L Fest Del Mar 2016: the Lesbian Getaway

by Jess Price

170 excited, psyched lesbians flocked to the sunny seas of La Manga in Spain for one whole week of celebrations, full moon parties, incredible live music and everything that comes in between. After her first time in Del Mar, one L Fester Deb emailed in with some lovely words: ‘I had the best time ever! It was 2 years in the waiting and it did not disappoint! Everyone was really friendly and lovely, and there was just such a fantastic atmosphere. Every evenings’ entertainment was top notch! It was a great and enjoyable week, (despite my hangovers) I loved it!’ With new acquaintances made and old friends happily reunited, L Fest Del Mar 2016 was certainly one we won’t be forgetting.

As soon as the sun rose, this gaggle of lesbians came alive. By day, L Festers could soothe their hefty hangovers by the poolside or get the atmosphere going with fun, games and silly splashing around. Our self-proclaimed gay train escorted us to our party boat where we enjoyed cocktails and stunning views over catch-ups and laughter. We were treated to live music by many acts including former X Factor finalist (turned L Fester) Jade Ellis, plus entertainment from the fire-eating Toxic Dolls. In L Fest founder Cindy Edwards’ words, ‘THEY WERE HOT, LITERALLY’ but don’t just take our word for it, check out our snaps on the L Fest Events Facebook page. With the sun glistening high in the sky and a beer in hand, it was truly amazing to relax and watch these acts platform their talents upon the stage.

Our Full Moon Party on the beach has always been an L Fest Del Mar favourite, and this year was the perhaps the most spectacular yet. We stood in quiet, happy unity as we released lanterns into the moonlit sky, followed by a performance by amazing Spanish artist Road Ramos before dancing the night away to Mia Wallis. What more fun could we ask for?

As our sunny freedom in Del Mar was sadly coming to an end, the L Fest bunch signed a huge, rainbow PRIDE flag to remember every single person who shared this happy experience with us. There is no denying that Del Mar is a holiday, but for us, it represents much more than that. It is about a community who is bound together by a mutual affection and sense of understanding for one another. It is about developing friendships and supporting emerging LGBTQI+ talent in a safe, loving space (although we can’t promise you won’t be thrown in the pool…)

Reunite with your L Fest family next month July 15^th-18^th in Uttoxeter (near Alton Towers) where the celebrations continue! Or if you have never been before, why not make this year your L Fest debut? You can now create your own unique L Fest timetable from our line-up before you arrive with our new FREE app! Fill it with your favourite L Fest workshops, live acts and activities.

We can’t wait to see you all!

Your L Fest Family

Stooshe To Play at L Fest 2015!

L Fest 2015 are proud to announce that STOOSHE have joined the festival’s already amazing line up! 

This trio of London lasses are a vocal sensation, breaking onto the music scene in 2012 with the emergence of their first single, ‘Love Me’. After being placed in the UK top 40 for over 16 weeks with their enormous hit ‘Black Heart,’ the song received a nomination for ‘Best British Single’ at the 2013 Brit Awards. 

The festival boasts an increasing level of excited attendees, all of which are counting down the days until L ­Day. If you’re looking for an event which hosts thriving music artists, classic cabaret, priceless comedy, fun sports, insightful workshops and of course, women, then this is without doubt the weekend for you. 

With a combination of all of this, including these feisty three, the exceptionally talented Lucy Spraggan alongside many other incredible acts and just three weeks to go till the festival, well, you’d be mad not to buy your a ticket here:  www.lfest.co.uk/tickets 

Smirnoff Supports Second Winter Pride UK Arts Awards

Hosted by Irish broadcasting personality Brendan Courtney, Smirnoff supports the second Winter Pride UK Arts Awards, which will culminate in one of the biggest parties of the winter season at Tobacco Dock in East London on Saturday 15 November 2014. 

Stephen Fry, winner of the inaugural Smirnoff Winter Pride UK Luminary of the Year said, "Winter Pride UK is a unique opportunity for up-and-coming artists and performers to showcase their creativity at a key LGBT artistic and cultural event - creative ventures of this kind are all-important for both the arts and LGBT communities."

Open to all artists and performers regardless of their sexuality, Winter Pride UK is a unique celebration of creativity and a dazzling display of the finest performance and visual arts. Held within an iconic London setting steeped in Victorian history, this significant event in the LGBT social calendar brings together leading industry figures, celebrities and enigmatic performers, for an elegant evening of recognition, diversity and outstanding artistic talent.

Jamie Young, Smirnoff Brand Manager, said, “We have supported the LGBT community for many years and are very proud to be partnering the second Winter Pride UK. We have a huge passion with our relationships within the community and with such a pivotal event like this there is no better way for us to show our support.”

The Winter Pride UK Arts Awards not only raises a considerable amount of money for notable charities, it promotes and rewards previously unrecognised artists, creating an important opportunity to embrace diversity and unashamed self-expression.

Simon Tarrant, Director of the Winter Pride UK Arts Awards elaborates, "Our theme this year #Artis... is targeted at artists and performers who want to make a difference. The Awards are open to all artists and performers regardless of their sexuality and we are challenging them to tell us what they think Art Is - to express themselves and create pieces that are adventurous, playful and provocative".

The Arts Awards judging panel is made up of arts industry professionals, comprising Royal and celebrity sculptor Frances Segelman, international musician and "Queen of Harps" Catrin Finch, and gallery director Andrew Lacey, who will host a post Winter Pride UK art exhibition at Lacey Contemporary in Notting Hill from 18-29 November 2014.

A Frost Festival will be unveiled in the vast, vaulted Great Gallery at Tobacco Dock featuring a spectacular exhibition of artworks from a group of international artists and the Arts Awards' Finalists, as well as live performances introducing the top talent from this year's Performance Awards. The Winter Pride UK Arts Awards will be presented by personalities from the world of arts, including Lucian Freud's muse and model Sue Tilley and Hermaphrodite celebrity artist XXXora.

LINE UP:

Kicking off Frost Festival proceedings in the Great Gallery are are the hostesses with the most-esses John Sizzle and Amantopet with what promises to be a drag extravaganza - sparkles, glitter and off the-scale-camp high jinx and hilarity.   

THE RETURN OF CLUB GHETTO:  Club Ghetto, the London venue that spawned many a legendary LGBT club night, returns for one night only.  They’ll be celebrating all things pop bringing back a selection of DJ’s from Don’t Call Me Babe (Tuesday), Miss Shapes (Thursdays) and Wig Out (Saturdays) to recreate the pop madness of this much loved venue.  Serving up the pop platter are Tommy Turntables (Wig Out, Miss Shapes, DCM Babe) Prince Nelly (Songs Of Praise, Wig Out) and some very special Ghetto Guests.

GIRLS ARENA:

Izzy Trixx ft. REDNPINK - exclusive live collaboration - For one night only the Girls Arena will host electrohouse DJ and producer Izzy Trixx (Mr Hudson, Maya Jane Coles, Charlie XCX) alongside pride favourites, grime, dubstep, electro duo REDNPINK (Pussy Parlour @ Glastonbury, Ed Sheeran, Misha B, Passing Clouds)

DJ Melody Kane (Radio 1 Xtra, SBTV  -  With a solid reputation thanks to her monthly mix-show on BBC Radio 1Xtra plus experience playing to crowds of 70,000 on line-ups featuring Snoop Dogg, A$AP Rocky, Ms Dynamite and more, Melody Kane - one of few females still spinning vinyl - promises to bring ferocious sounds set to fill the dancefloor ‘til the early hours.

DJ DANA (Brighton) - House, chart, RnB, hip hop and alternative spins, Brighton Pride regular, Brighton Club Revenge resident and one to watch, DJ Dana’s rise from the Manchester student scene has been rapid and well deserved. She’s our number one choice to open the Girls Arena this year!

R’N’B VAULT:

Bootylicious: London’s longest-running and respected urban LGBT night hosts it’s own area – get ready for some booty-shaking!

Misfits: Mischief and mayhem from East Bloc’s Wednesday night party arriving for the evening with Mark Ashley Dupe on the decks, bringing a serious boogie down and scandalous behaviour as always...

EAST BLOC:  

Old Street’s premiere underground haven bring four of their most popular nights to Tobacco Dock with DJs including Tom Stephan, Borja Pena, Dave Kendrick and Chris Camplin (Gay Little Brother) 

Dish:  Offering up a mouth-watering selection of underground house and techno to a loyal following of delicious dishes. Gay, lesbian, butch , camp, trans, cross dressing , gym bunnies, twinks , bears, leather queens or straight - everybody is welcome. As their slogan says... come hungry.. leave happy!

Handsome:  Gives a nod to the gay clubs of the 80s and 90s - classic US house and a positive, uplifting energy define this night.

BLOCHEADS - a house and techno meltdown from dusk 'till dawn: pumpin' beats and relentless sounds mark this night out with its loyal crowd of blocheads that make it one of the busiest gay parties in east London. 

Choice Cuts: The best cuts from choice DJ's and a late night session of quality house for those who like it hard, pumpin' and deep -from those who love to serve it. Gigantic tunes and fresh meat: this is Choice Cuts.

BEAR PIT: 

Hosted by PLUS cabaret from: BEARFEST with DJs...

Done and Dusted (Tonker)

The Done & Dusted formula is simple – they play music to make your body move. You can expect lots of energy with plenty of old skool classics mixed wih their latest upfront secret weapons.  Their goal – “to have you dancing non-stop and by the end of the night you should be totally Done & Dusted!"

Ben Jamin & Ross Jones (The Kings Arms) – Soho’s premiere den for bears bring their resident DJ’s along to the Winter Pride party. 

To enter the Arts Awards visit the Winter Pride UK website: www.winterprideuk.com

For tickets to the Arts Awards & Frost Festival go to: BUY TICKETS 

PEDAL FOR PRIDE CHARITY FUNDRAISER!

Global Adventure Challenges launches

The First Ever ‘Pedal for Pride’

A 400 km charity cycle challenge

from Yosemite to the 45^th Pride celebration in San Francisco 

20-30 June 2015

Charity challenge tour operator Global Adventure Challenges has launched the first ever Pedal For Pride, a tough 400km cycle challenge across the state of California, which sets off in the majestic Yosemite national park, takes in spectacular lakes and mountain scenery and ends with a breathtaking finish over the Golden Gate Bridge in time for the 45^th Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual (LGBT) Pride celebrations in San Francisco (27 & 28 June 2015).

Participants will be motivated to do the challenge by raising money for their favourite charities. For ‘Pedal for Pride,’ Global Adventure Challenges has partnered with some of the UK’s leading LGBT charities including - Stonewall and the The Albert Kennedy Trust - but cyclists can raise funds for any other charity from cancer research to animal welfare. 

Peter Robinson, Director of Events and co-founder of Global Adventure Challenges said: “This is the first cycle challenge of its kind and there will be an incredible atmosphere throughout the whole of the challenge as each kilometer we ride will take us nearer to San Fran’s biggest party of the year. The days’ cycling will be long and tough, but well worth it to feel that incredible sense of achievement as you ride over the Golden Gate Bridge and then spend the whole weekend enjoying the celebrations as a reward for your hard work.”

The challenge kicks off in the monumental Yosemite National Park with its massive peaks and towering forests and then rides around Turlock and Camanche Lakes on mountain roads. It then cuts a course along the Pacific Coast Road, high above the surf and takes in golden beaches and laid-back towns.

To sign up, registration costs £399 plus £1800 for the self-funding option or a minimum sponsorship of £3600.

For more details and to book call 01244 676 454 or visit http://www.globaladventurechallenges.com/international/pedal-for-pride/

Ends

June 2014

****

Global Adventure Challenges has been organising worldwide charity challenge events since the year 2000. By working with 1,500 different charities, all the events raise essential funds for a wide variety of causes. For 2014 the company will operate 100 challenges for more than 2,800 participants. For more information visit www.globaladventurechallenges.com

Stonewall promotes equality for the LGBT community.

Albert Kennedy Trust supports young LGBT 16-25 year olds who are made homeless or living in a hostile environment.

For further information, images or interviews contact: Peter Robinson | Director | Global Adventure Challenges Ltd, Red Hill House, Hope Street, Saltney, Chester, CH4 8BU, DDI: 01244 670742 | Fax: 01244 683962  

Tomorrow: Eden Pride COMEDY Show!

HAPPY PRIDE!!!!! 

Just one more day until our EDEN comedians will be tickling your funny bone!  The EDEN Comedy Show is featuring Gina Yashere and Dana Goldberg, two ridiculously funny ladies!

Purchase your tickets here.  There are two seatings 11am and 1pm.

Join us for a night filled with comedic powerhouses that will make you laugh your way into Pride.

 Two sublimely funny ladies, two hours of non-stop laughter and one night of side splitting fun! This year our comedy show will be hosted inside of the historically significant Brava Theater.

Comedians Gina Yashere and Dana Goldberg will be making your body shake with their hilaririty!  These two funny ladies are gonna bring with their insightful observations, dry wit, on point commentary and so much more.  This is the one show YOU will not want to miss!

Toronto Pride: An LGBT Comedy Extravaganza!

Our blog's Twitter (click HERE to go there!) recently promised you more awesome comedy. And we have not let you down.

All of you lovely Canadian (and visiting) LGBT-ers can head over to Toronto's gay town this week to pride yourselves crazy, and what better way to start than getting your funny bone tickled?!

I've been privileged enough to see this awesome show myself, and these guys never fail to get you giggling.

As Toronto's ONLY LGBT and women's comedy show, you gays are sure to have a blast.

There's no invite necessary and you only have to fork out 5 bucks to get in! It's events like this that show our support to the community, so get out there and have fun!

The show is THIS WEDNESDAY (June 26th) at Comedy Bar right on Bloor Street West and starts at 9pm - a great start to your pride week.

Click HERE to RSVP to the show on Facebook and invite all of your friends!

Go to http://comedybar.ca/ for more info.

Grammy Award Winner Eve To Headline Pride Festival

Hello fabulous EDEN attendees! 

Happy Pride month!   

We are so excited that you will be joining us at EDEN this year.  This is by far the most spectacular year yet and we can't wait to show you what we got in store for you.  Each night is gaymazing and YOU will have a most excellent experience!  Here is an update on all the events going on during EDEN Weekend.  If you have any questions just let us know and we will try to answer them in a timely fashion.  We heart you and look forward to seeing each and every one of you! 

The EDEN Crew

Thursday, June 27th 2013 EDEN Kickoff Event, Fashion Show and Afterparty  w/ AzMarie of America's Next Top ModelThe Supperclub657 Harrison, SF 9pm-2am  

Female Electro-Guitar duo, discoBAASSIK Plays Brooklyn PrideFest Main Stage

Female electro-guitar duo, discoBAASSIK (dB) will be playing two shows during Brooklyn Pride weekend. 

·  The first will be on the main festival stage located at 5th Avenue and 4th Street in Park Slope at 1pm on June 8, 2013 where they will perform their party hits "Lickety Like" and "Bag You".

·  The second wil be at Trash Bar in Williamsburg Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 9pm for a full 45 minute set displaying the wider range of their music.

The dB sound can be described as a blend of Floetry, Missy Elliot with the occassional gritty rock edge. Audiences will witness the live electronic effects and guitar solos that carry both fun and meaningful lyrics.

If you'd like more info about dB or to arrange an interview, just let me know.  If you'd like to send a writer to review the show at Trash Bar, I will put you on the list at your request.

Brooklyn based guitarist and bassist, SKY DISCO and BAASSIK (pronounced Basic) are both accomplished musicians in their own right. The duo met while working together on a rock gig.  After the gig, they found a musical synergy with each other and formed discoBAASSIK (dB).  When they realized that they were both ridiculous "gear headz" they joined their gear together to push it to the limit.  So the music you'll hear, is their own soul/funk/rock from deep down inside -- mixed with the desire to stretch the limits of their electronic equipment. Collectively, they have graced such New York stages as Lincoln Center, Joe's Pub, Santos Party House and many more. Nationally, they have had performances in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, and at Pride festivals in Baltimore and Newark, NJ.   Currently teamed up with Reveller Records, dB is quickly gaining momentum in the indie and electronic music scene. Their first EP, titled "Electron-Chics" is available for free download on Bandcamp.

discoBAASSIK online:

www.discoBAASSIK.com 

Reveller Records 

Eden Pride Announces Official Sponsors

DEN welcomes the Bay Area Reporter and BARtab as Official Media Sponsors for EDEN Pride Weekend San Francisco

(San Francisco, Calif. - April 9, 2013) EDEN Pride Events http://www.edeninthebay.com is proud to welcome the U.S. longest running LGBT newspaper, the Bay Area Reporterwww.ebar.com and its monthly nightlife guide BARtabwww.bartabsf.com, as EDEN Pride Weekend San Francisco's newest media sponsor.

The B.A.R. has been informing San Francisco Bay Area LGBTs about what's happening in their community and telling their stories for more than 40 years. 

The LN is the U.S.'s longest running lesbian magazine that has been informing the lesbian community nationwide for nearly 30 years. Yesterday, the LN moved into the 21st century with its announcement that the magazine is now available on iPad with its new app https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lesbian-news/id620124310?ls=1&mt=8. 

EDEN Pride Events is proud to welcome B.A.R. and BARtab as media sponsors this year. We are particularly excited about having two of the U.S.'s longest running and respected LGBT publications, the B.A.R. and the Lesbian Newswww.lesbiannews.com, sponsor us this year. 

"This is an historic and humbling experience for me and the entire EDEN team. We are so very grateful to have the support of these two powerhouses in media," said Christine De La Rosa, founder and producer of EDEN Pride Events. "The additions of these two giants as EDEN's media sponsors are amazing and wonderful!" 

Michael Yamashita, general manager of the B.A.R., is pleased to support the LGBT community's sisters at EDEN Pride Weekend San Francisco during San Francisco Pride's celebrations. 

"[The] Bay Area Reporter is pleased to be the exclusive San Francisco Bay Area LGBT media partner of Eden Pride Weekend 2013," said Michael Yamashita, general manager of the B.A.R. "As the Bay Area's - and America's - oldest, best-read LGBT publication, we are proud to support our sisters, as well as all other members of our community." 

"Pride is an occasion to celebrate our achievements and diversity as we move forward together," he added. 

Ella Matthes, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Lesbian News, agreed adding that she's honored to support LGBTQ youth through the EDEN LGBTQ Youth Foundation http://www.edenyouthfoundation.org/. 

"This is our future generation," said Matthes. 

"To be able to sponsor the all-women four-day party during the San Francisco Pride Weekend is a huge gift to our community from EDEN," she continued. "We feel great about sponsoring this event to support EDEN." 

Watch for the latest news about EDEN's entertainment and events at anyone of these media sponsors who will have the latest news first. 

On the go? EDEN Pride Weekend San Francisco goers will be able to click on EDEN's ad using the new LN app on their mobile devices to instantly access all that is happening during EDEN Pride Weekend San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose and Oakland. 

EDEN also welcomes back Sweet Tooth Media http://www.sweettoothmedia.com/, as an EDEN Media Sponsor. 

EDEN is proud to be working with this year's media sponsors and official bloggers as they help spread the word about EDEN Pride Weekend San Francisco (June 27 - 30) and our other events in Sacramento (June 14th - June 16th), San Jose (August 16th - August 18th) and fiveTEN Oakland Pride (August 30th - September 1st).

Small City Pride: Peterborough, ON

Why have I been absent from my blog for a month, you ask? Well, I have moved to CANADA!

Yep, I've only been here for two weeks and already it feels like home. Take a look:

That's right, I've got myself a little Canadian family already. (When I say Canadian, I mean international. Some of the people in that photograph are from places like South Africa, Australia, Trinidad, Norway, The Netherlands... I could go on.) 

Alas, I am only here for one year, but I can say that this crazy shit has already happened:

I am forever embarrassing myself to make people laugh, don't judge.

But why am I telling you all this, you ask?

Well, I also have myself a little GAY Canadian family forming too!

This weekend it was Peterborough Pride day in Ontario, so I thought I'd give you the low down.

Although its probably the smallest pride I've ever been to (the English prides in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Nottingham that I've been to are always on the large side), there was a great sense of community and, uh... pride.

My friends and I ended up in the parade by accident, but it ended up being the highlight of the day.

Although we have absolutely no affiliation with Peterborough Youth Services, we thought that marching amongst their people was most appropriate - I'm actually classed as an adult, but as a student I feel that 'youth' applies to me too.

So yeah, we partied down the streets and ended up in a field with a few gay stalls and a beer tent. Canadian alcohol regulations are pretty weird though, so we had to stay in the tent to drink. (This would never happen in England - pride = drinking in the streets).

For me, that was a downfall, but I still got to spend some time with some awesome people, including my main man, Dale, who I soberly danced with for the entire duration of the day.

Was it the best pride I've ever been to? No. But would I go again? For sure.

...as long as I have these people with me:

Do you have any small town pride experiences? What about tales of city prides? Tell me about them below!

Happy Pride Season!

So this weekend, I attended my first pride festival of the year.

And you know what that means...

PRIDE SEASON HAS STARTED, BABY.

Ohh yeahhh, get the beer out ladies, I know you'll all be attending.

Personally, I thought the first UK pride of the year was actually pretty great!

My weekend consisted of spending far too much money on alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, forcing my legless friend to kiss a variety of unaesthetically-pleasing people and being pleasantly surprised by the live acts that performed on the main stage.

So which festivals are you ladies going to this year? London? New York? San Francisco? Let me know!

And maybe I'll tell you which I'm going to... ;)

I'm a celesbrity...

As I'm sure most of you know, 9 time tennis champion and out lesbian Martina Navratilova appeared on British reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! this month. Here's Martina in her jungle attire:

For those of you who didn't know however, Martina overall came second in the celebrity competition, losing to British soap star Joe Swash, who claimed the crown as 'King of the Jungle.' I'm sure all you lovely ladies in England were voting for our hero Ms. Navratilova (or 'Nav', as I like to call her,) and it seems like your efforts paid off!

It was great seeing an out lesbian being so prominently broadcast on national television like Martina has been for the past few weeks; maybe American screenwriters should take the hint that putting a lesbian on your show will not lower your ratings. *Cough* Grey's Anatomy.

Anyway, well done to Nav. Here she is flying the flag for the gay community in an advert for Visa.