Chantelle Billson

PinkNews • 4th March 2026

Trans Muslim woman slams anti-trans Ramadan abuse

“You’re going to hell. You can’t be Muslim, trans, or fast in Ramadan,” one hateful comment overlaid on content creator Faye Kingston’s Instagram reel reads. 

It’s just one of many abusive messages she has received this Ramadan – the first year she has been open about her faith on social media.

The Independent • 7th May 2024

The adults overcoming their reading struggles: ‘I was going to do it if it killed me’

Some of the people this article is about won’t be able to read it. Despite this, they have coped, some for decades, with day-to-day tasks.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news • 1st February 2024

Gay man beaten in Bournemouth pub felt 'petrified' during vicious attack

A gay man who was violently attacked by three men in a Bournemouth pub says the incident left him “dumbstruck and petrified”.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news • 21st October 2023

LGBTQ+ parents share how adopting changed their lives: 'Our families are just as valid'

LGBTQ+ adopters explain how creating their own families changed their lives in “every single way possible”.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news • 19th October 2023

Drag Race UK and MAFS stars say Tory party is 'biggest threat' to LGBTQ+ community

Reality TV stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, I Kissed a Boy and Married at First Sight UK were in agreement about who they hold responsible for an increasingly hostile climate for queer people in Britain.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news • 8th October 2023

Meet the Florida drag queen tagging sharks in a wig and full makeup

What do drag queens and sharks have in common? According to Miss Toto, a drag queen in Florida, the answer is simple.

“They are both beautiful and demonised,” she tells PinkNews.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news • 1st October 2023

Puppy Pride founder on role-play, kink and GB News

The founder of Puppy Pride is keen to dispel some of the misconceptions about puppy play.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news • 16th September 2023

Campaigners fear conversion therapy ban is ‘dropped’ as government refuses to respond

Campaigners’ fears may have been realised as Downing Street says it has no update on the long-awaited conversion therapy ban, which many believe won’t be fulfilled as promised.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news • 14th September 2023

Protestors say government has 'run out of time' on vow to ban conversion therapy

Campaigners gathered near the Houses of Parliament on Thursday (14 September) to protest against the government’s lack of action on its promised conversion therapy ban, with many saying time has run out to stop the cruel practice.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news • 14th September 2023

Why these Irish mammies spend their weekends protesting for trans kids

“As parents ourselves, we said: ‘Who’s going to stand up for them if it’s not us’,” says Claire Flynn, a founder of Mammies for Trans Rights.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news • 25th August 2023

Two Brewers stabbing: LGBTQ community praised for 'incredible' response

A Metropolitan Police LGBT+ liaison officer has said support in finding the suspect responsible for the “dreadful” Clapham double stabbing has been “incredible”.

Tempus Magazine • 14th July 2022

Liran Wizman on specialising in hospitality, creating perfect spaces and introducing two new hotels to the Sircle Collection

The hospitality entrepreneur tells Tempus why he was drawn to invest in hotels, what it takes to create a perfect space and why he chose the locations of Lisbon and Berlin for his two newest properties.

Romford Recorder • 8th July 2022

'Thick smoke': Health worries from neighbours of Rainham fire hotspot

Neighbours of a Rainham ex-landfill site plagued by repeated fires are worried about the health implications of "thick smoke" wafting into their homes.

Romford Recorder • 20th June 2022

Coffee connoisseur opens Gidea Park shop to share his passion

The owner of a Gidea Park specialist coffee shop has said this year could make or break his business.

Don Altizo opened the Natural Bean on Heath Park Road just before the second lockdown, and it has already become a finalist in the Havering Small Business awards for best customer experience.

Romford Recorder • 17th June 2022

Brunch, pizza, drag bingo: Innovative eatery to put Upminster 'on map'

An Upminster-born restaurateur has turned his brunch spot into a pizzeria by night.

John Hoggett opened Roots, a breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant on Corbet Tey Road, in 2015 in a bid to offer “fresh, quality food”, he said.

Romford Recorder • 4th April 2022

Hornchurch couple 'elevated nostalgic favourite food’ to create Nugs

A Hornchurch couple have created a business centred around their “nostalgic favourite food” – nuggets.

Romford Recorder • 24th March 2022

Levi Roots spices up Rainham school's dinners with 'Caribbean flavours'

The creator of Reggae Reggae Sauce, Levi Roots, has visited a Rainham school as it welcomes his latest Caribbean creations to its menu.

Romford Recorder • 1st March 2022

Michelin-trained chef to bring takeaway, casual and fine dining to Raphael Park

A Romford-based Michelin-trained chef hopes to transform a Gidea Park restaurant into a takeaway, casual and fine dining establishment.

Romford Recorder • 20th February 2022

Performer speaks out about 'homophobia and racism' he faced growing up in Havering

An ex-performer has spoken out with allegations of homophobia and racism he faced growing up in Havering, and how it has shaped the person he is today.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news • 10th January 2024

Gay man beaten, bitten and spat on in homophobic Nottingham attack

A 32-year-old gay man has been left bloody and bruised after a suspected homophobic attack in Nottingham.

Tempus Magazine • 31st October 2021

A feast for the senses: restaurateur Mourad Mazouz tells Tempus about his eccentric aesthetic

A feast for the senses: restaurateur Mourad Mazouz tells Tempus about his eccentric aesthetic

The man behind MoMo, Sketch and new Mayfair eatery Mo Diner opens up about his culinary empire

Tempus Magazine • 23rd February 2021

Zandra Rhodes: Dreaming in Colour

Renowned British textile and fashion designer Dame Zandra Rhodes is no stranger to royalty or the rich and famous.

Appointed her DBE by the Queen in 2014, Rhodes’ diverse clientele has included Diana, Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal, Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, to name a few.

Hampstead Highgate Express • 21st March 2021

Highgate’s new Indian restaurant can’t wait to welcome guests back

Opening his new Highgate restaurant during a pandemic was not really part of the plan for Namaaste's Sabbir Karim.

Two years before coronavirus, Sabbir identified South Grove as the location for his third restaurant - in addition to Camden Town and Bloomsbury - after discovering that many of his existing customers lived in the Highgate area.

Tempus Magazine • 19th February 2021

Time After Time | Tempus Magazine