Solo Out On The Scene

So long to G-A-Y

BYE BYE G-A-Y
It’s all over for G-A-Y. The famous London nightclub that has played host to Kylie and Madonna has closed its doors for good. When Solo heard of this tragic development it asked its gay panel of experts for their thoughts and opinions, however none of them responded so we can only assume that they actually didn’t give a shit!
In any case, when the news broke in the UK of the demise the iconic venue, one newspaper report made the point that everyone is so post-gay now, that it’s probably not the done thing to shed a tear over the closure. Jeremy Joseph, the club’s promoter, has said it will reopen somewhere else, although, like all things, it won’t be the same. He does, however, remain proud of its achievements.
“We’ve survived longer than any other gay club,” he pointed out. “Does that sound unsuccessful to you?”
The Astoria was opened in 1927 as a cinema and was converted into a theatre in 1976, and despite protests from famous musicians and petitions signed by tens of thousands of people, the building will be pulled down as part of the construction of the new Crossrail project.
As the names suggested, G-A-Y was gay – simple as that. There was no trying to be clever or smart. It was what it was, as each week it threw an over-the-top party full of sparkles, the highlight of which was a performance by a pop star. Among the big names that have graced the stage of G-A-Y are Madonna, Kylie, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper, Pink and Enrique Iglesias, who apparently offered up his ass to be fondled. Indeed, in the latter years, an appearance at G-A-Y meant, as an artist, you were moving in cool circles. The final G-A-Y showdown was slightly less cool, however, as Dannii Minogue (pictured above with Jeremy Joseph on the night in question) closed the club instead of Kylie, as had been rumoured. She was joined a host of G-A-Y’s favourite acts including boy band McFly, Texas, Sophie Ellis Bextor and former fab Eurovision winners Bucks Fizz - let’s hope they sang ‘Making Your Mind Up’ and the guys whipped off the girls’ skirts!

‘LESBIAN’ SURVIVES IN COURT
A Greek court is rejecting a petition against a local gay rights group which claimed its use of the word ‘lesbian’ was insulting to inhabitants of the Aegean island of Lesbos.
The Athens court ruled that the word is ‘accepted internationally’ and is ‘not considered insulting’. Three islanders from Lesbos filed the complaint against the rights group Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece. Lesbos was the home of the ancient poet Sappho, who praised love among women.

THE SCANDAL OF KISSING A GIRL
Have we all heard that Katy Perry song? The ditty where yer woman is singing about kissing a girl? It’s been stirring up a nice bit of controversy. ‘I Kissed A Girl’ is top of the charts in the US and heading the same direction on this side of the Atlantic. It’s being played all over the radio and in bars - straight and gay. In other words, its popularity is increasing at a galloping rate. But what’s it all about? Well, the song is based on Perry’s pleasurable guilt at kissing a girl and apparently it might have gone unnoticed as such were it not for her previous single ‘UR So Gay’, which was a rant against her boyfriend for ‘acting gay’ when he’s not.
“I don’t think she’s being homophobic. I think she might be a bit dumb … a bit un-self-aware,” said Jane Czyzselska, editor of lesbian lifestyle mag Diva of the new hit single. “The kind of behaviour you get from some privileged people - ‘oh I didn’t realise’. Perhaps she doesn’t know any gay people who have suffered verbal or physical abuse.”
Oh dear, meeeeow.
Perry’s parents are both Protestant pastors and she has said she was not aiming to alienate gay listeners. When it was put to her in an interview that she may have annoyed the gay community, she responded with: “That’s unfortunate. It’s not what I came to do.”