On 25 November, Magazine London was transformed into space-age chink in reality for the Gay Times Honours 2022. This year’s theme was ‘Future Queer’, which aimed to imagine ‘what things could look like for LGBTQ+ people by the 100th anniversary [of Gay Times] in 2072’. Space 1 was a futuristic fantasy, with performers scattered throughout the space and views over the Canary Wharf skyline. The awards, meanwhile, were hosted in the high-tech black-box of Space 2 by Drag Race legends Violet Chachki and Gottmik.
Outside the venue, guests, hosts and nominees posed on a lime green carpet, which stretched the length of the building’s jet-black facade. Best-dressed included Drag Race UK superstar Bimini in a latex catsuit, Tove Lo in a baby pink miniskirt and metre-high sculptural handbag and Tom Daley, who wore a Tanner Fletcher cream suit covered with blue silk ribbons.
Among the winners were Grag Queen (Latin American Icon), London Trans+ Pride (Future Fighter) and the cast of Heartstopper (On Screen Trailblazer). After the awards ceremony, Magazine opened its doors to the public for an afterparty that featured performances from Tove Lo, Cat Burns and Grag Queen, as well as a DJ set from Princess Julia. In total, more than 1,500 people came to celebrate the people who have made a profound effect on the lives of LGBTQ+ people over the last 12 months. For all its glamour, it is this open and inclusive expression of queer joy and creativity that marks out the Gay Times Honours as a standout event.
