Summary

TAPE: EF01/0503 IN_TIME: 13:32:57 DURATION: 6:32 SOURCES: APTN RESTRICTIONS: music/performance rights must be cleared DATELINE: 30 June 2001. London, UK SHOTLIST: 1. MS two women dancing 2. MS two men cuddling 3. Man in leathers 4. VS drag queens 5. Crowd scenes 6.VS contestants in Mr Gay UK competition 7. SOT competitor "Just to show people that we're here. That I mean we're gay, we're not ashamed of it." (Questioner asks: "And that you're a big part of the population?") "Yeah we are a big part of the population". 8. VS Country & Western dancing 9. VS Club dancing 10. CA crowd scene 11. Vox pop - "Well I think its very important that we basically have.. you know.. our rights.. you know theres a lot still to achieve. Like me and my partner, we've been together for about 8 years, and we went through the partnership rights with the Home Office. We were one of the first couples to come through with it. So we believe strongly you know.. equal for gay people." 12. Vox pop - "It's absolutely brilliant, everyone is just so individual, unique. Watching them is just absolutely entertaining.. to me!" 13. MS two girls in fancy dress 14.Vox pop - "Most people I think have made an effort to look great." "It's a party" "And it's Mardi Gras so who cares. Anything goes." "You come to Mardi Gras to see fairies and pussies!" 15. VS perf. Atomic Kitten - Eternal Flame 16. SOT Atomic Kitten - "We all get a bit hyper, were all like 'woohoo' and whoever's on stage.. no matter if it's a ballad or you know like a liitle chilled out song where were all like this 'yeah come on come on' waking ourselves up, and when we get out there, you know although we may only sing the slow song its just nice to get all that energy inside you." 19. VS perf. Hear'say - The Way To Your Love 20. SOT Hear'Say : "Yeah I mean I've got my mum in the audience here today. It's not specifically just you know gay people or whatever, couples. It's just a big party and anyone can come." "Yeah It's fantastic" 21: Set up Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London 22. SOT Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London: - "There are 70 countries in the world.. where we can't go and have gay, lesbian or bisexual or transgender relationships because it's still illegal. And not only may you be imprisoned, you may be tortured, or you may be executed. So lets not forget as we campaign in Britain, we want an international campaign because the biggotry is worse in very many other parts of this world." 23.VS perf. Steps - Tragedy 24.SOT Steps: "To be honest with you they kind of latched onto us quickly, the gay community, before a lot of other people did. And I think you know.. we always found that very moving cos they kind of believed in us and we've had a massive gay following" (fellow band member jokingly "Did it move you?") "It moved me baby! But you know.. it's been fantastic because they've been there since day one." "They've got good taste!" "Haha" 25.VS perf. Vanessa Mae - White Bird 26. SOT Vanessa Mae - "Until now, every time I went on.. especially as a sort of teenager when I went onto rock festivals, it was really kind of novel.. because I was out there with my violin.. the little string section doing crossover classical. But right now its really different cos.. I don't know if you heard out there but I was doing 3 vocal numbers and only 1 actual violin number. But that's like a real change for me, and I think a real change for the crowd. Cos I feel that my music on this new album is going much more towards pop". 27.VS perf. Mel B. - MEL B MARDI GRAS IS GAY AND LESBIAN "CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR ROLLED INTO ONE". Tens of thousands of people turned out on Sunday for London's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, described by one partygoer as "our Christmas and New Year rolled into one." Entertaining the hordes of colourful paraders was Scary Spice Mel B who, in keeping with the flamboyancy of the day, wore a shiny rubber catsuit with a zip at crotch level and diamonds on the nipples, much to the approval of the crowd. Other acts playing to the masses of revellers included Atomic Kitten, Hear'Say, the violinist Vanessa Mae, and Steps. But despite all the fun, there was a serious element to the day's proceedings with equal partnership rights being the theme of this year's celebration. The event was a magnet for campaigners and revellers calling for gay marriages to become legal and about 400 gay couples took part in mass blessings conducted by a priest in a symbolic wedding ceremony. The festival was preceded by a colourful gay pride march and parade which wove its way from Hyde Park to Victoria in central London. The campaign was boosted by this week's announcement that the Greater London Authority will be the first public organisation in Britain to recognise same sex couples when the London Partnerships Register is launched in September. A ceremony, similar to a registry office wedding and complete with an official certificate, will take place at the GLA headquarters but automatic marriage rights will not be conferred. Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell used the event to call for new legal rights for all unwed couples, whether gay or heterosexual. He is demanding an Unmarried Persons Act which would allow each couple to choose from "a menu of rights to create a partnership agreement tailor-made to meet their own particular needs". He said ahead of the festival: "Among heterosexuals, marriage is plummeting, divorce is soaring and cohabitation is more popular than ever. "Meanwhile, although gay people cannot get married, many are involved in long-term partnerships. "Corresponding to these changing relationship patterns, fairness demands a new framework of legal rights to recognise and protect all unmarried couples, both gay and heterosexual." MUSIC CLEARANCE DETAILS TITLE: ETERNAL FLAME ARTIST: ATOMIC KITTEN WRITER: Steinberg/Kelly/Hoffs PUBLISHER: SONY / EMI LABEL: VIRGIN TITLE: TRAGEDY ARTIST: STEPS WRITER: Gibb/Gibb/Gibb PUBLISHER: BMG LABEL: ZOMBA TITLE: THE WAY TO YOUR LOVE ARTIST: HERE SAY WRITER: Eriksen/Rustan/Hermansen PUBLISHER: EMI / SONY TITLE: WHITE BIRD ARTIST: VANESSA MAE WRITER: Flamme/Laflamme PUBLISHER: BOCU MUSIC LTD. LABEL: EMI TITLE: TELL ME ARTIST: MEL B LABEL: VIRGIN