Kirkstall Abbey and Abbey House Museum

Our day out at Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall promised a delightful journey into the past. We began our visit by exploring the fascinating recreated Victorian streets, where you can step inside traditional shops and homes, gaining a real sense of what daily life was like in Leeds during the 19th century.

The Hark to Rover pub was a refuge for the working classes who often had a miserable existence. It provided warmth, music, games and company along with a chance to forget about their troubles. Men were the main clientele and would often drink away their wages resulting in drunkenness and violence. In 1894, over 2,000 people were prosecuted for drunkenness in Leeds. Some pubs in Leeds only admitted women in the 1970s!

Theatre going was promoted as an alternative to pub going and as a result many theatres were constructed during this period. The Temperance Movement was led by middle class social reformers. Temperance rooms selling cocoa were set up but were never as popular as the pub!

The streets also featured the chemist, grocer, police station, Sunday school and many more.

The museum also features interactive exhibits in the form of original working penny slot machines. We watched the murder mystery, the haunted room and had our fortune told.

After wandering through the displays, we crossed the road to Kirkstall Abbey where there is an onsite café. We combined our visit with a walk around the beautiful abbey ruins, rounding off a memorable and educational day out.

More photos can be seen here.

Transgender Awareness Week

Each year between 13 – 19 November, people and organisations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help increase understanding about transgender people and the issues members of the community face.

Trans Awareness Week takes place the week before Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20 November. 

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), is an annual observance on 20 November that honours the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence that year.

Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil 2025 The Manchester Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil will take place on Thursday 20 November in Sackville Gardens, Sackville Street, Manchester M1 3HB⁠.
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Arrival from 6.30pm and the service will start at 7.00pm⁠.
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There will be a service of speakers and performers. Candles will be provided and we can take the time to remember those trans & gender diverse lives we have sadly lost.

The history of LGBT+ kiss-in protests

Did you know that kissing can be a form of activism?

The first documented kiss-ins took place in 1970 in New York City during a gay liberation march commemorating the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. 

In 1972, members of Gay Liberation Front put on the UK’s first Gay Pride parade, which ended in a mass kiss-in.

In 1973, the first national lesbian kiss-in protested the lack of female artists at the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts.

And in 1976, LGBT+ organisations in Toronto staged a kiss-in protesting the arrest of two gay men who kissed each other at an intersection.

While the use of kiss-ins petered out after the late 1970s, they became an organising strategy among ACT UP chapters in the US and Canada in the late 1980s and early 1990s – including at the historic HIV/AIDS protest at St Vincent’s Hospital in New York.

While more recent kiss-ins have taken place from 2002 up until 2018, they have once again become a less common form of activism. But its history and impact should not be forgotten.

We Have Always Been Here

In 1812 James Miranda Barry graduated from the Medical School of Edinburgh University as a doctor. Barry went on to serve as an army surgeon working overseas. Barry lived as a man but was found to be female-bodied upon his death in 1865.

In 1833, 24-year old actor Eliza Edwards was found dead. The corpse was taken to Guy’s Hospital for an autopsy, where it was discovered that Edwards was ‘a perfect man’.

Birthdays

Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland (born 14 November 1900 – 2 December 1990) was an American composer, critic, writer, teacher, pianist and conductor of his own and other American music.

The open, slowly changing harmonies in much of his music are typical of what many consider the sound of American music, evoking the vast American landscape and pioneer spirit. He is best known for the works he wrote in the 1930s and 1940s in a deliberately accessible style often referred to as “populist”.

Works in this vein include the ballet Appalachian Spring, and his Fanfare for the Common Man. In addition to his ballets and orchestral works, he produced music in many other genres, including chamber music, vocal works, opera and film scores.

Wendy Carlos 

Wendy Carlos (born 14 November 1939) is an American musician and composer known for electronic music and film scores.

Born and raised in Rhode Island, Carlos studied physics and music at Brown University before moving to New York City in 1962 to study music composition at Columbia University. Studying and working with various electronic musicians and technicians at the city’s Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, she helped in the development of the Moog synthesizer, Robert Moog’s first commercially available keyboard instrument.

Staircase House

By Angel Utset

Today we visited the “Staircase House” in Stockport, Greater Manchester. Built in 1459, it’s the oldest existing building in Stockport, right in the centre of the town. The house is famous for its rare Jacobean cage newel staircase, one of only three in the UK.

The “Staircase House” was wood and much of the original construction is lost. Excellently preserved, however, many of the updates were made in the 17th century, when the Shallcross family moved into the house. The biggest attraction is its box-shaped staircase, uncommon in those years. The original staircase was lost in a fire, but was rebuilt.

The house is now a museum, recreating Stockport life in the 17th century. Enter through the courtyard, where you can see part of the original construction and renovations done over the centuries. The house was inhabited until the mid-20th century.

Move from the courtyard to the basement, where crops and animals were kept. Although it is now in the centre of the town, in those years the house was surrounded by fields. It was situated in front of the market, making life easier for the Shallcross family. The basic diet was meat, milk and bread, which were processed in the house itself. Fruits and products from the home garden were also consumed. Stockport in particular was famous in the 17th century for its cheese.

On the upper floors are the kitchen and bedrooms. The glazed windows, originally made of wood, were installed in later centuries. In addition to meat, milk and products from the garden, spices, salt and sugar were obtained in the market.

Something very interesting about the museum is an original wall of the house, which shows the different constructive elements from its origins in the 15th century. Also the “Linen Room”. The British dressed in thick fabrics of cotton and wool, until silk and other fine fabrics were introduced from Italy and especially from India. Fine thread, silk and spices were the most important commodities of the “Company of India”, with headquarters in Kolkata and Mumbai. They started using fine fabrics with vivid colours, which was the precursor to the Industrial Revolution.

A very interesting and instructive visit.

We also went to visit Stockport Museum next door. More photos can be seen here.

New bill would send people to prison for 10 years for identifying as LGBTQ+ in Uganda

Not content with holding title to one of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the world, Uganda’s parliament is considering a bill that would outlaw identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.

The country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, passed in 2023, already provides a sentence of life in prison for gay men who have sexual relations, and in extenuating circumstances, even death.

The new measure would criminalise Ugandans for simply saying they’re anything but straight.

Among more than 30 African nations that ban same-sex relations, the proposed law would be the first to criminalise just identifying as LGBTQ+, according to Human Rights Watch.

The proposed law was introduced with the goal of combating “threats to the traditional, heterosexual family”. 

The measure mandates punishment of up to 10 years in prison for any person who “holds out as a lesbian, gay, transgender, a queer or any other sexual or gender identity that is contrary to the binary categories of male and female.”

The bill also criminalises the “promotion” of homosexuality and “abetting” and “conspiring” to engage in same-sex relations.

Much of the bill’s content is revived from the original “Kill the Gays” law, passed in 2013 but overturned by Uganda’s high court on technical grounds. That law criminalised lesbianism.

“One of the most extreme features of this new bill is that it criminalises people simply for being who they are as well as further infringing on the rights to privacy, and freedoms of expression and association that are already compromised in Uganda,” said Oryem Nyeko, Uganda researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Speaker of the Parliament Anita Among, the rabidly homophobic lawmaker who helped usher the Anti-Homosexuality Act into law, sent the new bill to committee for debate and public hearings after it was read to legislators.  

Among urged fellow lawmakers to reject intimidation, referencing threats by Western countries to impose travel bans on those responsible for the legislation.

“This business of intimidating that ‘you will not go to America,’ what is America?” she asked.

Ugandan lawmakers, the speaker prominent among them, have for years warned of “degenerate Western values” threatening Ugandan families and sovereignty.

Among was urged on in her anti-Western pose by Russia’s ambassador to Uganda, who encouraged her to fast-track the “Kill the Gays” law through parliament in 2023. It passed overwhelmingly and was cheered by lawmakers.

“This is the time you are going to show us whether you’re a homo or you’re not,” Among told the packed chamber.

Manchester United fan gets 3-year ban after online homophobic post about Chelsea

A Manchester United fan has been told he is being suspended from the club’s games for three years after using homophobic language online.

The man has been handed what is likely to be the toughest punishment yet imposed by a professional football team on one of its own supporters for use of the “rent boy” slur on social media.

Two days before United hosted Chelsea in the Premier League in September, the 20-time champions issued an unequivocal statement about discriminatory chanting.

Fans were warned that the “rent boy” chant is considered discriminatory by the Football Association and the police.

The statement continued: “As such, supporters who engage in this behaviour risk serious consequences, including ejection from the stadium, banning orders, and potential criminal charges.

Within the club’s Official Club Sanctioning Document, this behaviour is identified as a Level 4(c) Offence and carries a three-year suspension.”

Six weeks later, the club’s clampdown has been shown to be in full effect after a supporter shared an image on X of a letter sent to him by the club.

The letter said: “It has recently come to our attention that you may have breached our official terms and conditions.

Specifically, we understand that you have used homophobic written communication online towards Chelsea and their supporters.

This offence contravenes ground regulations … For a first offence, this carries a three-year suspension (home and away).”

Level 4(c) offences are listed by United as being “racist, homophobic or discriminatory language / behaviour.”

The fan had “also joked that officials had tried to throw him out at a recent game after he referred to United full-back Diogo Dalot as “a gay ****”.

United’s statement from September also included an embed of a video produced by the anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out featuring out gay athletes Zander Murray and Jake Williamson, explaining the history and impact of the “rent boy” chant.

Rainbow Devils, which is United’s official supporters group for LGBT+ people and allies, previously issued its own statement about the chant, warning their fellow fans about the potential consequences of using the discriminatory term.

The group added: “We want to use education to hopefully avoid any of our fans being punished and to do our best to eradicate this outdated chant.”

Manchester United has zero tolerance of discriminatory language or behaviour of any kind.

The Premier League is due to launch a new initiative in February which is the UK’s LGBT+ History Month as well as the Month of Action for Football v Homophobia.

Birthday

Phyllis Ann Lyon (10 November 1924 – 9 April 2020) and Dorothy Louise Taliaferro “Del” Martin (5 May 1921 – 27 August 2008) were an American lesbian couple based in San Francisco who were known as feminist and gay rights activists. Lyon and Martin met in 1950, became lovers in 1952, and moved in together on Valentine’s Day 1953 in an apartment on Castro Street in San Francisco.

They had been together for three years when they cofounded the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) in 1955. This became the first social and political organisation for lesbians in the United States and soon had a national reach.

“Born for You”

This film, directed by Fabio Mollo, is based on a true story set in Italy.

Luca together with his male partner desire to adopt a child. However, the couple encounter difficulties within their relationship and split up.

Meanwhile, a pregnant woman delivers a baby girl with Down syndrome and rejects the child, abandoning her in the hospital. The hospital authorities name her Alba.

Although thirty seven heterosexual couples, looking to adopt, reject the child, the authorities are reluctant to encourage Luca because he is homosexual.

With the help of an enthusiastic, but inexperienced lawyer, Luca shows determination and the social worker eventually warms to the idea of entrusting Alba to Luca. He is overjoyed.

He is the first single gay man in Italy to adopt a child. Be sure to take a handkerchief as this is a very emotional film.

This film was shown as part of Odeon Pride Nights – community focused events where they are screening LGBTQI+ films at the Odeon Cinema, Great Northern, 235 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN. The next films are “Out” on Monday, 1 December at 7.00pm and “The Bearded Mermaid” on Monday, 5 January at 7.00pm.

Herculine Adélaïde Barbin

Herculine Adélaïde Barbin, later known as Abel Barbin (8 November 1838 – February 1868), was a French intersex person who was assigned female at birth and raised in a convent, but was later reclassified as male by a court of law, after an affair and physical examination.

Herculine Barbin: Being the Recently Discovered Memoirs of a Nineteenth-century French Hermaphrodite is a 1980 English language translation of Herculine Barbin’s nineteenth century memoirs, which were originally written in French.

Most of what is known about Barbin comes from her later memoirs. Barbin was born in Saint-Jean-d’Angély in France in 1838. She was assigned as female and raised as such; her family named her Alexina. Her family was poor but she gained a charity scholarship to study in the school of an Ursuline convent.

According to her account, she was enamoured of an aristocratic female friend in school. She regarded herself as unattractive but sometimes slipped into her friend’s room at night and was sometimes punished for it. Her studies were successful and in 1856, at the age of 17, she was sent to Le Château to study to become a teacher. There, she fell in love with one of her teachers.

Although Barbin was in puberty, she had not begun to menstruate and remained flat chested. The hairs on her cheeks and upper lip were noticeable.

In 1857, Barbin received a position as an assistant teacher in a girls’ school. She fell in love with another teacher named Sara. Sara’s ministrations turned into caresses and they became lovers. Eventually, rumours about their affair began to circulate.

Although in poor health her whole life, Barbin began to suffer excruciating pains. When a doctor examined her, he was shocked and asked that she should be sent away from the school, but she stayed.

Eventually, the devoutly Catholic Barbin confessed to Jean-François-Anne Landriot, the Bishop of La Rochelle. He asked Barbin’s permission to break the confessional silence in order to send for a doctor to examine her. When Dr Chesnet did so in 1860, he discovered that although Barbin had a small vagina, she had a masculine body type, a very small penis, and testicles inside her body. In 19th-century medical terms, she had male pseudohermaphroditism.

A later legal decision declared officially that Barbin was male. She left her lover and her job, changed her name to Abel Barbin and was briefly mentioned in the press. She moved to Paris where she lived in poverty and wrote her memoirs, reputedly as a part of therapy. In these memoirs Barbin would use female pronouns when writing about her life prior to sexual redesignation and male pronouns following the declaration. Nevertheless, Barbin clearly regarded herself as punished, and “disinherited”, subject to a “ridiculous inquisition”.

In his commentary to Barbin’s memoirs, Michel Foucault presented Barbin as an example of the “happy limbo of a non-identity”, but whose masculinity marked her from her contemporaries.

Barbin’s own writings showed that she saw herself as an “exceptional female”, but female nonetheless.

In February 1868, the concierge of Barbin’s house in rue de l’École-de-Médecine found her dead in her home. She had died by suicide by inhaling gas from her coal gas stove. The memoirs were found beside her bed.

The birthday of Herculine Barbin on 8 November is marked as Intersex Day of Remembrance. The event appears to have begun on 8 November 2005.

South Korea census allows same-sex couples to identify as spouses in “historic” change

The South Korean census will allow same-sex couples to identify themselves as spouses for the first time in a move LGBT+ activists have praised as a significant step toward equality.

The census is conducted every five years. The Ministry of Data and Statistics confirmed that committed same-sex couples can now check “spouse” or “cohabiting partner.” In the past, doing so would cause a form to be rejected or marked with an error.

While homosexuality is not criminalised in the country, same-sex marriage remains illegal. There are also no anti-LGBT+ discrimination protections, and only 23% of the public fully supports LGBT+ people being open about who they are.

Despite South Korea’s portrayal in its global entertainment industry as modern and gay-friendly, the country has long tolerated LGBT+ discrimination and, in a 2020 report, was ranked among the least gay-inclusive countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The absence of progress can be traced to lobbying efforts by The United Christian Churches of Korea and other church associations, and to very public hate campaigns by loosely affiliated groups like Anti-Homosexuality Christian Solidarity, who have deep-rooted connections to the country’s political class.

Efforts to pass a broad anti-discrimination law through the legislature have failed many times, but hope was renewed last year when the country’s liberal party took a majority of seats in the legislature.

Advocates have praised the census change as a critical step forward.

Rainbow Action Korea, a coalition of 49 LGBT+ groups, called it a “historic decision” and “the first step towards having LGBT+ citizens fully reflected in national data.

“We believe this will lead to further change,” the country’s Justice Party also said in a statement. “The day will come when even transgender citizens are visible in national statistics.”

While LGBT+ rights have a long way to go in South Korea, advocates scored another major victory in the summer of 2024, when the nation’s top court ruled to uphold the rights of people in same-sex relationships, giving them the same rights as people in heterosexual relationships.

The landmark ruling states that benefits from South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) can be claimed by people in same-sex partnerships and that treating same-sex couples differently from heterosexual ones is “an act of discrimination that … violates human dignity and the right to pursue happiness.”

Older LGBTQ+ Londoner’s Guide

LGBT+ Consortium has been hosting the Older LGBTQ+ Londoner’s Roundtable, a group of LGBTQ+ organisations who support or are led by LGBTQ+ people over 50. This group meets quarterly to discuss the serious gaps in provision for older LGBTQ+ people in London and the challenges that older LGBTQ+ people face, including the social and health consequences of a lifetime fighting discrimination.

One of the aims of the roundtable has been to map services and groups after the closure of Opening Doors in 2024.

Together they have created the Older LGBTQ+ Londoner’s Guide to Socials, Events and Services 2025 which offers a smaller-scale list of LGBT+ groups, additional resources and contact information.

Access this free new guide, sharing events, socials and services for Older LGBTQ+ Londoners.  The guide is intended to be shared, distributed, and freely printed. Please share this resource far and wide if you can.

Introducing LGBT Foundation’s new national billboard campaign running through November and December, following the success of This is What a Woman Looks Like – this is Man Enough.

Man Enough was created to challenge harmful stereotypes about masculinity and to celebrate the visibility of gay, bi, and trans men. Through powerful images of queer brotherhood, allyship and solidarity they want to send a clear message to men of all backgrounds and identities: who you are is enough, and it matters.

Being Man Enough isn’t about fitting into outdated ideas of masculinity. It’s about showing up – for yourself, for others, and for your community.

From billboards across the high streets of our cities to the timelines of your favourite social feeds, this campaign is a visible, proud declaration that all men – trans men, gay and bisexual men, men of colour, disabled men, older men, working-class men, migrant men, and many more – of all shapes, sizes and walks of life – deserve to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

Special thank you to everyone who answered the public open call for men to take part in this campaign.

Thank you to QPOC artist Scarlett Novoa for helping bring the campaign to life.

Transgender Parent Day

Transgender Parent Day is celebrated on Sunday, 2 November.

The day, first established in 2009, is observed annually on the first Sunday of November to honour transgender parents and parents of transgender children. 

It serves as a non-gendered alternative to traditional Mother’s or Father’s Days and highlights the resilience and love of these families.  

Glamour UK features trans cover

Glamour UK proved how to “Protect the Dolls” with a sharp witty response against JK Rowling complaining about its latest cover, which features a group of trans women.

The fashion magazine honoured nine “ground-breaking” trans women in a cover story for its annual award, which commemorates women who have made “extraordinary and inspirational” changes over the past year.

Its latest issue, revealed in a social media post, dated 30 October, features campaigners, musicians, actresses and authors all wearing “Protect the Dolls” shirts created by Connor Ives.

The phrase is often used by trans women to affirm their femininity and as a synonym for trans rights. Its usage originated in 80s ballroom culture.

Featured on the cover are Munroe Bergdorf, Maxine Heron, Taira, Munya, Bell Priestley, Dani St. James, Ceval Omar, Mya Mehmi, and Shon Faye.

JK Rowling (also known as Robert Galbraith), whose gender-critical views about trans people are extensive and well-recorded, was quick to complain about the magazine’s decision to name the nine “dolls” as women of the year.

The Harry Potter writer claimed that, by choosing to platform transgender women, the magazine is suggesting that trans women are “better” than cisgender women.

In a post on X, she wrote: “I grew up in an era when mainstream women’s magazines told girls they needed to be thinner and prettier. Now mainstream women’s magazines tell girls that men are better women than they are.”

Nowhere in Glamour UK’s cover story does it suggest this. This is only the second time the magazine has picked a trans woman for one of its awards in its almost three-decade history. JK Rowling herself was selected for an award in 2005.

A social media spokesperson for the publication made its thoughts on Rowling’s criticism clear, replying in a post on X / Twitter: “Better luck next year Jo x.”

Glamour UK’s feature highlighted the continued activism of its nine inductees and focused on positivity amid growing hostility towards trans people.

Asked what sisterhood means to her, Not A Phase chief executive, Dani St James emphasised the community’s need to stick together as the UK grows more volatile.

“We are only going to get through this if we stick together and support one another through this very difficult time, and what is likely to be an even more challenging period ahead,” she said. “Sisterhood for me is the assurance that I’m able to share that experience with people and get through it.”

A Pictorial History of the Art of Female Impersonation

Female impersonation, dating back to almost Garden of Eden days, embraces many vivacious, volatile and, indeed, voluptuous personalities in its history. Pursuers and pursued, loved and lovers, wanted and wanton, have all donned the drag to achieve their ends.

At the turn of the 20^th century, the great comedian, Dan Leno, had but four tragic years to live. Dogged by mental sickness he was never more relaxed than when earning his laughs whilst dressed as a skinny, hard faced middle-aged dame. Here was a pioneer of female impersonation who won the hearts of the nation at a time when people dare hardly admit that such outrages of supposed normality existed.

Within a very short time the boards of the music hall were bouncing with many impersonators of both sexes. Whilst Hetty King, Vesta Tilley and Ella Shields all did their best to achieve manhood, Wilkie Bard, Malcolm Scott and Bert Erroll did their darndest to deceive as dames.

Among the other “greats” of this period must be included G S Melvin as a rampant girl guide; Shaun Glenville, held by many to be the top dame of all time; Duggie Byng, master of slightly saucy songs; and, although not British, mention must be made also of the fabulous Babette who played several circus seasons in this country. Dating back to this period are George Lacey and Clarkson Rose, both topping pantomime bills in 1966 – what indestructible troupers. Bless ‘em!

The start of the current boom came in the mid-forties with the touring revue, “Soldiers in Skirts” which played the ailing music halls with tremendous success. Once a year, around December and January, the whole scene becomes a gay, festive whirl when the song “There’s nothing like a dame” becomes literally true. From village hall to London Palladium, pantomime dames thrust forth their falsies. This is their season of fulfilment and they make the most of every delightfully shocking second.

Now that the Empires, Hippodromes and Palaces are but memories of the past, impersonators found an eager audience in the patrons of London’s East End pubs and in clubs up and down the country. Among the most creative entertainers in this field being Tommy Osborn, Chris Shaw and Danny La Rue. There are, of course, many more holding the flag of the dames high today, a fitting tribute to the fine artistes of the past. Long may they reign!

The video looks back in time at the bygone days of the 60s Drag Scene and beyond through the World wars and into the late 19^th Century Music Hall.

Enjoy a saucy jaunt down memory lane with some forgotten greats!

Birthdays

“An Opened Letter”

Until the year 2000, it was illegal to be gay while serving in the British Armed Forces, leading many to be thrown out of the military for their sexuality.

A year ago an apology for their treatment was issued after an independent review recommended that the UK government make reparations – including giving compensation – but that is yet to happen.

One example is Paul Wilson who joined the Army band aged 15 – unaware then of his sexuality. His career was brought to an abrupt end when officers found out he was gay.

He was subsequently arrested, held in the jail at Edinburgh Castle and later dismissed from service.

A spokesperson for the UK government said it “deeply regrets” the treatment of LGBT service personnel and that it has been working to implement a number of reparations.

King Charles III has unveiled a memorial to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military personnel after a decades-long campaign against a ban on being gay in the armed forces.

In his first official engagement in support of the LGBT+ community, the King visited the sculpture, named “an opened letter”, at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

The memorial is dedicated to those from the LGBT+ community now serving in the forces, as well as those who served at a time when it was illegal to be gay in the military.

During the ban, which lasted until the year 2000, those who were gay – or were perceived to be – faced intrusive investigations, dismissal and in some cases imprisonment.

Affected veterans, many of whom attended the ceremony, said the monument signified “closure” after years of campaigning first to change the law, and then to push the government to make reparations.

The bronze sculpture was designed by Norfolk-based artist collective Abraxas Academy.

It resembles a crumpled piece of paper containing words from personal letters which were used as evidence to incriminate people.

The artists, Charlotte Howarth and Nina Bilbey, say that the “concept for the memorial symbolises the personal letters of endearment collected as evidence to convict, expel and imprison LGBTQ+ personnel during the ban, and the anxiety of living in constant fear of receiving a formal letter accusation.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the memorial “stands as a lasting tribute to the bravery and service of these veterans”.

The visit is the King’s first official engagement in support of the LGBT+ community

Louise Sandher-Jones, the minister for veterans and people, told the BBC she was “horrified” to hear how people suffered under the ban, and said the memorial’s unveiling represented a “moment of healing”.

The LGBT+ Veterans Memorial is one of 49 recommendations made by The Etherton Review, an independent report commissioned by government which looked at the treatment of LGBT+ veterans who served under the ban.

The report’s author, the late Lord Etherton, said it gave “shocking” evidence of a homophobic culture, bullying and sexual assaults endured by those who were pursued under the ban, including Pádraigín Ní Rághillíg.

Ms Rághillíg, 69, hadn’t realised she was lesbian when she joined the Women’s Royal Air Force in 1976, but began to understand her sexuality when she developed feelings for a female friend.

After divorcing her husband, she was posted to RAF Gibraltar where she worked as a telegraphist, a job which saw her work with morse code and given high level security clearance.

However, when a colleague saw her kissing a woman from the Women’s Royal Navy (WRN) it signalled the end of nearly a decade of service.

She says she faced intrusive interrogations in which she was asked intimate questions about her sex life, was outed to friends and family and lied to in an attempt to get her to give up the names of other gay personnel.

While waiting for repatriation back to the UK, Ms Rághillíg says she was sexually assaulted by a male colleague in an attempt to turn her straight.

She said: “He was touching my breasts and trying to put his hand down my trousers. He said: ‘I’ll sort you out’.

“Apparently there was some kind of sweepstake, some of the guys were betting on who could ‘sort me out’, which was terrifying.”

Similar accounts of dozens of other LGBT+ veterans who were sexually assaulted after revealing their sexuality are well-documented in the Etherton Report.

Abraxas Academy, a collective of artists behind the LGBT+ Armed Forces Community Memorial, were chosen from over 35 submissions by a panel made up of current and former LGBT+ personnel and groups including the Royal British Legion.

Nina Bilbey, design lead for the monument, said it was “humbling” to be involved in such an emotive project.

She said: “They’ve waited so long for some kind of recognition, we didn’t want to let them down.”

For Ms Rághillíg, the memorial signals “closure” for the treatment she endured in the name of the ban, and will also help ensure the ban and its effects are remembered for future generations.

“Given another 20 or 30 years, none of us will be left, but the memorial will be there and that’s really important,” she said. Pádraigín was given high security clearance in her role as a telegraphist while stationed in Gibraltar

The memorial project was led by Fighting With Pride, an LGBT+ veterans support charity set up to campaign for justice and support those impacted by the ban.

Its chief executive, Peter Gibson said: “It’s a deeply emotional moment, expressing in physical form that what happened to them should never have taken place.”

Veterans impacted by the ban can apply for a financial redress payment of up to £70,000.

Mr Gibson said he hoped the memorial would encourage veterans who have not yet come forward to apply for reparations, or to get in touch with the charity for support.

“We know there are more veterans who suffered under the ban who are owed justice and reparations,” he said.

Other measures already completed include pardons for criminal convictions, a special LGBT+ veterans ribbon for those affected by the ban and the return of medals and berets.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said it “deeply regrets” the treatment of those impacted by the ban, and that what they experienced was “not reflective of today’s values or the inclusive culture of our armed forces”.

It added: “We commend the courage of those who have shared their experiences, and we remain dedicated to ensuring all personnel feel valued, respected and able to thrive in our armed forces.”

The dedication of the memorial marks King Charles’s first official support of the LGBT+ community since he became King in September 2022. Like his mother and predecessor, Queen Elizabeth II, Charles has largely avoided discussing LGBT+ rights publicly. That has led activists like Peter Tatchell to say that through “his silence, he acquiesces with our tormentors.”  His sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, have both supported the LGBT+ community through positive messages and HIV initiatives.

Breaking the Code

A group of us from Out In The City went to HOME Theatre 1 to see a new production of Hugh Whitemore’s Breaking The Code.

Alan Turing is famed for cracking the Enigma code at Bletchley Park, effectively securing victory for the Allied forces in WWII. He is arguably one of the most important and inquisitive minds of the twentieth century.  

In this brilliant play we got to know a human being who loved, lost and never stopped asking questions in a quest for truth and understanding.

For the first time, taking into consideration his recent Royal pardon and the development of Turing’s law, the original play featured a new epilogue by Neil Bartlett that speaks to Turing’s lasting legacy on modern Britain.

What Is Paint The Town Red?

Paint The Town Red is George House Trust’s month-long campaign during November to resist, show solidarity and remember people living with HIV in the run-up to World AIDS Day.

They are asking you to Act Up and show support by ‘painting the town red’, whether it be wearing a red ribbon in support of people living with HIV or organising a fundraiser that supports their life-changing work.

For 40 years, George House Trust have been inspiring people living with HIV to live healthy confident lives through support, advice and advocacy services.

Today, they offer over 30 services to people living with HIV from all backgrounds across Greater Manchester and Liverpool, with their support ranging from peer-support after a first diagnosis to formula milk for new parents and employment upskilling and support.

By supporting George House Trust, you are helping thousands of people living with HIV and contributing to a world where HIV holds no one back.

Painting The Town Red By Resisting, Acting Up and Showing Solidarity

Starting on 1 November and culminating on World AIDS Day on 1 December, they are aiming to raise £40,000 in their 40th year for people living with HIV. Your support, whether it be for the whole month or just for one day, can help to create a world where HIV holds no one back.

For more info, please contact info@ght.org.uk

Concessionary Bus Pass Trial – November

The 9.30am restrictions on the use of bus passes for older people creates inequity, particularly in accessing health-related appointments.  We were therefore delighted that the decisive step was taken to pilot a scheme in August that gave older and disabled residents in Greater Manchester access to free bus travel at any time of day. This pilot has been extended for a second trial period this November.   The scheme allowed concessionary pass holders to travel before 9.30am, a restriction that normally limits free travel until after the morning rush. During the August trial, more than 100,000 early-morning journeys were made, with up to 6,000 people using the benefit each day.   Often dubbed “twirlies” by drivers for being “too early” to board, passengers with concessionary passes were finally able to travel freely on early services – a move that advocates say had a real and immediate impact on people’s daily lives. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) want to make travel easier and more affordable for everyone. The trial will allow eligible pass holders to get out to work, healthcare, leisure and shops round the clock.   What you need to know Trial takes place on buses from 1 to 30 November 2025. Unlimited, free bus travel is valid for TfGM issued older person’s or disabled person’s travel pass holders only. Available on Bee Network buses, not on trams and trains. Passes also accepted before 9.30am on non-Bee Network buses within the Greater Manchester boundary only. As well as free early morning travel, the trial will allow pass holders to use the Bee Network’s night buses as well.