the next 50 years of LGBTQ+ visibility, advocacy and equality? A New Generation of Pride spotlights the LGBTQ+ youth of 2022 and their hopes for a brighter future. It’s about reflecting on the big challenges of today and proposing the solutions for a better tomorrow – and there’s plenty left to do. Leading this issue is our cover star, Cat Burns. The British singer-songwriter has had a stellar year so far, climbing the UK charts for a fierce battle with none other than Harry Styles himself. Her hit single Go has been a mainstay in the Top 3 for months and has catapulted her as one of the brightest new LGBTQ+ stars this country has to offer. Listening to her brand of infectious, insightful and emotive songwriting you’ll notice parallels with superstars such as Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi. But Cat is a Black queer woman very much cutting through a space that has been dominated by white straight men for too long. “There's a demand for Black women in stripped-back pop music and it shows,” she tells us in her GAY TIMES cover story, while decked out head to toe in Ami. “There's a message that's portrayed about Black women that we're all a particular way. That we are really brash, aggressive so I'm coming in and talking about really vulnerable things,” Cat adds. “If you're a Black woman, I want you to feel heard and seen. We are vulnerable people who are capable of having lots of emotions. And, being a Black queer woman adds a layer to that.” Like Lil Nas X and Arlo Parks in recent years, Cat is part of a new wave of Black LGBTQ+ artists enjoying huge success through being open and unapologetic for who they are. It’s a beautiful thing to see, and one that gives so much hope to the future of our community and other LGBTQ+ creatives yet to come. The power of music to connect with likeminded people and to make them feel less alone in this world can never truly be overstated. Elsewhere in the issue we speak with eight young LGBTQ+ people in the UK about their hopes for Pride in the next 50 years, acknowledging the changes that need to be made quickly. We also have a guide to the young British LGBTQ+ politicians who are calling for real change during a time when LGBTQ+ rights – particularly those of the trans+ community – are not being taken seriously by those at the top. We also speak to the person who established the UK’s only charity that support LGBTQ+ people affected by cancer, looking at how the system makes accessing services more difficult and what improvements need to be made for it to be considered truly inclusive healthcare.