Dungeness

Back in August, to celebrate being married for one year, Chris and I went to stay on the South Coast of England. We stayed in a little town called Rye, and went on a pilgrimage to Dungeness. 

I've wanted to go to Dungeness since I was about 15. It's where Derek Jarman lived, and where he filmed one of the greatest arthouse movies of all time, The Garden (1990).

It was totally surreal to be there, not just because the landscape itself is so strange, and alien, and beautiful - but because I was walking through The Garden. I walked where Derek Jarman's Jesus walked. I climbed the shingle hill where  characters from the film danced with torches in their hands. I picked holey stones from the beach where Tilda Swinton picked a holey stone.

Chris kept asking me if I was okay, because I was so quiet, but in all honesty - I was overwhelmed. I took photos of the beach, and I did some filming. I want to make a film about my love for Chris, coloured and influenced by Derek's work. His films have inspired me since I first heard of him when I was a teenager.

We went to see his grave, too. It was so peaceful, so lovely. I took a photo of Derek and me. Chris found me a little stone to leave on top of Derek's gravestone.

Queer prayer beads (update)

Back in 2013 I started making a queer prayer bead bracelet, but I still had some queer icons of mine, that I wanted to represent. My bracelet is now complete! I'll always be happy to add more if needed :) 

A pyramid, to represent Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum 

A pierced heart to represent Saint Sebastian
A deer, a boar, and a wolf, to represent the three sons of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy 

A faceted blue glass bead to represent the early queer writers from the 1800s to the early 1900s. E.M Forster and his beautiful novel Maurice; the Bloomsbury Set; A.E. Housman; Oscar Wilde
A silver star, to represent early queer cinema, the first queer actors, the first films to ignore the Hay's Code, and the first queer filmakers who worked hard to show us on screen 

An apple, to represent Alan Turing (with whom I share a birthday)

The high heel is to represent the Stonewall Riots which happened on this very day, back in 1969
The rainbow bead is to represent the beginning of the gay rights movement, I do love that we use the rainbow to celebrate it!
The blue bead (I searched far and wide for this particular shade of blue) represents Derek Jarman's seminal film Blue

The last three are more recent. The crown is RuPaul's crown - a club kid tuned drag queen supermodel of the world! I adore RuPaul
The wizard's hat is Dumbledore. I knew he was gay when I read the books, I honestly did. Wonderful writing from JK Rowling
The rugby ball is for Gareth "Alfie" Thomas. I'm Welsh, so I love rugby, and Gareth Thomas was the first openly gay rugby union player, and a bloody good one too! I'm very proud that the first one was a Welshman. Da iawn, ti!

So there you have it. My updated queer prayer beads. Every time I wear them, I offer a prayer to the universe to keep my queer brothers and sisters safe and well, in countries where it is dangerous to be openly queer. 

Can I get an amen?

Queer prayer beads

Religious imagery has always fascinated me, and I do love my little obsessions, so when I did some research into prayer beads I wanted to make some of my own. Not because I pray (though I do often ask the Universe to bring some joy into a friend's life, for example), and not because I have any gods (again, other than the Universe and the Earth). So my prayer beads are queer prayer beads. Each bead represents a queer icon, or symbol, that is important to me.

So they are arranged chronologically, from past to future. The beads are all 925 sterling silver, which is my favourite metal (plus it goes with all my other jewellery).

A pyramid, to represent Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum
A deer, a boar, and a wolf, to represent the three children of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy
An apple, to represent Alan Turing (with whom I share a birthday).
A star, to represent the first queer actors, the first films to ignore the Hay's Code, and the first queer filmakers who worked hard to show us on screen
A blue glass bead to represent Derek Jarman's seminal film Blue
A wizard's hat, to represent Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (I always knew he was gay)
A rugby ball, to represent the amazing Gareth Thomas "Alfie", the first openly gay male athlete on any pro team - and also the second highest Wales try scorer (after Shane Williams, who I was in school with)

I'm looking for a bead to represent the Stonewall riots in 1969. If you can think of one, please let me know!