Five arrests were made at this year’s Pride Glasgow march on Saturday 19th August. Those arrested, including a minor, had been in separate parts of the march: two had belonged to the left-wing IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) bloc, whereas the other three were protesting the decision for the Gay Police Association Scotland (GPA) to lead the march itself.
The opening track of Ethan Gruska’s Slowmotionary starts with “I’m travelling through the valley / my whole childhood is here” – a song of childhood memories and early heartbreak, and of history repeating itself. It’s the perfect introduction to this storytelling album. A house and shed lit by one single bright light surrounded by complete darkness adorns the cover – perhaps a family home, or the destination of a long trip through the American countryside, fuelled by stories and a longing to be home.
The guitar-driven songs on Prism Tats’ EP 11:11, following his 2016 self-titled debut, remind me of late 80s British guitar pop by bands such as The Fixx and Comsat Angels. Instead of Thatcher, there’s Trump; both then and now see social inequality and a general desolate outlook on life as a result of (fear of) terrorism or technology.
Taylor Swift won the civil case against former morning radio host David Mueller countersuing him for sexual assault and battery.
Two years ago, I attended my first ever pride as a fresh-faced, straight-out-the-closet nineteen-year-old. The march was a blur of rainbows, signs, shouting, and honestly, I was a wee bit overwhelmed by just…everything. I had never seen so many LGBT people in one place before and I didn’t quite know what to do with myself. Despite being surrounded by so many people, I felt very small and unsure.
For teenagers across the United Kingdom, August is a month synonymous with the dreaded ‘results day’. This year, however, 200,000 students will wait more in limbo than ever, after sitting new A Level specifications. With students and teachers being left without study resources, and only vague specifications to follow, the exam regulator, Ofqual, finally decided to step in and lower the grade boundaries.
White supremacy has yet again emerged from the shadows of American society. Protests in Charlottesville, Virginia against the removal of the statue of (in)famous Confederate General Robert E. Lee brought out groups on the fringes out the right which many thought had been left in the 1960s – namely white supremacists, the KKK, neo-Nazis, and fascists. This leaves the question, how could this have happened in 2017 America?
