Luciano Graca

Digital Journalist
KaleidoScot •

Review: From Afar at the Glasgow Film Festival

“It’s normal to leave the past behind after all these years.” For middle age Armando, exceptionally played by Alfredo Castro, “forgive and forget” it’s a motto he is not so keen to live by as we learn from “accompanying” him on this anguish tale of unpredictable and damaged relationships. “From Afar”, showing at this year’s Glasgow Film Festival, is the debut striking feature of Venezuelan director Lorenzo Vigas, and explores the unlikely relationship between Armando and Elder, a teenager thug
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Glasgow Film Festival features seven queer films

The 12th edition of the world renowned Glasgow Film Festival starts today, and will run until February 28, bringing to the city’s big screen lovers, a programme packed with UK, European and World premieres, and the festival’s trademark pop-up cinema events making new use of some of the city’s most unusual venues. 60 of this year’s films are UK premieres including the latest Joel and Ethan Cohen’s feature “Hail Caesar”, which opens the festival this evening,  Disney’s “Zootropolis”, Charlie Kauf
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Home Office denies asylum to gay man that ‘failed to prove’ sexuality

Gay Ugandan-born Robert Kityo, who has been living in Manchester since 2011, fears for what could happen if the Home Office keeps its decision to deport him back to Uganda, where homosexuality is illegal. A decision letter written on behalf of Home Secretary Theresa May said that, “It is not accepted that you are a homosexual and an openly gay man.” Kityo’s failed latest attempt to secure asylum in the UK has been backed by a petition signed by over 1,900 people and letters written by more tha
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Glasgow fashion brand goes unisex

Abandon Ship, one of the coolest fashion brands made in Scotland, taking inspiration from its designs, took on a bold, innovative and very smart decision to make part of its collections entirely unisex. Friends Richard Davies and Duncan Sweeny established the Glaswegian streetwear label in 2011, and have since then created a “cult” of hardcore fashion followers around the globe. But it’s 2015 and the brand is upping their game and re-imagining the Abandon Ship client genderless. On a blog ent
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West Lothian to stage first-ever pride march

Over 800 people are expected to attend the event that will start at 12pm at the Howden Park Centre and will finish outside the West Lothian Civic Centre. The march has been organised by West Lothian Council’s Community Youth Services in conjunction to the LGBT Youth Scotland’s local group Glitter Cannons. Jane Drysdale from West Lothian Council’s Community Youth Services speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News said: “Usually we hire a bus and take the young people to pride events in Edinburgh a
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Glasgow writer Kirsty Logan long-listed for LGBT book prize

Glasgow based author Kirsty Logan’s collection of short stories “The Rental Heart” has been long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize 2015. The longlist of the 10 books on the run to win this year’s award was announced this week at the Polari Literary Salon in London’s Southbank Centre. The Polari First Book Prize, now in its fifth year, is awarded annually to a writer whose first book explores the LGBT experience, whether in poetry, prose, fiction or non-fiction Winner of the Scott Prize T
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Alexander McQueen’s Scottish savage Beauty

We’ve got the perfect reason for you to visit London this summer. The Victoria and Albert Museum is hosting until 2 August Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, the largest retrospective of one of the most influential and talented British designers. Since it’s opening night last March the exhibition has been attracting queues of fashion enthusiasts eager to contemplate this jaw dropping compilation of McQueen’s intriguing body of work, spanning from his early days as a fashion graduate to his unfin
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Young Scots think the phrase ‘that’s gay’ acceptable

A YouGov survey, commissioned last month by BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, revealed that more than half of young people in Scotland (53%) think the term “that’s gay” is acceptable to use. YouGov asked over 3,000 18 to 29-year-olds around the country, six questions related to 12 words or phrases generally used around sexuality including dyke, queen, bender, camp and poof. Out of the total number of respondents 301 were Scots. The last three decades have shown major steps towards a more equalitarian and
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Church of Scotland votes to ordain gay ministers

The Church of Scotland has voted to allow congregations to call ministers in same sex civil partnership. Delegates voted 309 in favour and 183 against, during today’s General Assembly, in a debate, that lasted almost four hours and included 31 of the Church’s presbyteries endorsing the move to 14 who opposed it. The decision comes into force with immediate effect and means that the Kirk will not change its traditional stance – marriage is between a man and woman – but individual congregations
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Scottish Green Party endorses LGBTI rights of English Greens

The Scottish Green Party pledged to endorse the LGBTI rights policies of the Green Party of England and Wales‘ manifesto. The Scottish Green Party manifesto, launched on 30 March, focuses on three key themes – to end poverty; to keep public services in public hands and to give more power to local communities, mentioning only in passing LGBTI rights. The Scottish Greens are also pledging that the powers proposed for Scotland are devolved as quickly and completely as possible, including equali
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LGBTI rights left out of UKIP’s manifesto

The General Election campaign is in its final stretch with just over two weeks for what is promising to be an exceptional election. Amongst heated TV debates and across the country campaigns all major parties are finally releasing their policies manifestos. When it comes to LGBTI  people/rights, a subject increasingly important and part of the agenda of most political parties, UKIP  is the only major party to not mention gay people in its manifesto. The news come with no surprise taking into
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Morrissey at SSE Hydro says YES Scotland

Morrissey, one of our most renowned singer icons who revealed having a same-sex partner in his 2013 autobiography, gave a spectacular performance at SSE Hydro, Glasgow and also voiced his support for Scottish independence. The Smiths was the soundtrack of my late teens and has been one of my favourite bands since then. Morrissey’s voice and lyrics brings me back to a time of discoveries, confusion and happiness. He, somehow, knew how I was feeling. Needless to say how excited I was last night
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Glasgow to host the 2016 Annual General Assembly of the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation

Glasgow to host the 2016 Annual General Assembly of the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation On March 8 delegates at the 2015 Assembly in Krakow voted for Glasgow to host the 2016 Annual General Assembly of the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation. A ‘Diverse Identities in Sport’ conference will take place on the 4th March 2016 followed by the Annual General Assembly which will take place on the 5th and 6th of March 2016, with Glasgow hosting up to 150 delegates from across Europe.
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More than half of homophobic attacks in South Lanarkshire recorded in Rutherglen and Cambuslang

More than half of homophobic attacks in South Lanarkshire recorded in Rutherglen and Cambuslang Figures from Police Scotland shows that the towns of Rutherglen and Cambuslang, in South Lanarkshire, are responsible for over half of the homophobic attacks registered in the region. Local newspaper the Reformer found, through a Freedom of Information request, that out of the 127 crimes recorded as “sexual orientation/transgender” committed across the region, 69 happened in these two towns. The nu
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Rangers director in gay tweet controversy

Accordingly to the BBC, a newly appointed Rangers director is under investigation for apparently tweeting a cartoon of the prophet Mohamed engaging in an explicit homosexual act. The tweet was sent from Chris Graham’s Twitter account in reply to a message posted on the social media website by radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary on the day of the Charlie Hebdo attack. Mr. Graham, who runs the Rangers Standard website and represents the Rangers Supporters Trust, was appointed a Rangers non-
Rough Copy •

Kenya Student Massacre: 147 dead and no Je Suis...

Where is Kenya? This may seem like an odd question to ask given last week’s events. But really, do you know where Kenya is? Almost two weeks has passed since Somali-based terrorist group, Al Shabab launched a cowardly attack on a University in Garissa, Kenya. The jihadist organisation killed 147 Christian students as “a retribution for non-Muslims invading Muslim territory.” The global media coverage of the event has left many unanswered questions. Where is the mass public uproar to such a ho
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Review: Appropriate Behaviour @ Glasgow Film Festival

Appropriate Behaviour is not a comedy, even though the film is super funny, witty and will make you laugh out loud. Desiree Akhavan’s debut feature, which is hitting cinemas in the UK today and was part of the strand PIONEER at the Glasgow Film Festival, is a break up film dressed up as comedy, probably because using a comedy tone as a shield make it easier to digest most of the serious themes the film addresses. Ever so often film reviews are a pre made formula, which consists of using compar

The night of the #Clutha

Where were you on the night of November 29, 2013 when the police helicopter fell onto the roof of The Clutha Vaults pub? Chances are that most people in Scotland would answer this question precisely due to the impact and surrealness that that event brought to the whole country. It’s been nearly one year since in that tragic Friday night 10 people lost their lives. And one question remains. How did it happened? The investigations are still open and the case is far from being resolved. I live just
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