Out On The Radio

Our monthly radio show – aimed at older members of the LGBT+ communities – goes out live on the first Tuesday each month from 2.00pm to 3.00pm on ALL FM 96.9.

Don’t worry if you miss it, as it has been uploaded to Mixcloud so you can listen at your leisure.

This month we interviewed El Stannage from the Holocaust Centre North and featured an eclectic choice of music.

Listen here.

Risking it all for love during World War II

You couldn’t escape it. When you fell in love, that was it: you were there for good. Leaving your lover’s side was unthinkable, turning away was impossible. You would do anything for that person you loved – even, as in the new biography, “The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram” by Ethelene Whitmire, you would escape toward danger.

On 28 August 1938, Reed Peggram boarded a ship from Hoboken, New Jersey, hoping to “become a proper gentleman” and fulfill his dreams. A prolific writer and Harvard scholar of comparative literature, he had recently been awarded the Rosenwald Fellowship, which put him in the company of literary stars like W E B Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes.

Both Peggram’s mother and grandmother were then domestic workers, and they had big expectations for him. Reed himself was eager to study abroad, for professional and personal reasons; he was “determined to become a French professor and an accomplished linguist” and “he also hoped to find love.”

What better place to do it than in Paris?

Outgoing and confident, Peggram made friends easily and had no trouble moving “through the world of his white male peers.” Where he faltered was in his lack of funds. He relied on the kindness of his many friends – one of whom introduced Peggram to a “man who would become so pivotal in his life,” a Danish man named Arne.

Peggram and Arne had a lot in common, and they began to enmesh their lives and dreams of living in the United States. But there were complications: homosexuality was largely forbidden, World War II was in its early stages, and it quickly became apparent that it was dangerous to stay in Europe. But returning home would be to a repressive, segregated America and a constrained life as a second-class citizen. 

Also, Peggram loved Arne. He refused to leave without him and so, while most visiting Black Americans fled the war in Europe, “Reed was trying to stay.”

There’s so much more to the story inside “The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram,” so much to know about Reed himself.

It’s there, but not until nearly halfway through the book, which is when the tale takes a tender, urgent turn – albeit one with determination, rashness, and a dash of faux nonchalance. Also, if you’re expecting an unhappily-ever-after because, after all, it’s a World War II tale, don’t assume anything.

If you’re OK with minuscule details and want a heart-pounder, “The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram” might be a good escape. This is the story of a personal fight for a life of love, freedom, beauty and dignity in a world set against him.

“The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram”
By Ethelene Whitmire
2026, Viking Press
308 pages

LEAP Study – Callout for interviews with LGBTQ+ People Receiving Home Care

LEAP Study is a new study by the University of Kent looking into improving LGBTQ+ inclusion in home care. The study is now recruiting for LGBTQ+ interview participants aged over 60 who receive home care to take part in short interviews.

Please see the flyer for those receiving home care and the flyer for home care staff. Please do share with anyone you know who may be interested.

The aim of this study is to better understand how prepared people working in home care are to support older (aged 60+) LGBTQ+ people in England and Wales. The study is hosted by the University of Kent in collaboration with Cardiff University and funded by the NIHR Research for Social Care Programme. 

They want to interview older LGBTQ+ people about their experiences of receiving home care. They would like to ask for your help with spreading the word about their study to older people who have relevant experiences. As part of this study, they plan to conduct interviews (in-person or online) with older LGBTQ+ people or their partners / informal carers about their experience receiving home care. They are also inviting older LGBTQ+ people to send in letters about their experiences of receiving home care as an optional way of taking part. 

The criteria for participation are: 

i) identifying as LGBTQ+ and 60+ years of age 
ii) experience of receiving home care in England or Wales within the last 10 years 
iii) currently residing in England or Wales. 

All interview participants will receive a £20 high street store voucher as thanks for participation. 

They are seeking as much diversity as possible amongst the participants, so sharing the news about this study will help them to achieve this. Please get in touch if you have any questions about this research or would like to discuss the study. If you are happy for them to keep your contact details, they will update you on outputs from the project and a summary of key findings.