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Attitude (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Attitude is a British gay
lifestyle magazine owned by Vitality Publishing. It is sold worldwide as a physical magazine and a digital download for the iPad
and iPhone
via the App Store. The first issue appeared in May 1994.
In 2005, former editor Adam Mattera
won Best Men's Magazine editor of the year at the BSME awards. It was the first time that a gay magazine editor won the prize. Mattera was short-listed again for the prize in 2006. In April 2008, attitude's fashion director was named in the Times as one of the UK's top 20 star-makers for his contribution to the music industry, alongside Simon Cowell. attitude is currently edited by Matthew Todd, a longtime associate editor and former deputy editor and writer of the play Blowing Whistles
. Mr Todd was nominated as Best Men's Magazine Editor of the Year at the BSME awards 2009 and was nominated again in 2010, the only gay magazine to have been nominated. In The Independent Pink List 2008, Mr Todd was named as the 90th most influential gay person in the UK. In 2009 he rose to number 85. In 2010 he jumped 30 places to number 55. In 2010 attitude was nominated by Stonewall
in their annual awards as Publication of the Year.
None of the gay titles reveal ABC
figures (although Bent
used to, placing its readership at around 60,000) but Press Gazette has named attitude as the biggest-selling in the sector.
. In 2004 it was sold to Remnant Media. Since then the magazine has been briefly in the ownership of Giant Clipper and Attitude Publications Ltd before Trojan Publishing Ltd (which also owns Fresh, Woman's Fitness and What Diesel?) purchased the "intellectual property rights" for attitude in April 2008. However all of the magazine's debts dating prior to issue 165 remain the responsibility of the previous publisher - Attitude Publications Ltd. The magazine had difficulties with both publishing and distribution in 2007 and failed to appear on the news-stands in both January and July that year.
After financial trouble, owners created Vitality Publishing to own Attitude, and sold the company to private investors.
, Tony Blair
, Daniel Radcliffe
, Madonna
, Heath Ledger
, Sacha Baron Cohen
as Brüno
, David Cameron
, Clive Owen
, David Beckham
, Take That
, James Franco
, Dominic Cooper
, Mitch Hewer
, Mark Feehily
, Kevin McDaid
, Kylie Minogue
, Marilyn Manson
, Elton John
, McFly
, Robbie Williams
, Rupert Everett
, Justin Timberlake
, Philip Olivier
, Freddie Ljungberg, George Michael
, Rufus Wainwright
, Will Young
, Christina Aguilera
, Dermot O'Leary
, John Barrowman
, Gary Lucy, Beth Ditto
and the Scissor Sisters
. Many of these covers have been world exclusives.
Tony Blair
gave the first interview a serving Prime Minister
has ever given a gay publication in May 2005. He gave his second ever gay press interview to mark attitudes 15th birthday in May 2009.
In February 2010 Conservative party leader David Cameron
appeared on the cover of attitude giving his first interview to a gay publication.
For the August 2009 issue, Harry Potter
star Daniel Radcliffe
gave his first interview to a gay publication in which he announced his support for British political party the Liberal Democrats
. He said, "I just loathe homophobia. It's just disgusting and animal and stupid and it's just thick people who can't get their heads around it and are just scared. I grew up around gay people entirely. I was the only child in my class who had any experience of homosexuality
or anything like that."
In addition to celebrity interviews the magazine also includes serious features on a range of subjects, which have included the plight of gay asylum seekers and the rise of the far Right in Eastern Europe, the US Presidential election campaign as well as real life editorial such as male rape and body image issues. In May 2005, on the eve of the UK general election
, the magazine interviewed Tony Blair for the cover. In April 2008 attitude took now Mayor of London Boris Johnson to task about his comments that "if gay marriage was okay – and I was uncertain of that issue – then I saw no reason why a union should not therefore be consecrated between three men, as well as two men; or indeed three men and a dog", a claim Johnson tried to justify as loose talk on Newsnight or Question Time, until reminded of a passage in his own book as a direct source.
attitude frequently acquires exclusive interviews within the gay market. These exclusives include Daniel Radcliffe
's only gay press interview, Madonna's first worldwide press interview for her Confessions On A Dance Floor
album, Elton John and David Furnish's only print interview for their civil partnership in December 2005, Heath Ledger
's only gay press interview, Take That
's first print interview after re-forming, Kylie Minogue
, who always gives attitude her launch interviews and Robbie Williams's only cover story interview on the release of his Greatest Hits album. Will Young
has only ever given gay press interviews to attitude. In 2006, The Scissor Sisters gave their first print interview for their new album to the magazine with an exclusive five cover edition, each cover featuring a different member of the band. Take That
also gave their first magazine interview to attitude after reforming and also posed for a four cover special in early 2009.
The magazine is often themed, notably with a celebrity naked issue which featured amongst others Max Beesley
, Philip Olivier and Will Mellor
. In July 2005 the magazine launched fashion supplements as a spin off publication. The March 2010 issue was themed as the titles first older issue with Eastenders
star John Partridge
on the cover.
Contributors to the magazine have included Julie Burchill
, David Furnish
, Mark Simpson
(the magazine's leading columnist in its early years), Tim Teeman, Simon Fanshawe
, Will Self
, Augusten Burroughs
, Andrew M. Potts, Anthony Crank
, Jackie Collins
, Matt Lucas
, Boy George
, Russell T Davies, Graham Norton
, Preston from The Ordinary Boys
, Bruce LaBruce
and photographer Wolfgang Tillmans
. Senior contributing editors include Johann Hari
of The Independent
, former Boyz editor Simon Gage and author Will Davis. Former senior contributing editors include Paul Flynn and Patrick Strudwick
whose popular dating column Patrick's Manhunt now appears in Gay Times
.
In a 2009 interview, Blair questioned the pope's attitude towards homosexuality, arguing that religious leaders must start "rethinking" the issue.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
lifestyle magazine owned by Vitality Publishing. It is sold worldwide as a physical magazine and a digital download for the iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
and iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
via the App Store. The first issue appeared in May 1994.
In 2005, former editor Adam Mattera
Adam Mattera
Adam Mattera was the editor of Attitude magazine, a leading UK monthly publication aimed at the gay market, from 1999 to 2008.He won Best Men's Magazine editor at the BSME awards in 2005, the first time an editor of a magazine in that sector has won the award. Other magazines in the category...
won Best Men's Magazine editor of the year at the BSME awards. It was the first time that a gay magazine editor won the prize. Mattera was short-listed again for the prize in 2006. In April 2008, attitude's fashion director was named in the Times as one of the UK's top 20 star-makers for his contribution to the music industry, alongside Simon Cowell. attitude is currently edited by Matthew Todd, a longtime associate editor and former deputy editor and writer of the play Blowing Whistles
Blowing Whistles
Blowing Whistles is a two-act theatrical play written by Matthew Todd, the current editor of the UK's best selling gay magazine Attitude. It centers around gay culture and the difficulties it presents gay men. It had a first run in June 2005 at the Warehouse Theatre, Croydon, where it was directed...
. Mr Todd was nominated as Best Men's Magazine Editor of the Year at the BSME awards 2009 and was nominated again in 2010, the only gay magazine to have been nominated. In The Independent Pink List 2008, Mr Todd was named as the 90th most influential gay person in the UK. In 2009 he rose to number 85. In 2010 he jumped 30 places to number 55. In 2010 attitude was nominated by Stonewall
Stonewall
The word Stonewall may refer to* a stone wall* a verb meaning "to refuse to cooperate, especially in supplying information" -Games and entertainment:* "Stonewall structure" of pawns in the chess opening theory:** Stonewall Attack...
in their annual awards as Publication of the Year.
None of the gay titles reveal ABC
ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations UK)
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, ABC has two roles:* To manage and uphold standards which reflect media industry needs...
figures (although Bent
Bent (magazine)
Bent is a free magazine that targets gay men and is distributed to 400 gay bars, clubs and saunas right across the United Kingdom. Published monthly by All Points North UK in Leeds, it largely focuses on entertainment – celebrities, film, DVD and music as well as television, comedy and scene...
used to, placing its readership at around 60,000) but Press Gazette has named attitude as the biggest-selling in the sector.
History of ownership
attitude started life in 1994 as part of the Northern and Shell Group owned by Richard DesmondRichard Desmond
Richard Clive Desmond is an English publisher and businessman. He is the owner of Express Newspapers and founder in 1974 of Northern & Shell, which publishes various celebrity magazines, such as OK! and New!, and British national newspapers Daily Star and Daily Express...
. In 2004 it was sold to Remnant Media. Since then the magazine has been briefly in the ownership of Giant Clipper and Attitude Publications Ltd before Trojan Publishing Ltd (which also owns Fresh, Woman's Fitness and What Diesel?) purchased the "intellectual property rights" for attitude in April 2008. However all of the magazine's debts dating prior to issue 165 remain the responsibility of the previous publisher - Attitude Publications Ltd. The magazine had difficulties with both publishing and distribution in 2007 and failed to appear on the news-stands in both January and July that year.
After financial trouble, owners created Vitality Publishing to own Attitude, and sold the company to private investors.
Content
Celebrities who have appeared on the cover include Rupert GrintRupert Grint
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint is an English actor, who rose to prominence playing Ron Weasley, one of the three main characters in the Harry Potter film series. Grint was cast as Ron at the age of 11, having previously acted only in school plays and at his local theatre group...
, Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
, Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
as Brüno
Bruno (character)
Brüno Gehard , sometimes written as Bruno and Brueno, is a fictional character portrayed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. The character, a flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion reporter, first appeared during short sketches on The Paramount Comedy Channel in 1998, before reappearing on Da Ali G...
, David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, Clive Owen
Clive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
, David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
, Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
, James Franco
James Franco
James Edward Franco is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author, painter, performance artist and instructor at New York University. He left college in order to pursue acting and started off his career by making guest appearances on television series in the 1990s...
, Dominic Cooper
Dominic Cooper
Dominic Edward Cooper is an English actor. He has worked in TV, film, theatre and radio, in productions including Mamma Mia!, The Duchess, The History Boys, and The Devil's Double.- Early life :...
, Mitch Hewer
Mitch Hewer
Mitchell Scott "Mitch" Hewer is an English actor, who is best known for his role of Maxxie Oliver in the E4 teen drama, Skins. He has also starred in Britannia High as the all around talent Danny Miller...
, Mark Feehily
Mark Feehily
Markus Michael Patrick Feehily is one of the lead singers of the Irish boyband Westlife.-Early life:Feehily was born in Sligo, Ireland, to Marie Verdon and Oliver Feehily. He has two younger brothers, Barry and Colin .-Career:Feehily rose to fame as one of the two lead singers of the boyband...
, Kevin McDaid
Kevin McDaid
Kevin McDaid was brought up in Newcastle, England. He was best known as member of the British boy band V, which he joined in 2003 along with four other boys...
, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, McFly
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
, Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
, Rupert Everett
Rupert Everett
Rupert James Hector Everett is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981, when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country as an openly gay student at an English public school, set in the 1930s...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Philip Olivier
Philip Olivier
Philip Olivier is an English actor, model and stage performer best known for playing the role of Tim O'Leary in the soap opera Brookside.-Early life:...
, Freddie Ljungberg, George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
, Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary is an English television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 before moving on to The X Factor on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2...
, John Barrowman
John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish-American singer, actor, dancer, musical theatre performer and media personality. Born in Glasgow yet growing up in Illinois after his family emigrated to the United States when he was eight years old, Barrowman was encouraged to further his love for music and...
, Gary Lucy, Beth Ditto
Beth Ditto
Mary Beth Patterson, known by her stage name Beth Ditto , is an American singer-songwriter, most famous for her work with the indie rock band Gossip.-Personal life:...
and the Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism...
. Many of these covers have been world exclusives.
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
gave the first interview a serving Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
has ever given a gay publication in May 2005. He gave his second ever gay press interview to mark attitudes 15th birthday in May 2009.
In February 2010 Conservative party leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
appeared on the cover of attitude giving his first interview to a gay publication.
For the August 2009 issue, Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
star Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
gave his first interview to a gay publication in which he announced his support for British political party the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
. He said, "I just loathe homophobia. It's just disgusting and animal and stupid and it's just thick people who can't get their heads around it and are just scared. I grew up around gay people entirely. I was the only child in my class who had any experience of homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
or anything like that."
In addition to celebrity interviews the magazine also includes serious features on a range of subjects, which have included the plight of gay asylum seekers and the rise of the far Right in Eastern Europe, the US Presidential election campaign as well as real life editorial such as male rape and body image issues. In May 2005, on the eve of the UK general election
United Kingdom general elections
This is a list of United Kingdom general elections since the first in 1802. The members of the 1801–1802 Parliament had been elected to the former Parliament of Great Britain and Parliament of Ireland, before being co-opted to serve in the first Parliament of the United Kingdom, so that Parliament...
, the magazine interviewed Tony Blair for the cover. In April 2008 attitude took now Mayor of London Boris Johnson to task about his comments that "if gay marriage was okay – and I was uncertain of that issue – then I saw no reason why a union should not therefore be consecrated between three men, as well as two men; or indeed three men and a dog", a claim Johnson tried to justify as loose talk on Newsnight or Question Time, until reminded of a passage in his own book as a direct source.
attitude frequently acquires exclusive interviews within the gay market. These exclusives include Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
's only gay press interview, Madonna's first worldwide press interview for her Confessions On A Dance Floor
Confessions on a Dance Floor
Confessions on a Dance Floor is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 15, 2005 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was a complete departure from her last studio album, American Life . It included influences of 70s and 80s disco as well as...
album, Elton John and David Furnish's only print interview for their civil partnership in December 2005, Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
's only gay press interview, Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
's first print interview after re-forming, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, who always gives attitude her launch interviews and Robbie Williams's only cover story interview on the release of his Greatest Hits album. Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
has only ever given gay press interviews to attitude. In 2006, The Scissor Sisters gave their first print interview for their new album to the magazine with an exclusive five cover edition, each cover featuring a different member of the band. Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
also gave their first magazine interview to attitude after reforming and also posed for a four cover special in early 2009.
The magazine is often themed, notably with a celebrity naked issue which featured amongst others Max Beesley
Max Beesley
Maxton Gig Beesley Jr. , known simply as Max Beesley, is an English actor and musician.Beesley rose to fame for his role of Andy Simpson in Every Woman, Every Man from 1993 to 1998, and has since appeared in a variety of television shows including Bodies, Hotel Babylon, London Ink, Survivors and...
, Philip Olivier and Will Mellor
Will Mellor
William "Will" Mellor is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Jambo Bolton in Hollyoaks, Gaz Wilkinson in comedy, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps...
. In July 2005 the magazine launched fashion supplements as a spin off publication. The March 2010 issue was themed as the titles first older issue with Eastenders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
star John Partridge
John Partridge (performer)
John Partridge is an English actor, singer, dancer, panelist and television presenter, who is probably best known for the role of Christian Clarke in the long-running BBC television soap opera EastEnders, having joined the cast in January 2008...
on the cover.
Contributors to the magazine have included Julie Burchill
Julie Burchill
Julie Burchill is an English writer and journalist. Beginning as a writer for the New Musical Express at the age of 17, she has written for newspapers such as The Sunday Times and The Guardian. She is a self-declared "militant feminist". She has several times been involved in legal action...
, David Furnish
David Furnish
David James Furnish is a Canadian/British filmmaker, former advertising executive, and now a film director and producer most known for his documentary Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras...
, Mark Simpson
Mark Simpson (journalist)
Mark Simpson is an English journalist, writer, and broadcaster specialising in pop culture, media, and masculinity. He has been described by one critic as "the skinhead Oscar Wilde" Simpson is a frequent commentator on British television shows....
(the magazine's leading columnist in its early years), Tim Teeman, Simon Fanshawe
Simon Fanshawe
Simon Hew Dalrymple Fanshawe is a writer and broadcaster. He contributes frequently to British newspapers, TV and radio...
, Will Self
Will Self
William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
, Augusten Burroughs
Augusten Burroughs
Augusten Xon Burroughs is an American writer known for his New York Times bestselling memoir Running with Scissors .- Life :...
, Andrew M. Potts, Anthony Crank
Anthony Crank
Anthony Crank is a British television presenter, journalist and actor, probably best known for his work on Channel 4's T4, MTV and Bingo Night Live on ITV1.-Career:...
, Jackie Collins
Jackie Collins
Jacqueline Jill "Jackie" Collins is an English novelist and former actress. She is the younger sister of actress Joan Collins. She has written 28 novels, all of which have appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list. In total, her books have sold over 400 million copies and have been...
, Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
, Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
, Russell T Davies, Graham Norton
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton , is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist...
, Preston from The Ordinary Boys
The Ordinary Boys
The Ordinary Boys are an English indie rock band from Worthing, in West Sussex, England. Originally named Next in Line, they were influenced by mod revival and Britpop music, as well as the bands Madness, The Specials, The Kinks and The Smiths...
, Bruce LaBruce
Bruce LaBruce
Bruce LaBruce is a Canadian writer, filmmaker, photographer and underground gay porn director based in Toronto, Ontario.-Biography:...
and photographer Wolfgang Tillmans
Wolfgang Tillmans
Wolfgang Tillmans is a German Fine-art photographer and artist. His comprehensive and diverse body of work is distinguished by observation of his surroundings and an ongoing investigation of the photographic medium’s foundations. In 2000, Tillmans was the first photographer and also the first...
. Senior contributing editors include Johann Hari
Johann Hari
Johann Hari is an award winning British journalist who has been a columnist at The Independent, the The Huffington Post, and contributed to several other publications. In 2011, Hari was accused of plagiarism; he subsequently was suspended from The Independent and surrendered his 2008 Orwell Prize...
of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, former Boyz editor Simon Gage and author Will Davis. Former senior contributing editors include Paul Flynn and Patrick Strudwick
Patrick Strudwick
Patrick Strudwick is a multi-award-winning British journalist, columnist, broadcaster and activist.-Journalism career:He writes for a variety of different newspapers and magazines, including The Observer, The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Gay Times and Attitude...
whose popular dating column Patrick's Manhunt now appears in Gay Times
Gay Times
Gay Times is one of the United Kingdom's leading gay magazine for gay and bisexual men.-Publication and content:...
.
In a 2009 interview, Blair questioned the pope's attitude towards homosexuality, arguing that religious leaders must start "rethinking" the issue.