Opening Doors Quarterly Summer 2014 by Opening Doors London

A$magazine$by$and$for$the$older$LGBT+$community!

From Gay Liberation 1972…

Summer 2014

A Gay Song Listen to me sister ! A nd hear me brother too! This song contains a message! And it might apply to you! There's a little bit of gay! In everyone today! So why not let it out! That's what we say? Gay is natural ! Gay is good! Gay is wonderful! Gay people should! All come together ! A nd fight for our rights. Listen to me people ! N o matter what you do! The thing that really counts in life ! I s to yourself be true! There's a little bit of gay ! I n everyone today! So why not let it out ! T hat's what we say? Gay is natural ! Gay is good! Gay is wonderful! Gay people should! All come together ! And fight for our rights. Music by Michael Klein ~ Lyrics by Alan Wakeman. © Arcturus Music Ltd. 1972 & 2012

To Gay Pride 2014 and ‘FREEDOM TO…’

ODL$is$supported$by!

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Gay$Pride$2014:$A$Celebration?$Or$Do$We$Still$ Want$Something$Better?$ Gay!Pride!2014!has!chosen!Freedom'to…!as!its! official!slogan.!Its!web!page!references!a!Nelson! Mandela!quote:! !

For'to'be'free'is'not'merely'to'cast'off' one’s'chains,'but'to'live'in'a'way'that' respects'and'enhances'the'freedom'of' others.'

It!goes!on!to!say:!In'London'we'are'privileged'to' have'great'freedom.'The'LGBT+'community'has' won'rights'and'protections'that'mean'we'are' now'more'free'than'ever'to'be'authentically' ourselves,'to'play'a'full'and'open'part'in'our' home'communities,'our'workplaces'and'in'wider' society.'

in!the!early!1970s!to!see!how!much!things!have! changed!in!2014!and!to!contemplate!from!40+! years!later.!!Historical!trails!led!us!initially!to! the!slightly!earlier!influences!of!the!Gay! Liberation!Front.!Yes,!many!significant! organisations!preceded!and!worked!in!tandem! with!these,!the!Women’s!Liberation!Movement! in!the!70s!being!one!of!the!most!influential.!But! that’s!another!story!for!another!issue!of!Q.!!! !

In!any!case,!this!little!glimpse!of!history!is! fascinating.!It!leads!us!to!ask!how!many!of!the! aims!of!gay,!lesbian,!biSsexual,!trans!people! (separately!or!together)!have!been!achieved?!! Have!we!lost!important!aspects!of!our! movements!along!the!way?!Or!in!London!at! ! Pride'in'London'2014'will'celebrate'that'freedom' least!have!we!just!about!achieved!those!aims?!!!! ! and'continue'the'struggle'to'extend'it'so'that' As!some!of!the!reflections!in!this!issue!make! each'and'every'one'of'us'can'say'with'confidence' clear,!what!has!been!achieved!in!relation!to! that'we'have'the'freedom'to'be'the'person'we' equality!and!liberation!in!the!UK!still!leaves!the! really'are,'build'our'own'kinds'of'families'and' majority!of!LBGT!people!in!many!countries! pursue'the'lives'and'careers'we'deserve.'So'that' across!the!world!struggling,!still!living!in!fear! we'are'accepted'and'embraced'with'dignity'by' for!their!lives!and!well!being.!!So!Freedom'to…!in! our'families,'neighbours'and'colleagues.' that!context!has!a!rather!ironic!ring!to!it!unless! ' we!all!step!up!in!solidarity!to!support!LGBT! What$Do$We$Think?$ ! people!and!organisations!across!the!world!still! Opinions!will!vary!about!whether!this!year’s! living!without!equality!or!freedom.! Pride!theme,!Freedom'to…!is!a!success!or!not.!! ! For'more'from'the'official'Pride'web'site:' We!decided!that!oldies!like!us!(plus!a!few! http://prideinlondon.org/get0 younger!friends)!were!well!qualified!to!look! back!and!recall!the!beginning!years!of!Gay!Pride! involved/freedom/'

Opening$Doors$London$contact$details$

Stacey!Halls! Project!Manager! LGBT!Campaigns!&!Policy!Officer! E:!stacey.halls@ageukcamden.org.uk$

Opening!Doors!London!(ODL),!Age!UK!Camden! Tavis!House,!1!–!6!Tavistock!Square,!London,!WC1H!9NA! Main!Switchboard:!020!7239!0400! ! Nick!Maxwell! Development!Coordinator!for!Men! T:!020!7239!0446!! E:!odl.men@ageukcamden.org.uk! Paul!Webley!&!Catherine!Bewley! Befriending!Coordinators! T:!020!7239!0400!!E:!odl.befriending@ageukcamden.org.uk!

ODL!Quarterly!–!Summer!2014!

Kate!Hancock! Development!Coordinator!for!Women! T:!020!7239!0447! E:!odl.women@ageukcamden.org.uk!

! ODL!Quarterly! E:!odl.quarterly@ageukcamden.org.uk! !

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Gay$Liberation$Front:$$ We$Wore$Our$Badges$‘Out$and$About’$ Marion'Prince'was'one'of'a'few'lesbians'in'GLF'in' its'earliest'days.''She'looks'back'at'its'importance' and'difficulties''

context.!I’d!felt!ambivalent!about!being!in!a! subculture.!It!was!safe!and!fun!but!hidden,!and! it!created!schisms!in!my!life.!!

The!words!Freedom'To....!remind!me!of! discussions!in!the!60s/70s!about!the!nature!of! freedom!and!all!the!complexities!of!what!it! meant.!

“The'early'marches'weren’t' comfortable;'at'best'onlookers' looked'amused'or'incredulous,'at' worst'hostile'and'abusive.”'

At!that!time!the!rise!of!the!liberation! movements!put!freedom!at!the!heart!of!the!era.! Freedom!to!be!yourself!(individual)!and! freedom!from!society’s!oppression!(collective! fightback).! !

I!heard!of!GLF!when!working!for!War!Resisters’! International;!already!a!peace!activist!I!had!also! been!to!the!first!Women’s!Liberation! Conference!in!February!1970!at!Ruskin!College! in!Oxford,!and!realised!I!was!a!feminist!! Although!I!was!actively!a!dyke!for!six!years,!I! was!still!in!the!closet!–!only!‘out’!in!queer!clubs! and!bars!where!it!felt!safe.!It!rested!uneasily!on! me!that!the!emerging!women’s!movement! experienced!hostility,!often!expressed!as!‘you’re! all!just!a!bunch!of!lesbians’.! !

In!October!1970!we!were!having!a!tea!break! with!visiting!American!peace!activists!who!told! us!about!the!Stonewall!riots!in!NYC.!!They’d! heard!that!a!Gay!Liberation!Front!was!being! called!for!in!London.!That!was!my!Eureka! moment!S!I!felt!a!surge!of!certainty.!!It!had!a! context,!it!felt!electric!and!‘now!was!the!time’!! I!nervously!went!to!what!I!think!was!the!second! or!third!meeting!in!the!basement!at!the!London! School!of!Economics.!There!were!about!50!or!so! men,!and,!including!me,!five!women.!Within! weeks!the!numbers!had!doubled!and!were! growing.!Now!there!were!many!more!women,! although!we!remained!a! minority.! !

My!feeling!in!GLF!was! absolute!relief!because!it!felt! so!right.!I!could!put!my! position!into!a!political,!and! moreover,!a!collective! !

Standing!up!and!being!counted!was!scary!but! crucial,!because!society!needed!to!see!us.!We! wore!our!badges!‘out!and!about’!although!I! found!it!an!ordeal!wearing!it!on!the!Tube.!I!had! to!psych!myself!up;!the!men!often!leered!and! muttered,!and!worse!was!witnessing!other! women!looking!embarrassed!and!trying!to!edge! away!from!me!in!the!rush!hour!scrum.! !

In!1971!the!first!ever!public! gay!dance!was!organised! at!the!Kensington!Town! Hall!–!it!was!a!sellSout! and!many!other!‘gay! balls’!were!held!in!other! Town!Halls.!I!felt!we’d! really!come!out!for!good! then.! !

The!Demos,!Gay!Days,!and!GLF!Street!Theatre! certainly!gave!us!a!high!profile!but!meanwhile! the!debates!and!discussions!were!heated!not! least!because!by!then!we!were!a!very!disparate! group!of!people.! !

The!women!experienced!sexist!attitudes!from! some!of!the!men;!some!felt!that!gay!male! oppression!was!worse!because!of! criminalisation.!But!horrific!as!that!was,!from! our!perspective,!we!woman!were!coming!from! another!place,!a!place!of!being!‘lesser!people’! without!an!independent!sexuality.!This!was!a! different!form!of!oppression!and!it!eventually! Continued!over…!

Opening!Doors!London!(ODL)!–!www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk!

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Continued…! led!to!the!split!between!women!and!men!in!GLF.!The!men!who!saw!the!links!between!women’s! experience,!and!the!wider!political!debate!were!upset!when!we!left,!the!others!weren’t.!The! majority!of!women!united!with!the!Women’s!Liberation!Movement!which!was!right!for!us!at!the! time.! !

It!seemed!inevitable!that!GLF!would!implode,!but!it!left!a!continuing!legacy:!it!rejected!the!values!of! the!ghetto.!The!revolutionary!rhetoric!we!espoused!could!never!have!overthrown!the!whole! System,!but!it!changed!consciousness,!and!gave!us!pride!and!selfSesteem.! !

Looking$Back$at$the$GLF$Manifesto$ From$the$Gay$Liberation$Manifesto$1971:$ We' will' show' you' how' we' can' use' our' righteous' anger' to' uproot' the' present' oppressive' system' with' its' decaying' and' constricting' ideology,' and' how'we,'together'with' other' oppressed'groups,'can'start' to'form'a' new'order,'and'a'liberated'lifestyle,'from'the'alternatives'which'we'offer.' In'a'2010'reOissue,'Elizabeth'Wilson'recalled'how' the'GLF'Manifesto'was'created.' !

‘The!Manifesto!group!met!in!my!basement! living!room!throughout!a!rather!hot!summer.! The!atmosphere!was!sometimes!tense!and! febrile,!but!however!black!and!white!the! answers!we!developed!appear!today,!it!seemed! crucial!at!the!time!to!understand!better!the! nature!of!the!society!we!lived!and!live!in.!If!it! seems!both!raw!and!overS!simplified!now,!it!did! actually!(along!with!the!work!of!feminists)! spark!a!way!of!thinking!about!human!relations! in!society!that!has!led!to!significant!change.!

Like!all!pioneers,!we!sometimes!got!it!wrong,! but!we!believed!in!what!we!were!doing.!We! believed!in!our!power!to!change!society.!And! that!is!surely!a!good!thing’.!! !

A'reproduction'of'the'original'1971'GLF' Manifesto'was'suggested'by'Nettie'Pollard'and' organised'by'Alan'Wakeman,'both'members'of' GLF'in'1971,'with'the'support'of'Pride'London,'as' part'of'the'commemorations'of'the'40th' anniversary'of'the'formation'of'London'GLF.'We' hope'GLF'veterans'will'enjoy'and'value'it,'not'just' for'its'historical'accuracy'but'for'its'larger'font' size'as'we’re'all'40'years'older'and'most'of'us' need'readingOglasses.'

You!can!download!the!GLF!Manifesto!1971!at:! http://www.awakeman.co.uk/Sense/Books/GLF%20Manifesto%201971.pdf! ! !

ODL!Quarterly!–!Summer!2014!

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My$Soul$Came$Alive$ In'2011'Alan'Wakeman'reflected'on'the'past'and' how'he'discovered'Gay'Liberation'on'the'40th' Anniversary'of'the'Gay'Liberation'Front.' '

‘In!1951!I!told!my!mother!I!was!“one!of!those! unfortunate!people!who!are!attracted!to!their! own!sex.”!I!was!16!and!had!turned!to!her!for! help!because!she’d!always!shown!me!love.!It! simply!didn’t!occur!to!me!that!she’d!tell!my! father!because!I!knew!his!reaction!would!be! violent.!Unfortunately!she!did!tell!him!and!I!was! right.!He!exploded!into!my!bedroom!and!beat! me!up!physically!and!verbally!using!blows,! kicks,!and!words!that!scarred!my!psyche!for! years.!He!might!have!killed!me!but!he!didn’t.! Instead,!he!despatched!me!to!a!psychiatrist! who,!luckily,!turned!out!to!be!a!good!man.!Once! a!week!until!I!was!called!up!for!National!Service! this!gentle!soul!listened!silently!and! compassionately!to!my!gay!teenage!despair.’!

GLF!banner!at!2010!Pride!march.!! ©!Alan!Wakeman!

‘So!it!came!about!that,!one!day!in!1970,!I! overheard!an!outraged!straight!colleague!in!the! teachers’!room!of!the!school!where!I!taught! English!raging!against!“disgusting!homosexual! perverts”!who,!she!said!with!distaste,!were! “brazenly”!holding!weekly!meetings!in!a!nearby! art!centre.!I!felt!my!soul!come!alive,!discovered! ! that!the!next!meeting!was!that!Wednesday!and! ••••' within!a!fortnight!had!given!up!my!teaching!job! ! ‘We’d!seen!the!muchSproclaimed!sexual!liberation! and!joined!GLF’s!Office'Collective.’! ! of!the!early!1960s!and!observed!that!it'didn’t' http://www.awakeman.co.uk!! include!us.!(When!I!told!him!he!was!beautiful,!a! ! sexy!hippy!in!California!with!a!banner!reading! Cover$song:$ ! “Make'Love'Not'War!”!snarled!“Faggot!”!at!me.)!! This,!for!me,!and!I!suspect!for!other!GLF!pioneers,! The!lyrics!on!the!front!cover!and!the!badges!are! was!the!tipping!point!and!I!personally!believe!that! both!from!the!collection!of!early!GLF!activist,! Alan!Wakeman.!A'Gay'Song!was!included!in!an! as!our!gay!consciousness!grew!GLF!was!the!only! possible!outcome,!exploding!as!it!did!like!a!rocket! album!called!Either/Or!by!the!musical!collective! Everyone'Involved.!!Issued!in!1972,!we!reprint!it! scattering!laughter!and!pride!and!sequins!and! with!kind!permission!from!Alan,!the!lyric!writer.! stardust!in!a!thousand!trajectories!across!the! It’s!well!worth!following!his!link*!to!the!song!to! western!world.!And!in!this!fortieth!year!since! hear!the!original!recording.!Listen!to!other! those!worldSchanging!events,!I!hope!no!one!will! songs!from!the!album,!one!of!which,!Liberation' deny!that!they!happened!primarily!due!to!the! Man,!tellingly!criticises!soScalled!liberated!men! courage!and!determination!of!a!handful!of!early! who!oppress!women.!!!! gay!heroes!and!heroines!and!I’m!proud!to!say!I! ! knew!–!and!still!know!–!many!of!them.’! *!http://www.awakeman.co.uk/Soul/EitherS ! Or/A%20Gay%20Song.htm! ••••!

Older$LGBT$Community$Celebrating$Pride:$28$June$2014$ PreSPride!brunch!at!The!Quebec!Pub,!12!Old!Quebec!St.!London,!W1H!7AF,!from!11am!to!noon.! Pride!parade!entry!S!assemble!at!12.30!S!walking!groups!and!bus.!To!reserve!seat!on!bus!call! Kate!020!7239!0447!or!Nick!020!7239!0446.!Day!ends!at!the!older!LGBT!community!relaxation! space!at!St!Anne’s!church!in!Dean!Street,!Soho!from!2pm!to!6pm.!! !

More!information!in!the!June!listings:!http://openingdoorslondon.org.uk/calendarS2/!or!from! ODL!office:!020!7239!0400! !

Opening!Doors!London!(ODL)!–!www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk!

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Club$Lez$–$a$Lesbian$Float$to$Remember$ !

Ange'Stewart'Park'remembers'how'a'group'of' London'lesbians'first'dreamed'up'the'idea'of' creating'a'lesbian'float'for'the'London'Gay'Pride' March'in'1988.''' !

‘It!was!February!1988!and!there!was!an! important!demo!in!Manchester!against!Clause! 28.!Their!slogan!was!Never'Going'Underground.!! A!group!of!us!S!lesbian!friends!S!travelled!up! from!London!on!a!chartered!Pink!Train!packed! with!gays!to!take!part!in!the!demo.!I!remember! that!some!of!us!climbed!up!on!a!statue!in!the! Manchester!square!where!the!huge!demo! ended.!!And!it!was!right!there,!balancing!on!the! statue!in!the!middle!of!a!gay!demo!in! Manchester,!that!the!idea!of!doing!some!sort!of! lesbian!action!at!the!next!Gay!Pride!in!London! came!up.!!! !

We!wanted!a!big!lesbian!presence!at!that! occasion.!As!far!as!we!knew!there!hadn’t!been!a! lesbian!float!on!Gay!Pride!previously,!so!we! decided!then!and!there!to!create!a!dyke!float.! We!wanted!to!be!visibly!counted!standing!up! with!style!against!Section!28!for!Pride!in!July! 1988.!!!!

Venus!adorning!Club!Lez!float! !

The!same!group!of!lesbians!who’d!travelled!up! to!Manchester!plus!lots!of!others!including!Kate! Charlesworth,!Kate!Owen,!Anne!Engel,!Hil! Renwick,!Karen!Wood,!Val!Johnson,!Janine! Blackley!and!Joy!Chamberlain,!enthused!and! organised!for!months.!!We!raised!money!in! every!way!we!could!think!of!including!a!jumble! sale!outside!the!Fallen!Angel!in!Islington!and! collecting!in!pubs!clubs!and!discos.!We!created! our!decorated!float,!Club'Lez,!in!the!image!of!a! fabulous!night!club.!!It!was!based!on!a!very!old! flat!bed!lorry,!not!a!pretty!sight,!so!we!gave!it!a! tulle!tutu.!We!had!a!band!and!uniquely!lesbianS style!goSgo!dancers,!including!Femi!Otitoju,! Kitty!Zaisberg,!Sue!Frumin!and!Vanda,!plus! others.!We!had!1000s!of!balloons,!and!our!own! tSshirts!which!read!Club'Lez!on!the!front!and! Staying'Out!on!the!back.!Throngs!of!lesbians! marched!and!danced!through!London!with!us! and!we!all!had!a!wonderfully!celebratory!time! making!a!strong!political!statement.’! '

Club!Lez!float!

ODL!Quarterly!–!Summer!2014!

*'We'want'more'memories'of'lesbian'actions'and' marches.' ' For' instance,' in' 1988,' in' protest' against' Section' 28,' lesbians' abseiled' into' the' House' of' Lords' and' also' got' into' BBC1’s' newsroom,'while'Sue'Lawley'was'reading'the'Six' O’Clock'News.' ! '

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Where$are$we$now?$ Where!are!we!now?!It!depends!on!how!old!we! are,!cultural!background,!gender,!how!able! bodied,!class,!where!we!live!and!more.!For! older!lights!there!have!of!course!been!positive! changes!not!least!of!which!is!more!awareness! and,!in!London,!increased!coSordination!of! activities.!!Some!of!us!rejoice!in!the!creation!of! gay!marriage.!!(For!a!particular!strand!of! feminist!as!I!am!it!is!nothing!to!celebrate!but! that!is!another!article!)!!! !

If!we!look!in!three!areas!there!is!reason!for! concern.!!Old!LGBTs!in!care!homes!rarely!have! recognition!or!space!for!activities.!Moreover,!as! Sue!Westwood,!researcher!for!Keele!university! says!in!April!Diva,!there!is!no!specific!training! on!lesbian!issues!for!care!staff!and!an! assumption!that!all!LGBTs!share!the!same! issues!and!views.!! !

Agnes,!92!and!in!sheltered!housing,!is!not!out!to! carers!because!she!doesn't!think!they!will!be! positive!in!response.!Many!carers!have! religious!beliefs!which!are!homophobic!and! these!are!frequently!not!challenged!where! there!is!conflict!between!equalities.!! !

Popular!culture!does!not!reflect!older!LGBT! issues!or!presence.!!We!have!a!sitScom!featuring! old!gay!men!and!two!popular!gay!male! presenters.!!!Is!there!an!older!lesbian! equivalent?!I!can't!think!of!one.!Gender!issues! in!LGBT!visibility!and!influence!are!not!helped! by!a!heterogeneous!perspective.!! ! Soaps!continue!the!trend!of!featuring!young! LGBT!characters!(of!course!a!positive! momentum)!who!in!the!past!have!left!or!gone! mad.!We!will!see!if!the!current!characters!stay! but!the!absence!of!old!LGBTs!in!soaps!is! marked.!!In!the!past!the!one!in!EastEnders!

Brookside:!The!first!preSwatershed!TV!lesbian!kiss,!1994!

(Derek)!while!a!sympathetic!character!was! constructed!as!having!only!had!relationships!in! the!past.!!! !

The!digital!divide!is!of!concern!to!all!older! people!but!arguably!minority!groups!more! severely.!Older!LGBTs!without!computers!are! often!excluded!from!networks!and!discussions! and!do!not!hear!about!activities.!!Access!to! benefits!is!made!difficult!and!forces!dependence! on!others.!! !

We!need!to!challenge!the!view!of!old!LGBTs!as! frightened!and!unaware!and!put!more!emphasis! on!the!campaigning!work!we!have!done!to! achieve!the!visibility!we!have!now.!Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s!common! for!workers!with!older!LGBTs!to!adopt!a! patronising!attitude!towards!us!and!to!assume! that!we!are!apolitical!and!not!out.!We!are!not!a! heterogeneous!group!and!of!course!some!of!us! choose!to!be!out/!in!at!different!times!and!in! different!spaces.!!The!campaigning!work!we! have!done!and!continue!to!do!needs!to!be! acknowledged!and!respected.! !

S!Nic!Humberstone!

Trans*$Pride$Brighton$2014$$ 25!to!27!July!for!all!trans,!intersex,!gender!variant!and!queer!people.!Starting!on!Friday!evening! with!a!film!night;!Saturday!a!parade!complete!with!samba!band!leading!to!Trans*Pride!in!the! park!with!music!and!performances!and!a!party!in!the!evening,!followed!by!a!relaxing!beach! lunch!on!Sunday.!More!info:!http://transpridebrighton.tumblr.com!

Opening!Doors!London!(ODL)!â&#x20AC;&#x201C;!www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk!

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Freedom:$Is$There$Any$Significance$to$Being$Gay?$ Mike'Harth'offers'a'contentious'and'spirited' defence'of'the'uniqueness'of'gay'culture.'' '

Now!seems!a!good!time!to!take!a!look!at!what! we!mean!by!freedom,!and!how!we!feel!about!it.!I! doubt!very!much!if!any!of!us!object!to!the!repeal! of!repressive!laws,!but!do!we!think!that! freedom!has!gone!too!far,!so!that!it!has! degenerated!into!licence!(of!course!this!applies! to!heterosexual!society!as!well)?!! !

An!even!more!important!question,!now!that!we! have!pretty!much!achieved!parity!with!the! heterosexual!tribe,!is!whether!we!want!to!allow! ourselves!to!be!absorbed!into!the!mainstream! and!possibly!lose!our!cultural!identity.!Our! answer!to!that!lies,!I!suspect,!in!whether!we! view!gayness!as!a!variant!on!the!level!of,!say,! having!six!fingers!rather!than!five,!or!consider! that!it!reflects!a!basic!difference!in! temperament.!In!other!words,!is!being!gay!just!a! reflection!of!one’s!sexual!tastes,!or!is!it!more! pervasive!than!that?!

centre.!Sadly!there!is!no!space!here!to!go!into! the!question!of!whether!gays!are!more!creative! than!their!straight!counterparts:!I!will!just! remark!that!it!seems!to!me!that!the! heterosexual!temperament!is!naturally! conformist!and!the!homosexual!subversive! (making!a!useful!system!of!checks!and! balances).!!I!am!NOT!saying!that!all! heterosexuals!are!conformist!and!all!gays! subversive:!life!is!never!as!simple!as!that.! !

The!difficulty!of!deciding!on!an!answer!to!that! question!is!compounded!by!the!fact!that!there!is! a!sliding!scale!of!gradations!from!being!totally! heterosexual!to!totally!homosexual.!Most!of!us! lie!somewhere!inSbetween,!not!to!mention!that! a!sizeable!proportion!of!the!populace!confuses! the!issue!by!being!more!interested!in!getting! their!rocks!off!than!in!who!(or!what)!is!assisting! them!in!the!operation.! !

What!we!are!really!asking!is,!Is!there!any! significance!to!being!gay?!You!may!have!heard! Rita!Mae!Brown’s!quip,!“If!Michelangelo!had! been!straight,!the!Sistine!Chapel!would!have! been!painted!basic!white!and!with!a!roller”.'I! think!she!has!hit!the!nail!pretty!much!dead!

Mike!

For!me,!the!most!welcome!freedom!is!from!the! assumption!that!we!all!want!children.!I!don’t! enjoy!the!company!of!children,!while!if!I!had! been!so!misguided!as!to!become!a!parent,!I! think!I!would!have!been!most!unhappy!should! the!resultant!offspring!turn!out!to!be!straight:!I! doubt!very!much!whether!I!would!have!been!a! good!father.!Instead!I!have!the!time!and!energy! to!investigate!other!areas!of!life!which!for!me! are!both!more!interesting!and!more!rewarding.! !

S!Mike!Harth!

Dear$Doctor$is$taking$a$rest$

A!huge!thank!you!to!Dr!Justin!Varney!MBBS,!FFPH!for!writing!for!Q!and!answering!medical! questions!and!queries!for!us!all.!At!the!moment!the!letters!and!questions!have!dwindled!so!we!are! giving!the!column!a!rest!but!please!do!write!in!if!you!have!queries!on!health!and!medical!issues! and!we!will!do!our!best!to!get!you!an!answer!and!publish!a!reply!if!the!issue!has!a!wide!interest.!

ODL!Quarterly!–!Summer!2014!

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Freedom$to…?$$ Another'view'of'the'meaning'of'‘gay'freedom’' from'a'younger'member'of'the'ODL'Q'group' '

Before!I!begin,!here!are!some!facts!about!me! that!are!probably!worth!covering!off.!My!name! is!Jamie.!I!am!30!years!old.!This!means!that!I! was!born!in!1983!(on!the!same!day!that!Karma! Chameleon!went!to!number!one….A!SIGN!)!And,! yes,!I!identify!as!a!gay!person,!which!I!have! done!for!the!last!16!years.!! !

My!experiencing!of!growing!up!gay,!I’m!sure,!is! very!different!to!many!of!the!people!reading! this.!I!was!aware!of!gay!people.!My!parents!had! gay!friends!who!were!in!loving!relationships.! When!I!came!out,!my!family!still!loved!me,!my! friends!still!supported!me.!In!fact,!over!the!last! eleven!years,!I!can!honestly!say!that!I!haven’t! felt!persecuted!in!a!violent!or!threatening!way! in!the!UK!because!of!my!gayness.!! !

For!all!these!things,!I!am!thankful.!I!am!a! beneficiary!of!the!work!that!has!been!done!by! generations!of!gay,!lesbian!and!trans*!people! before!me.!I!am!indebted!to!their!fight!for!the! rights!of!the!individual,!to!their!pursuit!of! equality.!!

was!still!terrifying.!Gayness!was!still!something! that!was!different!and!undesirable.!As!being!gay! or!reflecting!gay!lifestyles!was!not!done!at!my! school,!I!felt!isolated!and!fearful!of!my!sexuality.!! !

Bearing!that!in!mind,!the!next!step!in!the! progression!of!local!gay!rights!has!to!be! ensuring!that!emerging!gay!identity!is!seen!as! normal.!Kids!across!the!country!need!to!know! that!being!gay!isn’t!shameful;!that,!as!a!gay! person,!you!have!the!freedom!to!live!your!life!in! exactly!the!way!that!you!want.!! !

Similarly,!while!progressive!social!policies!now! legally!protect!us! from!transphobia!and! homophobia,!so!many! of!our!sisters!and! brothers! internationally!are! not!given!the!same! privilege.!It’s!an!issue! that!needs!to!be! highlighted!more! amongst!younger!gay!generations.!! !

I,!happily,!do!not!feel!the!need!to!fight!for!my! freedom!any!more.!But!I’m!conscious!that!our! I!am!proud!and!lucky!that!I!do!not!have!much! freedoms!were!not!a!privilege,!they!were!hard! experience!of!the!opposite!of!‘freedom!to’,! won!by!many.!The!struggle!to!proffer!‘freedom! namely!being!‘restricted!by’.!And!I!am!conscious! to’!across!the!world!is!far!from!ended.!The!fight! that!this!was!not!always!the!case.!! to!ensure!that!everyone!young!!and!old,!has!the! ! freedom!to!identify!as!queer!without!worry!still! While!I!knew!I!was!gay!from!an!early!age!–!my! personal!thanks!to!Tom!Selleck!in!Magnum!P.I!–! needs!to!be!won.! ! wrapping!my!teenage!head!around!being!gay! S!Jamie!Reece! !

Your$Q$needs$you!$ !

We!all!know!that,!in!the!English!language,!you!only!find!a!‘q’!supported!by!a!‘u’.!Handily,!that’s! true!of!this!publication!as!well.!We!need!you!! !

The!Q!editorial!team!is!on!the!lookout!for!contributors,!editors,!illustrators,!designers!and!ODL! members!who!want!to!meet!up!informally!once!a!fortnight!and!help!us!pull!Q!together.!!No!prior! experience!or!qualifications!are!needed,!you!can!learn!as!we!go!along;!all!we!need!are!people!who! have!something!to!say!and!who!will!enjoy!putting!the!magazine!together.!!It!is!not!all!serious,!we! have!some!great!discussions!and!fun!too.!Meetings!are!always!listed!in!the!ODL!monthly!listings,! so!come!along!and!see!if!you!would!like!to!get!involved.! !

If!you!think!that!this!could!describe!you,!or!if!you!want!to!know!a!bit!more,!email!us!at! odl.quarterly@ageukcamden.org.uk!!or!come!to!a!meeting.!

Opening!Doors!London!(ODL)!–!www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk!

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CHE:$The$History$ The!Campaign!for!Homosexual!Equality!S!CHE!S! ran!effectively!from!1969!to!1990,!when!at! least!20,000!lesbians!and!gay!men!became! members,!with!many!more!influenced!by!its! ideas!and!enjoying!its!social!life.!!It!was!the!only! democratic!mass!membership!organisation!for! homosexuals!this!country!has!ever!had,!with! over!150!local!groups!including!the!Channel! Islands!as!well!as!Belfast!and!Dublin.!!!It!started! FRIEND!S!still!operating,!Gay!Switchboards,!the! international!LGBT!movement,!gay!archives! and!the!move!to!a!fullySfledged!equality! charter.!!Yet!nothing!has!been!written!about!it!–! nothing,!that!is,!until!now.!!Amiable'Warriors,! the!first!volume!of!two,!tells!the!story!of!CHE! 1964!–!73,!and!will!appear!in!November.! It!is!arguable!that!CHE!was!the!greatest! influence!in!changing!hearts!and!minds!about! ‘queers’,!and!framing!the!legislative!demands! which!would!eventually!be!met!in!the!2000s.!! Fidelity?!!Marriage?!!Inheritance?!!Double!beds! at!hotels?!!You!name!it,!CHE!chewed!it!over! first.!

This!racy!narrative!is!full!of!amazing!tales,! passionate!beliefs,!bravery,!sex,!arguments!and! personalities,!recovered!from!the!Archives!and! the!memories!of!the!survivors.!!Myths!will!be! shattered,!received!truisms!confounded,!and! prejudices!overturned.!!! !

S!Peter!ScottSPresland!! ! !

CHE!protestors!!

BiCon:$Freedom$to$be$bisexual$ BiCon!is!an!annual!residential!long!weekend!in!which!members!of!the!UK!Bi!community!get! together!with!friends!and!allies.!I!attended!my!first!in!1999!aged!46:!!it!had!taken!me!that!long! to!understand!and!accept!my!orientation!! !

BiCon!2014!is!Thursday!31st!July!to!Sunday!3rd!August!at!Leeds!Trinity!University! https://www.bicon2014.org.uk.!This!year!it!starts!with!a!BiReCon!S!an!‘optional!extra’!oneSday! conference!on!research!in!bisexuality!–!to!which!all!attendees!are!welcome.!The!weekend!is! packed!with!opportunities!to!meet,!socialise,!learn,!discuss!and!play!with!a!variety!of!people!in! a!relaxed!atmosphere.!The!daytime!sessions,!from!serious!to!downright!frivolous,!last!75! minutes.! !

Age!is!clearly!not!a!problem,!while!BiCon!also!is!very!clued!up!about!disabilities!of!all!kinds!and! catering!for!access!needs,!see!the!Access!Report!on!the!web!site.!There!certainly!seem!to!be!lots! of!people!with!visible!and!less!visible!disabilities!attending,!while!the!variety!of!clothing!shows! that!people!are!just!enjoying!the!freedom!to!express!their!personalities!in!ways!that!they!might! not!feel!free!to!do!in!everyday!life.! !

Even!if!you!can’t!get!to!this!conference,!you’re!always!welcome!at!our!ODL!Bi!Visibility!Group!at! Tavis!House,!on!the!3rd!Monday!each!month!! !

S!Nickie!Roome! ! !

10$ ODL!Quarterly!–!Summer!2014!

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LGBT:$Criminalised$in$the$Commonwealth$ As!of!today,!over!80!jurisdictions!–!including!41! Commonwealth!countries!–!have!laws! criminalising!private,!consensual!sexual! conduct!between!adults!of!the!same!sex,! making!the!expression!of!their!identity!illegal! and!punishable!by!imprisonment,!or!even! death.!Quite!simply,!criminalising!someone!on! the!basis!of!their!identity,!whether!that!is! gender,!ethnic!or!sexual!identity!–!is!a!breach!of! human!rights.!! ! Although!progress!around!this!area!has!been! significant!in!recent!years,!there!has!been!an! increasing!concern!amongst!global!LGBT! groups!at!the!worsening!situation!across!the! Commonwealth!countries,!where!the!most! basic!rights!are!being!disregarded,!and! persecution!of!LGBT!communities!is!a!daily! occurrence.!! !

Kato!in!Uganda!in!2011!are! regrettably!not!isolated.!! ! Speaking!Out! !

‘LGBTI!people!are!generally! considered!as!animals!or! devils,!so!when!you!know! ©!prlog.org! that,!you!see!that!they!are!in! permanent!danger.!They!can!be!injured,!they! can!be!killed,!and!they!can!be!discriminated! against.!They!can!be!rejected!from!healthcare! and!justice.’!! S!Alice!Nkom,!Cameroon!! !

‘A!mob!had!gathered!there!saying!they!wanted! to!kill!gays.!I!was!getting!into!a!public!minibus! and!the!conductor!started!to!beat!me.!Then! everyone!started!to!beat!me’.! S!Anonymous,!Tanzania!! !

‘It’s!been!over!seven!months!and!counting!ever! since!any!of!my!family!members!spoke!to!me,! nor!laid!eyes!on!me.!They!refuse!to!accept!me! for!who!I!am!and!worse!off,!because!I!advocate! for!what!I!believe!in.!I!can!never!go!back!home! now,!as!home!has!now!become!a!memory!in!my! past’.!!S!Charles,!Zambia!! !

©paperzip.co.uk!

One!only!needs!to!look!back!over!the!past! decade,!to!see!the!reality!of!this!increased!wave! of!discrimination!and!persecution.!The!murder! of!gay!activist!Brian!Williamson!in!Jamaica!in! 2004,!the!rape!and!murder!of!Eudy!Simelane!in! South!Africa!in!2009,!and!the!murder!of!David!

S!Fiona!McGibbon! ! Information!taken!from!the!Kaleidoscope!Trust,! ‘Speaking'Out'O'LGBTI'rights'in'the' Commonwealth'Report’! http://kaleidoscopetrust.com/usr/library/docu ments/main/speakingSoutSlgbtiSrightsSinStheS cw.pdf!! !

$$Thanks$to$Taylor…$ $

Taylor!Love!STaylor,!one!of!the!first!Opening'Doors!volunteers!to!take! responsibility!for!Q!Quarterly,!has!decided!it’s!time!for!a!rest!from!the! magazine.!!She!leaves!after!shepherding!(along!with!a!few!dedicated! others)!the!first!5!issues!of!Q!and!has!seen!it!grow!in!confidence!and! content.!!The!current!editorial!team!is!sad!to!see!her!go,!but!are!pleased! that!she!is!still!very!much!a!part!of!the!Opening'Doors!volunteering! group,!will!stay!involved!with!Q!and!is!happy!to!respond!to!any!of!our! requests!for!help!and!input.!!Thanks!Taylor!! Opening!Doors!London!(ODL)!–!www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk! 11$

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Befriending:$Getting$Started$ One!of!the!pleasures!of!being!an!ODL! Befriending!Coordinator!is!seeing!successful! partnerships!grow!between!members!and! volunteers.!There!are!so!many!benefits!of! having!a!befriending!volunteer!–!it’s!about! developing!a!longSterm!partnership!with!a! trusted!person!who!can!share!conversation,! interests,!worries!and!activities.!But!what!is!it! like!to!ask!for!a!befriender!and!to!get!started! with!the!scheme?!! !

In!May!a!new!befriending!partnership!began.! Here!the!member!and!the!volunteer!S!Jo!and!Jo!! –!say!what!it!was!like!for!them.! ! Jo!(member):!“It’s!a!hard!thing.!I’ve!never!asked! before.!I!just!felt!I!needed!to!phone!because!I! was!finding!it!hard.!I!came!out!of!hospital!for!a! second!time!recently!and!I!couldn’t!get!out!and! about!very!easily.!It!just!knocked!my! confidence.!I!used!to!read!the!Quarterly!and!see! the!bit!about!the!Befriending!Scheme!but!I! didn’t!have!the!courage!to!ring.!But!when!I!did,! it!was!fine!!I!don’t!know!why!I!didn’t!do!it! before;!I!wasted!time!worrying.”!

Jo!(volunteer):!"I!really!enjoyed!my!first! meeting!with!Jo!and!finding!out!more!about!her! life!and!her!past,!what!she!likes,!where!she's! lived,!what!she's!done,!who!she's!met.!We! chatted!about!what!music,!films!and!celebs!we! like,!pets,!Elvis,!Johnny!Cash,!where!to!get!a! sharp!suit,!all!sorts!!We!also!had!a!good!laugh! together!and!it!was!great!to!go!to!the!Hackney! Picturehouse,!as!I!had!never!been!before!and! it's!a!cool!venue.!It's!just!really!interesting!to! mix!with!someone!outside!my!own!age!group.! I!think!we!both!had!a!good!time!and!I'm!looking! forward!to!organising!our!next!meetSup!”! !

Jo!(member):!“Being!stuck!at!home,!knowing! you’ve!got!someone!coming!at!the!weekend!to! go!out!with!you,!it’s!a!great!feeling.!This!has! made!a!big,!big!difference.!I’d!say!to!anyone! who!is!afraid!of!calling,!just!do!it!like!I!did!!It’s! great!to!know!there’s!someone!there.”! !

So,!don’t!be!shy!or!embarrassed!to!ask.!Give!us! a!ring!on!020!7239!0400!or!email!Catherine! and!Paul,!the!Befriending!Coordinators,!at! odl.befriending@ageukcamden.org.uk! !

S!Catherine!Bewley! ! ! !

Signposting$and$Referral$Service$for$ODL$Members$ Need!extra!help!at!home?!Confused!about!income!tax?!Feeling!low!and!looking!for!support?! Got!questions!about!your!pension,!benefits!or!housing?!Whatever!your!question,!you!can!talk! to!one!of!our!trained!volunteers!who!can!give!you!useful!information!and!help!you!find!the! right!service!or!support!to!suit!your!needs.! !

You!can!either!speak!to!a!volunteer!over!the!phone!or!email!your!inquiry!and!we!will!either! respond!via!email!or!we!will!call!you!back!on!your!request.!Volunteers!will!respond!to!all! inquiries!within!one!working!week.!!The!volunteers!are!sensitive!to!the!needs!of!ODL!members! and!have!expert!knowledge!of!LGBT!support!organisations!and!services!that!are!suitable!for! ODL!members.!! !

Email!us!at:!odlsignposting@ageukcamden.org.uk!or,!call!the!ODL!Signposting!and!Referral! phone!line:!07961937621.!! !

If!your!inquiry!is!urgent!please!call!the!Age!UK!Camden!switchboard:!020!7239!0400.!

12$ ODL!Quarterly!–!Summer!2014!

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RAISE A GLASS TO SUPPORT ODL! Following!on!from!our!‘Raise!a!Glass’!launch! back!in!early!March!lots!of!people!have!signed! up!to!support!Opening!Doors!London!–!thank! you!to!each!and!every!one!of!you!!!! !

Unfortunately,!despite!hitting!our!target!for!the! first!few!months!we’ve!stalled!a!bit!so!please! help!to!spread!the!word.!!Just!visit!the!donate! page!on!the!lovely!new!website! www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk!and!it’s!only! a!few!simple!clicks!to!show!your!support!for! older!LGBT!Londoners.! !

We’ve!also!been!hard!at!work!promoting!the! appeal!which!Age!UK!Camden’s!Patron!Sir! Derek!Jacobi!kindly!agreed!to!front!for!us.!! We’ve!had!some!very!promising!leads!from!this! which!we!are!hoping!will!convert!into!financial! support!for!the!project!during!this!year!where! we!still!have!a!significant!shortfall.!!! !

A!wonderful!piece!of!news!on!the!fundraising! and!supporting!ODL!front!has!come!from!the! Millivres!Prowler!Group!(MPG).!!Again,!just! after!Q!goes!to!print!we’re!meeting!with!MPG!as! they’re!really!keen!to!support!and!promote!the! work!of!ODL!as!they!appreciate!its!importance! in!the!community.!!The!activities!of!MPG!fall! into!two!main!areas,!media!and!retail.!Their!

media!brands!include!the!most!famous!and!well! established!gay!and!lesbian!publications!in!the! UK,!including!Europe’s!leading!gay!and!lesbian! paidSfor!news!and!lifestyle!magazines!GT'(Gay' Times)!and!Diva;!the!UK’s!most!respected! online,!news,!jobs!and!community!based!web! site!pinkpaper.com.!Their!retail!businesses! include!the!gay!lifestyle!Prowler!Stores!in!Soho! (London),!Brighton!and!Birmingham,!and!the! leading!UK!gay!fetish!store,!Expectations.!!MPG! also!operates!the!UK’s!largest!gay!and!lesbian! online!and!offline!home!shopping!business! under!the!brands!ProwlerDirect,!DivaDirect!and! Expectations.!!Having!them!support!us!in! whatever!ways!that!they!can!could!raise!the! profile!of!ODL!massively!–!we’ll!report!on!the! new!relationship!in!the!next!edition.! !

As!most!of!Q’s!regular!readers!will!be!aware,! funding!for!ODL!at!this!point!is!still!precarious! and!we!really!need!to!keep!up!our!efforts!to! bring!funds!in!from!individuals,!companies,! fundraising!events!and!any!other!sources! possible.!If!you!have!any!ideas!please!contact! tom.blackie@ageukcamden.org.uk!! !

Don’t!forget!to!‘Raise!a!Glass’!!! !

S!Tom!Blackie! !

To!donate!to!Opening$Doors$London!please!visit:! $http://openingdoorslondon.org.uk$

! Opening!Doors!London!(ODL)!–!www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk! 13$

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Pets’$Corner$ Sophie!is!a!Toy!Yorkshire!Terrier!and!from!the! Hassendean!pedigree!line.!She!was!3!years!old! in!April!and!has!a!very!sweet!nature.!Her! favourite!toy!is!a!soft!ball!and!we!play!football! up!and!down!the!hall.!She!also!loves!hideSandS seek!but!this!sometimes!leads!to!her!getting! over!excited!when!I!jump!out!from!behind!a! door!(her!tail!wags!to!the!point!I!fear!she!could! loose!it).!Leaving!her!for!a!few!hours!is!not!a! problem!because!she!has!a!wooden!dog!puzzle,! which!I!hide!healthy!goodies!in,!and!the!TV! turned!on!playing!her!own!DVD!!‘Dog!TV’.!This! is!a!DVD!made!by!veterinarians.!It’s!on!a! continuous!loop!and!shows!a!dog!running! around!catching!ball,!barking,!jumping!in!the! sea,!splashing,!running!and!jumping,!and! playing!in!sand!pits.!So!while!I’m!out!she!has! her!own!language!and!sounds!to!keep!her! company.!!When!I!return!she’s!happy!and!not! stressed.!She!got!her!Pet!Passport!last!year!and! we!drove!to!France!for!a!short!break.!She!loves!

people!and!other!dogs!but!defends!our!garden! like!a!lion!if!any!cat!or!fox!dare!trespass.!!She’s! my!constant!companion!and!she!just!loves!being! with!me!S!aren’t!I!lucky!to!be!so!loved!! !

S!Terri!Quaye!

Terri!and!Sophie!

Making$her$own$kind$of$music$ !

How!fitting!that!our!Freedom'to…!issue!coincides!with!the!rather!stupendous!victory!of! Conchita!Wurst!at!Eurovision!in!Copenhagen.!Representing!Austria!and!famously!wearing!a! full!beard!to!compliment!her!figureShugging!evening!wear,!Conchita’s!victory!illustrated!a! swell!of!European!acceptance!and!social!progress,!although!sadly!it!did!generate!negative! responses!too.!It!was!a!cracking!song.! !

No!one!expressed!the!significance!of!Cochita’s!win!as!beautifully!as!the!star!herself:! This'night'is'dedicated'to'everyone'who'believes'in'a'future'of'peace'and'freedom.'You'know'who' you'are.'We'are'unity.'And'we'are'unstoppable.' ' '

Making$our$own$ODL$Music:$Gender$is$the$next$Q$theme$

BRAVA!!Conchita!also!handily!provides!us!with!a!segue!to!our!next!edition,!which!will!focus!on! gender.!How!important!is!it?!How!does!it!work?!What!does!it!mean!to!be!a!‘man’!or!a!‘woman’?! Do!these!labels!empower!or!restrict!us?!Does!it!even!matter?! !

If!you’ve!got!any!thoughts!do!let!us!know.!Email!odl.quarterly@ageukcamden.org.uk!!Also,!if! you’ve!got!any!suggestions!or!ideas!for!relevant!stories,!we’d!love!to!hear!from!you,!as!always.! Get!in!touch!! !

14$ ODL!Quarterly!–!Summer!2014!

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Telling$Stories:$Queer%in%Brighton$and$A%Little%Gay%History% Who!gets!to!tell!the!stories!and!histories?!For! too!long,!lesbians,!gays,!trans,!all!the!LGBT! communities,!were!written!about,!examined,! condemned!and!criticised!and!the!constant! echo!!‘I!thought!I!was!the!only!one’!resounded! down!the!years.!In!Britain!we!have!been! fortunate!to!be!able!to!start!to!build!our!own! history,!in!our!voices,!across!the!whole! diversity!of!peoples!who!come!together,!or!not,! under!these!banners,!from!queer!academics!to! trans!youth!groups.!Queer'in'Brighton'is!the! most!recent!and!a!hugely!impressive!addition.!

“A'kaleidoscopic'celebration'of' queer'people”' ! It’s!a!beautifully!produced!book,!brimming!with! photos,!oral!histories,!anecdotes!and!news! cuttings,!including!photo!works!and!writing! especially!initiated!for!the!book.!Add!to!this! diary!excerpts,!badges,!and!archive! photographs!and!you!have!a!cornucopia!of! memories!for!everyone.!The!richness!of!the! book!develops!from!the!mix!of!contributors! writing!across!time!and!experience.!There!are! stories!that!I!can!fix!in!my!past!and!that!jog!my! memories,!and!others!that!bring!ideas.!!There! are!accounts!of!lives!lived!in!different!ways!that! intrigue!and!shed!light.! !

One!of!the!many! delights!of!Queer'in' Brighton'is!the!idea! that!the!production! and!accumulation!of! all!the!materials!in!the!book!would!by!their!own! process!produce!more!queer!history,!dialogue! and!debate.!We!can!only!hope!that!by!setting! such!a!splendid!example!more!Queer'in…! anthologies!will!spread!throughout!the!nation.! !

A'Little'Gay'History:'Desire'and'Diversity'across' the'World'could,!at!first!glance,!seem!to!be!a! very!different!book.!Published!by!the!British! Museum!it!is!lavishly!produced!with!photos!and! illustrations.!Originating! from!artefacts!in!the!BM! collection!and!ranging! through!time!and!the! globe!the!book!examines! gay!history!and!all!the! complexities!of!those! ideas!and!makes!us!think! again.!It!is!another!! engaging!way!of!recording! and!marking!our!multiple! pasts.!! !

S!Alison!Read! !

Queer'in'Brighton!edited!by!Maria!Jastrzębska! and!Anthony!Luvera!,!£12.99! http://www.queerinbrighton.co.uk! A'Little'Gay'History:'Desire'and'Diversity'across' the'World!RB!Parkinson,!British!Museum!Press! £9.99!

Your$ODL$Quarterly$ $ !

We!have!reached!Q6!and!hope!you!enjoyed!it,!let!us!know!what!you!think.! Q7!is!on!GENDER,!probably!the!first!of!several!issues!on!this!theme.!!There!is!a!lot!to!think!about!! Deadline!for!articles,!letters,!photos!and!illustrations:!Monday!11!August.! !

This!issue!of!Q!was!put!together!by!Adrian!Johnson,!Alison!Read,!Fiona!McGibbon,!Jamie!Reece,! Michael!Harth,!and!Sue!O’Sullivan.! !

©!All!articles,!illustrations!and!photographs!are!copyright!of!the!author,!artist!and!photographer.! The'views'and'opinions'expressed'in'Q'are'those'of'the'individual'contributors'and'are'not'those'of'the' editorial'group,'Opening'Doors'London'or'AgeUK'Camden.'

Opening!Doors!London!(ODL)!–!www.openingdoorslondon.org.uk! 15$

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Thoamada$–$‘ordinary’$love$in$Cambodia$ THOAMADA'II,!published!by!the!Rainbow! Community!Kampuchea!(RoCK),!uses!the! evocative!photographic!portraits!of!Vuth!Lyno! to!demonstrate!that!LGBT!people!and!families! exist!throughout!Cambodia!and!are!nothing! new,!in!fact!they!are!ordinary!S!Thoamada.!!! !

Vuth!Lyno,!the!photographer,!is!a!Cambodian! artist!and!curator.!His!artistic!practice! encompasses!photography!and!sound!and!he! works!primarily!in!a!participatory!way.!In!this! beautiful!book!each!subject!is!depicted!by!two! photos,!a!simple!family!photo!taken!inside!their! home!and!a!posed!scene!reSenacting!a!special! moment!in!their!life.!! !

The!images!shown!below!are!from!‘The!Flying! Man,!2012’!

It!gives!the!reader!a!fascinating!snap!shot!of! Cambodia!LGBT!community!today,!with!the!text! in!English!as!well!as!Khmer.!! !

The!book!is!a!limited!edition!and!will!make!a! great!present!for!someone!special,!something! lovely!to!keep,!or!for!use!as!an!educational! resource.!Buying!it!will!support!RoCK!to! continue!its!work!in!building!a!more!inclusive! and!loving!Cambodia!with!strong!LGBT!support! networks.!! !

Toni!Meredew! !

Cost''£10.00,'hardback'only.''For'more' information'and'post'charges'please'contact:'' tonim@account3.org''or'write'to'account3,'3' Birkbeck'Street,'London'E2'6JY! !

Celebrating$Pride$in$Cambodia$ Pride!in!Cambodia!is!organized!by!Rainbow!Community!Kampuchea!(RoCK),!a!voluntary!group!of! LGBT!activists.!! The!rainbow! flag!hangs! outside!the! British! embassy,! Phnom!Penh,! Cambodia.!

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Pride!logo!Cambodia!