We set off from Manchester Victoria by train to Bolton. Just outside the Train and Bus Interchange is the Olympus Fish and Chip Restaurant – an award winning, upmarket family run business offering best quality fish and chip meals – and more. Sadly, today we were not serenaded by the resident pianist, but it was still an enjoyable visit.
We then made our way to Bus 125 for the short journey north west to Chorley Old Road.
Bolton Steam Museum has the largest collection of working textile mill steam engines in the country. It is operated entirely by volunteers. The steam engines drove the cotton mills providing power for the Industrial Revolution.
The volunteers demonstrated some of the engines operating by electric drive, but there are ten “steam” days per year.
Wendy worked her wonders in the small tea room serving us teas and coffees, which rounded off our visit.
The Auschwitz concentration camp was operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II. Auschwitz is the site of the Nazis’ Final Solution to the Jewish question – the largest mass murder in a single location in history.
Soviet troops entered the camp on 27 January 1945, a day commemorated since 2005 as International Holocaust Memorial Day.
Gate to Auschwitz I with its Arbeit macht frei sign (“work sets you free”)Auschwitz II-Birkenau gatehouse. The train track, in operation from May to October 1944, led toward the gas chambers
Please watch this short film about the Nazi persecution of gay men, lesbians and trans people. Up to 15,000 men were deported to concentration camps.
The Prosecutor is the new book from the bestselling, costa prize-winning author of The Volunteer.
The true story of a gay Jewish lawyer who returned to Germany after WWII to prosecute war crimes, only to find himself pitted against a nation determined to bury the past.
At the end of the Nuremberg trial in 1946, some of the greatest war criminals in history were sentenced to death, but hundreds of thousands of Nazi murderers and collaborators remained at large. The Allies were ready to overlook their pasts as the Cold War began, and the horrors of the Holocaust were in danger of being forgotten.
In The Prosecutor, Jack Fairweather brings to life the remarkable story of Fritz Bauer, a gay German Jew who survived the Nazis and made it his mission to force his countrymen to confront their complicity in the genocide. In this deeply researched book, Fairweather draws on unpublished family papers, newly declassified German records, and exclusive interviews to immerse readers in the dark, unfamiliar world of postwar West Germany where those who implemented genocide run the country, the CIA is funding Hitler’s former spy-ring in the east, and Nazi-era anti-gay laws are strictly enforced. But once Bauer lands on the trail of Adolf Eichmann, he won’t be intimidated. His journey takes him deep into the rotten heart of West Germany, where his fight for justice will set him against his own government and a network of former Nazis and spies determined to silence him.
In a time when the history of the Holocaust is taken for granted, The Prosecutor reveals the courtroom battles that were fought to establish its legacy and the personal cost of speaking out. The result is a searing portrait of a nation emerging from the ruins of fascism and one man’s courage in forcing his people – and the world – to face the truth.
It’s a decade since the first same-sex marriages were performed in England and Wales. What have they meant for LGBT+ people?
Most people of our generation never thought we would get married. As a gay man or woman, we did not even think a wedding was a possibility. Then, in 2014, same-sex couples in England and Wales finally won the right to be legally married.
Ten years on, the Church of England still does not perform same-sex weddings, although it will allow blessings.
Peter McGraith and David Cabreza were the first same-sex couple to marry in the UK. Theygot married just after midnight on the first day that same-sex marriage became legal. Peter is not a fan of the institution but says equal marriage was nevertheless an important step towards full equality.
Thai activists prepare for country’s marriage equality law to take effect
Thailand’s marriage equality law is set to take effect on 22 January.
The country will become the first one in Southeast Asia – and the third in the continent after Taiwan and Nepal – to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples.
Thai MPs passed the marriage equality bill on 15 June 2024, by a 210 – 180 vote margin. Four lawmakers abstained.
300 same-sex couples are expected to marry in Bangkok on 23 January, the day marriage equality becomes possible.
Marriage equality activists staged a fashion show featuring bridal wear to celebrate the Marriage Equality Bill in Bangkok last month. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)
A report that YouGov, a global public opinion and data analytics company, published last July found 32 percent of respondents expressed happiness about the marriage equality law, while 18 percent felt proud and 14 percent were hopeful. The report noted that support for marriage equality was greater among women (81 percent) than men (67 percent).
After the law’s passage, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin called it a “significant step” for Thailand. “Equality and equity have become concrete in Thai society,” he said, adding he was hopeful that gender diversity would be fully accepted.
Thavisin also highlighted the government’s commitment to equal rights for LGBTQ couples. He stated the marriage equality bill would give them “the exact same equal rights” as heterosexual couples.
LGBT news from Russia
Russian clubgoers have been fined for dressing “too gay” as part of the country’s ongoing crackdown on LGBT+ people and expression.
After a raid on a nightclub in Tula, about 120 miles south of Moscow seven men were charged with “trying to arouse interest in non-traditional sexual relations”. They included a man who wore “pink socks” and “an unbuttoned kimono.” Other offending wardrobe items included a crop top, black leather shorts, and fishnet stockings. A judge ruled their clothing was “’inconsistent with the image of a man with traditional sexual orientation” and fined the men.
Two of the men were ordered to pay fines of 50,000 rubles (approximately £400), more than the average monthly salary in Tula.
Russia’s crackdown on LGBT+ people has expanded dramatically over the last several years. In 2022 all forms of LGBT+ organisations were criminalised. In 2023, the Russian Supreme Court declared the “international LGBT movement” to be an “extremist” organisation, which was backed up the following year with a decision labelling the “movement” to be “terrorist”.
At least 131 cases of “LGBT propaganda” charges were brought to Russian courts in 2024, with fines ranging up to 200,000 rubles (approximately £1,600).
Free books
Free books on nearly any subject you can think of are all over the internet, ready to be downloaded, read, and shared. I’m new to this, so I did a bit of research. Here are some sites with free books covering a wide variety of subjects:
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House in Manchester is the former home of the famous author and her family.
Her novels include Mary Barton, Cranford, North and South and Wives and Daughters and are enjoyed on television, stage and radio.
Her husband, William Gaskell, was an Unitarian minister at Cross Street Chapel, charity worker and pioneer in the education of the working class. He was himself a writer and poet, and acted as the longest-serving Chair of the Portico Library from 1849 to his death in 1884.
Their beautifully restored family home has spectacular period rooms for visitors to enjoy. The House, combined with the story of Elizabeth Gaskell as a writer, public figure and private person, provides a unique and engaging experience.
We browsed the books in William Gaskell’s study and sat where Elizabeth sat to write, overlooking her beloved garden. The majority of the furniture and objects can be touched and used, providing a very rare hands-on experience.
We stood on the same doorstep as many of Elizabeth’s famous friends, such as Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte.
After a fascinating visit we went down into the Servants’ Hall where the Tea Room and shop are located. We enjoyed freshly brewed tea and coffee and delicious cake served in style on vintage china.
Important notice: our tickets are valid for 12 months until 14 January 2026. If anyone wishes to visit again within the next year, there will be no charge, providing you make it clear when booking that this is a revisit and take the original ticket (which I will retain).
No one should be left lonely this winter
(reprinted from Diva Magazine)
Ella Gauci learns more about how isolation can affect queer older people at this time of the year.
Nestled in the cosy interior of The Eel Pie pub in Twickenham, something rather remarkable is happening in front of my eyes. With tea and cake dotted around, a group of older LGBTQIA people have gathered here today for a very special celebration: the anniversary of the Rainbow Café, their monthly meet-up group.
Carol Horne, wellbeing services manager at Age UK Richmond, asks if anyone has any words of reflection. Vito, one of the founding members, rouses the group with a powerful speech about the power of connecting on shared history and culture. As applause erupts around her, I try to control the tears welling up in my eyes.
The Rainbow Café is more than just a monthly get-together. It is all part of Age UK Richmond’s scheme to spearhead the fight for introducing better initiatives targeting older LGBTQIA people across the country. Especially in winter, the Rainbow Café offers everything, from a friendly face to a warm place to stay for a few hours.
Last year Age UK found that 1.4 million people over the age of 65 would be eating their Christmas dinner alone. While typically associated with jolly family memories, tinsel and trays of stuffing, Christmas – and winter on the whole – is often the hardest time of year for LGBTQIA older people.
John, another founding member of the Rainbow Café, has felt this loneliness acutely. Despite the smile on his face, he admits that winter can be hard for people without family or children. “The people from this generation have face a lot of stigma,” Aydee Burke, communications and community fundraising manager at Age UK Richmond, tells me. “Now, they’re at the age where it feels more normal (to be LGBTQIA), but it’s still a massive step for them to (come to us) because of what they lived through. It used to be a crime to be LGBTQIA. Things are changing now, and we have to lead the way on that.”
For many older LGBTQIA people this Christmas, the holiday itself may feel like an exclusive club they don’t have access to. Kate, a volunteer at LGBT Foundation’s Pride In Ageing programme, started working with their team in Manchester to offer her advice to others about how to live as a single older LGBTQIA person.
“There’s great sadness when Christmas comes along,” Kate explains. “It’s like we can’t be ourselves anymore. Once you’re out, it’s very hard to go back into the closet. It brings home to you how painful it is to be rejected by family. One of the ironies is that Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of somebody who was all-inclusive. Commercial Christmas is geared towards heterosexual families. If you don’t have close friends, it brings it home to you just how lonely it can be.”
The Pride In Ageing programme offers support, events and advice for older LGBTQIA people. Helping to connect and amplify their voices is a vital part of this work.
“A lot of older LGBTQIA people are not out where they’re living”, Lawrie Roberts, LGBT Foundation’s Pride In Ageing manager, tells me. “That can be extremely isolating. Some people may have experienced discrimination where they live, especially those in care homes. It can be a really challenging time for people.”
And it’s not just isolation that LGBTQIA older people have to contend with. Heating, transport and a lack of LGBTQIA-focused events during winter can leave people feeling trapped inside their homes. “It’s like the gay world closes down for the winter”, Kate laments. “Everything just slows down and stops.”
But LGBT Foundation is determined to change that. They recently hosted a talent show, teaming up their Pride In Ageing scheme with a local youth group. Out of the performers on the day, the youngest was14, and the oldest was 84.
Their helpline is also open every day of the year, including Christmas, offering a lifeline for people who may not have anyone to talk to this year. Across the country, older LGBTQIA people are coming together to combat loneliness. But they shouldn’t have to do it alone. In the same ways that they fought for the rights we now enjoy, it is our duty to fight for their right to connection, warmth, joy and – in the case of the Rainbow Café – a lot of cake.
1853 Restaurant
1853 will reopen from Wednesday 22 January 2025 for lunch service, with bookings available going forwards every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during term time from 12.00pm to 12.45pm.
The lunchtime menu comprises of small plates, of classic and contemporary dishes, delicious desserts and modern starters. The menu changes on a regular basis.
To make a lunch reservation, please email 1853@tmc.ac.uk
1853 Restaurant – Evening Events for 2025
Guest Chef Event – Dnata Catering (First Class Airline Catering)
Wednesday 22 January – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £30.00 per head
Afternoon Tea with 1853
Wednesday 29 January – Arrive for 4.45pm to dine for 5.00pm – £14.00 per head
1853 theme event – Indian Cuisine Night
Wednesday 5 March – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £18.53 per head
1853 theme event – Easter Themed Night
Wednesday 19 March – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £18.53 per head
Afternoon Tea with 1853
Wednesday 26 March – Arrive for 4.45pm to dine for 5.00pm – £14.00 per head
Guest Chef Event – Dave Ashton and Zoe Wesson – Hilton Manchester
Wednesday 14 May – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £30.00 per head
Afternoon Tea with 1853
Wednesday 21 May – Arrive for 4.45pm to dine for 5.00pm – £14.00 per head
1853 theme event – French Cuisine
Wednesday 4 June – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £18.53 per head
1853 theme event – Mexican Night
Wednesday 11 June – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £18.53 per head
Free Special Showcase Concert at The Bridgewater Hall
Young musicians and singers from the Greater Manchester and Blackburn with Darwen Music Hub present a special concert performance of Neil Brand’s evocative ‘Wind In The Willows’, and Malcolm Arnold’s ‘Peterloo Overture’ (Choral Version), featuring new words written by Sir Tim Rice.
Over 150 young musicians will be joined by actor David Threlfall as Badger, Musical Director Stephen Threlfall, and actors from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.
Date: Sunday, 16 February 2025
Doors open: 2.00pm
Performance: 3.00pm – 5.00pm
Venue: The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3WS
To book your free tickets to this event, please contact us here
Today, friends from Out In The City visited the magnificent Aviva Studios to see the exhibition, David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away). With huge state-of-the-art projections and a revolutionary sound system you are invited to experience the world through David Hockney’s eyes.
After opening at Lightroom in London to rave reviews, this is the first time the show has travelled outside of the capital. Get an insight into the legendary artist’s process as you journey through six different chapters of his work, seeing the room around you light up and change.
With a unique personal commentary by David himself and an original score by composer Nico Muhly, the show, directed by Mark Grimmer of 59 Productions, offers a holistic artistic narrative. The rousing music brought a tear to my eye at one point, I was so moved by the experience, being a big fan of his work.
Hockney’s lifelong fascination with media and technology takes centre stage. The exhibition showcases his experimental approach, from innovative photography techniques to iPad drawings, revealing how he continually pushes artistic boundaries.
The experience is divided into six themed chapters, each offering a window into his creative process. From his Los Angeles period to recent works in Normandy, visitors will witness the artist’s journey through landscapes, perspectives and artistic mediums.
What truly sets this show apart is its immersive nature. The four towering walls are just the beginning—the floor becomes part of the canvas, making it a full sensory feast. Each segment surprised and delighted me in equal measure, combining Hockney’s work with his narration in a way that was both playful and profound. I often laughed out loud or marvelled at his boundless creativity and childlike wonder.
As paramedics treated a man in a car crash, a spotlight was shone on a need for change.
The original 1986 article from the Manchester Evening News appears in the exhibition
In 1986, two ambulance workers in Oldham were embroiled in a so-called ‘Aids scare’ after treating a man involved in a car crash.
Emergency measures were put into place for the paramedics after the man was confirmed to be living with HIV – with the vehicle locked away and withdrawn from duty, equipment quarantined and the two men undergoing ‘safety checks’.
It was later reported in the Manchester Evening News that the scare was ‘over’, with the staff members’ chances of catching the disease described as ‘remote’. But that coverage lingered on in the minds of many Mancunians. And it lingered alongside more-extreme examples like the John Hurt-narrated advert featuring toppling oversized tombstones warning people not to die of ignorance.
Some eight years earlier, Paul Fairweather, a prominent LGBT+ and HIV activist, had just moved to Manchester to work for the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE), which was the main gay rights organisation in the city at the time.
Paul in the 80s(Image: Paul Fairweather)
Paul, who awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours List in 2023, was also at the forefront of the local response to the growing HIV pandemic in Manchester and across the North West helping to organise meetings, writing articles in the gay press, like Mancunian Gay magazine, and lobbying for much-needed support services for those diagnosed.
LGBT activist Paul Fairweather was awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours List in 2023(Image: Paul Fairweather)
Paul was one of the six people who founded the Manchester AIDSLine in 1985 – one of only a handful of services across the entire country at the time that provided peer support, advice and mentorship.
“In those early days, it was very unclear how HIV was transmitted,” Paul, now 68, explains. “There was quite a lot of ignorance and fear, and a lot of people wrongly thought in the mid-80s that it only affected gay men.”
Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found that 6,008 people were diagnosed with HIV across England in 2023. Nearly half (49%) of all new diagnoses first made in England were among people exposed through heterosexual contact.
In 1990, five years later after its foundation, the AIDSline was renamed as the George House Trust – a name that remains today. The charity has continued its efforts to help those living with HIV and to help shift narratives ever since. It will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025.
The city centre exhibition features posters, adverts and articles from within Paul’s archive
To mark its landmark year, an exhibition is currently being held at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel’s The Refuge – A Snapshot of HIV Through a ‘Mancunian’ Gay Lens. The exhibition features a number of articles, posters and documents from the mid-80s from within Paul’s personal archive – including that story of the ambulance workers.
The exhibition also features sensationalised mainstream media coverage, community responses from the Mancunian Gay magazine of the mid-1980s, and posters promoting the charity’s vital services and support. There is also the 2009 Manchester Evening News article from when Paul, then a councillor for Harpurhey, revealed his own HIV diagnosis on stage at a vigil.
“I kept all of the stuff going back to the 70s when I moved here,” Paul said. “It’s fascinating looking back at things, it reminds me of the times that were there and that were happening really.
“I’d forgotten how, even with the health service, how people were so ignorant and scared. Even health care professionals didn’t realise the extent of the situation and were part of some of the mass concerns.
“The story about the ambulance workers – they were taking someone living with HIV to hospital and they found out he had AIDS. They quarantined the ambulance because they thought the ambulance would somehow give people AIDS.”
The exhibition, which runs until the end of January, has been in place at the Oxford Road hotel since December and has already received a good response. Paul said: “People have been wandering past to stop and look at it – it’s a chance for us to share the work we do with people who might not be aware.”
Three years ago, the government launched its first ever HIV Action Plan for England which set an ambition between 2019 and 2025 to reduce the number of HIV diagnoses – including an 80% reduction in new HIV infections in England.
Considering that the figure of those first diagnosed in England in 2023 was 2,810, a figure nearly the same as in 2019, we are clearly off-track to achieve the 2025 goal, and therefore the 2030 goal.
Whilst Professor Susan Hopkins, the Chief Medical Advisor at the UK Health Security Agency, said its target is unlikely to be reached next year, the 2030 target of zero new HIV transmissions was still achievable.
Speaking about what still needs to be done, Paul said: “We do a lot of work with young people in school. They’re much more aware of the LGBTQ+ community and HIV to the point that sometimes they know more than their parents or grandparents do.
The ‘A Snapshot of HIV Through a ‘Mancunian’ Gay Lens’ exhibition is at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel until the end of January
“I still think we need to raise more general awareness around the messaging of U=U, which means that anybody on effective HIV treatment with an undetectable viral load cannot pass HIV on. There are also people out there who might be benefitting from getting PrEP, which reduces the risk of getting HIV, who aren’t aware of it.”
And Paul says there are plenty more things in the works to celebrate the 40th anniversary of George House Trust in 2025, as well as campaigns to continue the important work they do. “I still can’t believe it’s 40 years,” he says of its foundations.
“40 years isn’t that long really, it isn’t a massive amount of time and there is still lots of work to be done.”
You can find more information about HIV and the work that George House Trust does here. ‘A Snapshot of HIV Through a ‘Mancunian’ Gay Lens’ is at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel until the end of January.
“With Love, Mr Gay” – Written and performed by Josh Val Martin – Part Of “Fringe Highlights”
Monday, 20 January – 7.30pm – 9.30pm and Tuesday 21 January – 7.30pm – 9.30pm
The Kings Arms, 11 Bloom Street, Salford M3 6AN
Pay What You Can from £4 to £20 + fees
“Dear Mr. Gay, if you move my bin again, I will get an ex-mercenary to destroy you … from flat 2.”
This (real) letter was blue-tacked to my flat’s front door, and thus sparked a neighbourhood feud over both my sexuality, and the placement of the blue bins.
Determined to find peace, and not let the conflict consume me, I sought advice and interviewed experts: a dog trainer, a historian, a Middle East peace negotiator and, of course, my Auntie Clare.
With Love, Mr Gay is my true story, featuring cabaret, comedy, interviews and showtunes, as I’m accompanied by the personification of a laughing Buddha statue from B&M, who acts as my unlikely spiritual guide.
Join us on our heartfelt and hilarious mission to find fabulous ways of end deeply personal battles – even when the idea of peace seems impossible.
My name is Jason D’Suvio and I am a 48 year old gay man studying a Bsc in Psychology at Arden University in Manchester.
I am undertaking my final major researching project and will be completing it on Gay Men and their use of Gay Dating Apps with a focus on the experience of users and the pros and cons they may have identified.
Part of my project involves recruiting participants that are aged over 55 for a brief interview about their experience with face to face or online. The project will have full ethical approval from the university and a Participant information sheet, consent form and debrief form will all be provided.
The aim of the study is to help identify the benefits an drawbacks of these apps and the importance of having social opportunities for older gay men in the community.
If you think you could enquire amongst your members if any one would be happy to participate it would be a great help. Thanks, Jason Contact us here and we will forward information.
25th Anniversary of the Lifting of the LGBT Ban in the Armed Forces
On 12 January 2000, the UK government announced that it would lift the ban on gay people serving in the Armed Forces.
It followed a lengthy legal battle and a case heard before the European Court of Human Rights. While gay men and women had served in many conflicts, being gay in the British military was illegal and could have resulted in instant dismissal or a possible jail term.
Gay service members were often stripped of medals and many were dismissed from the military solely on the grounds of their sexuality.
The Imperial War Museum North will celebrate the anniversary of the lifting of the ban on gay service members.
In collaboration with Fighting with Pride, hear the personal stories of two LGBT+ veterans impacted by the ban, and learn about the long-lasting impact it had on their lives and how they campaigned to have it lifted.
This is a free event in the Liebeskind Learning Space, but with limited availability, on Sunday 12 January 2025 from 11.00am to 12.00pm and from 2.00pm to 3.00pm.
Please reserve your tickets at the information desk on the day.
Pentagon settles with US LGBT+ veterans discharged under discriminatory policies
United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin
The United States Defence Department has reached a settlement with veterans who were discharged under discriminatory policies like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” potentially allowing more than 30,000 to receive benefits.
Pending approval by a federal judge, the settlement agreement will update discharge papers for US LGBT+ veterans who were separated from the military, removing references to their sexual orientation, while allowing those who were denied honourable discharges the right to seek an immediate review.
The agreement stems from federal civil rights litigation, Farrell v. Department of Defence, filed in August 2023 by a group of LGBT+ veterans.
“Coming from a family with a long history of military service, I was beyond proud to enlist in 1985 to contribute to my country,” said Sherrill Farrell, a US Navy veteran who was the lead plaintiff in the case.
“When I was discharged because of my sexual orientation, I felt that my country was telling me that my service was not valuable – that I was ‘less than’ because of who I loved,” she said. “Today, I am once again proud to have served my country by standing up for veterans like myself, and ensuring our honour is recognised.”
The lawsuit came as the Pentagon under the Biden-Harris administration worked to streamline the process by which veterans harmed by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” – and anti-LGBT+ discriminatory policies that came before – can seek redress.
Last summer, President Joe Biden issued pardons to thousands of service members convicted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice’s former Article 125, which criminalised sodomy, and was rewritten in 2013 to proscribe only forcible acts.
New Union
The New Union is located on the corner of Princess Street and Canal Street in Manchester, adjacent to the Rochdale Canal.
The Union Hotel was built in 1865 and the name refers to the union of countries in the Commonwealth at that time.
The building’s stained glass windows depict those countries including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, India and New Foundland.
It has been a gay venue for as long as anyone can remember and in 1965, the landlord was briefly sent to prison for “outraging public decency” for running a public house of ill repute.
The name was changed to the New Union in the 1970s and the pub was extended in the mid 1990s to cater for the increasing number of visitors to the Gay Village.
Roger’s story
Roger was referred by his GP to the LGBTQ+ group, Silver Pride, in Didcot, South Oxfordshire. He told about his life and experience:
“I told my parents I was LGBT back in the late 80s. Because they were of a certain generation, they didn’t really accept it. So, after a while it wasn’t really spoken about. I’m not going to criticise them; they were very good parents. it’s just a shame that they didn’t really accept me as me.
I feel sort of like people say, ‘oh, you’ve come out’ and you do come out, but you have to keep doing that because you keep on meeting new people, you see. But it’s a very private thing – you don’t have to come out. People don’t say, oh hello, I’m straight or heterosexual or whatever do they?
I was a member of a very, very conservative church in Swindon, which I left in 2019. I was 21 when I joined. Because I was only young, I thought if I joined the church, it’d stop me being gay. Obviously, that’s not the case! And I left because of how they treated gay and trans people – very, very sad.
I moved back to Wantage and joined my local church and although they don’t do same-sex marriages, they have changed a lot. I have told my vicar and she seems quite positive.
About a year ago I visited my GP and said that I was LGBT and they told me about a Social Prescriber at the surgery who could help me find other people to chat to. I think it was Mandy who wrote to me back then and I’ve been going along to the Silver Pride group since February 2024.
I like going along to the group; they’re very friendly. It’s Kate and Gaynor and they make you feel so welcome, you can relax and don’t have to hide anything. They’re just very nice people. There’s a man who goes with his sister and it’s nice seeing her supporting him to go along, you know. So yeah, I quite enjoy going.
I went to Pride in Oxford in the summer. It was very good. I have to travel for anything LGBT because I’m in a small rural community; it is isolating at times. But I enjoy going to London – I’ve got a few friends there and there’s a higher percentage of gay people in London than there would be around here.
I also go to Bible study at a local church and attend ‘Open Table’, an LGBT+ service at Reading Minister Church. I’ve always been a churchgoer. It’s always been a very, very big, big thing for me. Although a lot of LGBT people are not into church, because of how we’ve been treated over the years. There’s this one guy at Silver Pride, I think he was brought up Catholic but he’s anti-church. Almost all my socialising is church, church, church and this Silver Pride group is the only thing that isn’t church related.
I have a very quiet life. I like seeing to my garden. I go to the market and see my extended family and have a few trips to London or Oxford. I think I’m so privileged to live where I grew up and I enjoy life very, very much. I’m very, very blessed.”
Out in the City 