LGBT History Month Magazine - The Official Guide to LGBT History Month 2017 ®

www.lgbthistorymonthmagazine.co.uk

Official guide to LGBT History Month

BI Erasure

ALL WE WANT IS A LITTLE RESPECT Aint No Mountain High Enough A journey of self-discovery

Drop the App There’s a new network in town

DESIRE LOVE IDENTITY The British Museum

LGBT and the LAW A personal perspective Featuring

Supported by

In association with www.stonewall.org.uk

Also inside : The Minister for Equalities - The Rainbow Project - LGBT HM Scotland - Anthony Nolan - Barnardo’s

LET’S USE THE POWER OF IDEAS TO CHANGE THE GAME. A new type of floodlit pitch is having a positive impact on the people of a Brazilian favela. How it’s powered could help generate renewable energy elsewhere. Laurence Kemball-Cook, a winner of Shell’s LiveWIRE scheme, developed technology that creates power from a combination of kinetic energy from the players’ footsteps and solar power.

We believe today’s ingenuity could answer tomorrow’s energy challenges.

Search #makethefuture on Google.

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A message from the Minister for Women and Equalities

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Aint No Mountain High Enough A Journey of Self discovery

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Stonewall

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Barnardo’s

Supporting LGBT Rights

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Democracy Needs You

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Join the Anthony Nolan register

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Rainbow Laces Campaign

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LGBT History Month Scotland

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Student Pride #LetsTalkAboutSex

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Decimalisation of Homosexuality in Northern Ireland

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Bi-Erasure

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The Rainbow Project

Health Education England

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Mind

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LGBT and the LAW

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BiCon 2017

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Educate and Celebrate

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Desire Love Identity at the British Museum

Authenticity at Work

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SHELL

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Drop the App

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National Grid

All we want is a little respect

A personal perspective Innovative and Visionary

There’s a new network in town

LGBT children and young people

For better mental health

An interview with the LGBT Network’s Senior Sponsor

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The New Annual UK PRIDE event

Make the Connection

© 2017. LGBT History Month is published by Talent Media. Copyright of all images and articles remains with the publisher unless otherwise stated. All other rights recognised. No material in this publication may be used without prior permission from the publisher.

Talent Media would like to thank John O’Doherty, Cara Spence, Rachel Behar, Nagina Kayani, James Goode, Christina Riley, Rach@Bicon, Josh Gutteridge, Amanda Powell, Ben Theile-Long, Elly Barnes, Nate Parker, Matt Horwood, Adam Pemberton, Andy Dyer and Charlie Mathers for contributing to this magazine.

Cover Image supplied by Charlie –Ann Mathers

Disclaimer: We cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited text, photographs or illustrations. Views expressed and included in LGBTHM Magazine by individual contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers.

Published by: Talent Media, Studio N, Container City Building 2, 48 Trinity Buoy Wharf, Orchard Place, London, E14 0FN, Tel: 0203 697 9372. Web: www.lgbthistorymonthmagazine.co.uk Publisher: Darren Waite, Sub Editor: James William, Editorial Assistants: Kelly Gent/Sally Cranfield, Social Media: Nate Parker, Art Director: Christopher Powell, Cover Image supplied by Charlie - Ann Mathers

A message from the Minister for Women and Equalities Many LGB&T people have made huge contributions to society. Just look at codebreaker Alan Turing who made a significant impact on the development of computer science, best-selling author and playwright Daphne du Maurier, who has left a lasting impression on both the literary and film world, and Sophie Wilson, whose innovations in the technology have made inventions such as the smartphone possible.

That is why I am so excited to support this year’s LGBT History month. It is a great chance to celebrate the achievements of LGB&T people from our past and present, and bring this to the forefront of the national agenda.

This year in particular marks an important milestone in the march for LGB&T equality. In July, we will celebrate 50 years since the Sexual Offences Act 1967 was passed, decriminalising homosexual acts in England and Wales after centuries of persecution.

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We have come a long way in 50 years. We have moved from a country where a relationship between two men was illegal, to one where we now have equal marriage for all. Along the way we have changed laws – from equalising the age of sexual consent, to providing increased protection from discrimination in employment and services, and we are currently introducing legislation to issue pardons to those previously convicted for consensual same-sex activity.

Modern Britain celebrates diversity with Pride marches in every major city, and our Armed forces are recognised as some of the most LGB&T friendly in the world. I am proud of the UK’s record on LGB&T equality and the strong laws that protects people.

But I know there is more to be done. There are unacceptable levels of hate crime, and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying that still exist in our schools and communities, and there is more that can be done for the transgender community too.

That’s why I’m committed to tackling hate crime, health inequalities and bullying. From investing £2.8m in developing projects to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools to investing more than £700,000 to support schemes tackling hate crime in communities and protect places of worship. But it’s also vital that we continue to challenge outdated attitudes and drive a change in our society.

This Government’s mission is to make a country that works for everyone. We want a society where everyone has a fair chance to go as far as their talent and their hard work will allow. No one should be held back because of their sexuality or gender identity. As part this, LGBT History month plays an important role, not only in celebrating the lives of LGB&T people but also reminding us of the tasks ahead.

I wish it every success in 2017.

The Rt Hon Justine Greening MP

Barnardo’s Registered Charity Nos. 216250 and SC037605

I am

proud

Help us transform vulnerable children’s lives.

Search ‘Believe in Me’

If you believe that no human should be treated differently, bullied or discriminated against because of who they are, then you support LGBT rights.

You don’t need to be LGBT, or have an LGBT friend or family member, to stand in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bi and trans people and play your part in combatting anti-LGBT attitudes and behaviour.

Stonewall is Britain’s leading LGBT organisation, working for a world where all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people are accepted without exception.

This extends beyond just legal equalities, but in society too, whether that’s at home, school or work, or perhaps in sport, faith or on screen.

LGBT History Month provides us with a space to reflect on what’s left to do, consider the issues that still face lesbian, gay, bi and trans people, and think about what we can actively do to solve them.

That might mean calling out a friend’s use of language,

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correcting them and explaining why what they’ve said could offend others. It could mean reporting a transphobic hate crime, or asking someone you know who’s being bullied after coming out as bi if they need to talk.

We all have a part we can play in ensuring that lesbian, gay, bi and trans people are able to live freely as themselves, without fear of this sort of treatment.

But until we reach this point, we still have lots to do, and we need your support.

For this issue of LGBT History Month magazine, Stonewall staff shed a little

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light on just some of the work we’ve been doing over the last twelve months, and what’s coming next.

We’d love for you to get involved and support our work – and you can learn more about us by visiting www. stonewall.org.uk or following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @StonewallUK. If you’ve got a question or query, you can also contact our Information Service, open Monday – Friday during office hours on 08000 50 20 20 / info@stonewall. org.uk / @StonewallUKinfo (with DMs set to open).

But until we reach this point, we still have lots to do

I’m a working-class Muslim gay man of Pakistani heritage. While this does mean I get to be the ultimate box-ticker, it also means I’ve been at the receiving end of not only racism, but homophobia too.

T

his experience of facing two or more forms of discrimination is because my identity is what’s known as ‘intersectional’, which means I am part of more than one marginalised group. Dual discrimination means that we can often end up believing that our cultural and sexual identities are mutually exclusive, even when they aren’t.

Traditional gender roles are still a defining aspect of Asian communities in Britain; boys play cricket, girls sing and dance to Hindi pop songs. More importantly, men always marry women, and as anyone who has ever been to a Pakistani, Indian, or Bangladeshi wedding can attest to, marriage in South Asian culture is a serious business, with multiple ceremonies and mountains of food. As a gay man, explaining to desi parents that you have no desire to marry a woman can seem like less of a disclosure of sexual

orientation, and more like a statement that you want to have no part in the community.

On the other hand, because so many of us have experienced discrimination for being gay, lesbian, bi, or trans, it can be hard to acknowledge that prejudice exists within our own LGBT communities. At times that racism can be explicit, but more often it manifests with reference to taste, appearance, or “culture”. For example, when a gay journalist writes articles filled with Islamophobia rhetoric, or when users of gay dating Apps explicitly state; “No fats, no femmes, no Asians” on their profiles.

This experience of dual discrimination can leave LGBT people of colour feeling alienated, as if we can only be accepted into a community if we leave a part of ourselves at the door. Yet in doing so, we end up shirking on those values that either community cherishes the

most. African-Caribbean and Asian cultures emphasise the importance of family, respect, and education, while LGBT communities value resilience, individuality, and creativity.

Not only are these values not mutually exclusive, but to reject our sister and friends on the basis of skin colour or sexual orientation represents a denial of those very values.

Ultimately, whether we identify as LGBT or as a person of colour, we have an active role in determining what kind of communities we’d like to be, and our shared experiences ought to remind us not only of the pain of rejection and discrimination, but also of how important it is to make our spaces safe, inclusive, and loving.

QAISAR SIDDIQUI, EMPOWERMENT TEAM, STONEWALL LGBTHM 2017 - 7

Democracy needs you!

So hands up who fancies another election? Anyone? I get it…

In the last three years we’ve lived through two referendums questioning the very foundation of our constitution, two elections with results that made us throw the idea of polls out of the window, and one rather gruelling American presidential campaign.

It’s enough to give anyone voter’s fatigue. And is it just me, or are people getting a lot more angry?

Well guess what, there is another election coming, and this time it matters more than ever before.

And it’s right that we should be angry. Not because of who other people voted for but because progress to make the lives of marginalised communities better is stalling, in some places it has maybe even stopped. We should be angry that more than half of LGBT young people still experience

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bullying at school. We should be angry that two thirds of lesbian, gay and bi people feel that they are at a bigger risk of being insulted, intimidated or harassed than straight people. And we should be angry that more than a quarter of LGBT people say they would expect to be discriminated against if applying for social housing, making them more vulnerable to homelessness and abuse.

But the thing is, a lot of the decisions that affect these areas of our lives are not made in the EU, or at Westminster, or even in Holyrood. The decisions that really make a difference to our public services, from housing, to education, to social care, are made by local government. No one has ever thought that local council elections were exciting or sexy.

Turn-out for these elections is often less than half of eligible voters.

In 2012, turn-out in Scotland was fewer than 40 per cent, and in

Glasgow it was as low as 32 per cent. That means that most of you are opting out of the opportunity to have a say on whether LGBT issues are talked about in your local schools, or the care that your granny is getting, or whether you can feel confident being out when using local services.

In his farewell speech, Obama told us all that “democracy needs you!” He told us that “change only happens when ordinary people get involved and they get engaged and they come together to demand it.” I agree. So this year let’s make change happen.

Let’s campaign, let’s vote, and let’s make our voices heard.

CATHERINE SOMERVILLE, CAMPAIGNS, POLICY AND RESEARCH, STONEWALL SCOTLAND

We work with over a thousand schools, supporting them in their work to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying and language.

With our Train the Trainer programme one teacher is given the skills and tools to empower their colleagues in doing just that, and its success has been astounding in tackling the shadow left behind by Section 28, a historic piece of legislation which prevented the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ in schools.

This meant teachers could not teach students about different families, or provide support to those who came out at school.

Whilst most schools begin their journey with us focusing on preventing bullying and increasing teacher confidence, LGBT History Month is an ideal opportunity to celebrate the identities that fall under this umbrella. This year we are supporting our Stonewall School Champions to look at their libraries and book shelves, to identify age appropriate books that celebrate those differences. Books and personal stories are a wonderful way to step into someone else’s shoes, something that’s as important for people within the LGBT community as well as those new to it.

With our School Role Model visits to secondary schools, we give pupils an LGBT person to look up to who, in some way, is a little bit like them.

For some, this will be the first time they meet an openly LGBT person, and one visit has the potential to tackle any feelings of isolation they may have.

Having conversations with role models and about books with diverse characters is, in its own way, celebrating the communities around us, both inside and out of the classroom.

homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying and language. Some schools report they have specific difficulties when addressing this topic, and Stonewall is committed to working with faith schools to assist them in providing a supportive environment for all their students. This is regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. We see our programme as a way of assisting schools that have a faith focus to work at their own pace while navigating this topic.

For a long time, faith and LGBT communities have been portrayed as distinct and separate from one another. This can leave LGBT people of faith facing a double discrimination, hiding their gender identity and/ or sexual orientation in faith circles, and hiding their faith at LGBT gatherings. We have many LGBT role models of faith who visit schools to dispel these myths and share their stories.

For Stonewall, LGBT History Month is an opportunity for schools to provide a platform for stories that are not usually heard, to celebrate the differences that make us unique and to continue working towards environments that accept pupils, students and staff without exception.

We’re currently working on a project alongside schools that work on faith in tackling

If you’d like to find out if your school is a Stonewall School Champion, or know a school that might be interested in our faith work, email us at education@stonewall.org.uk

SIDONIE BERTRANDSHELTON, EMPOWERMENT TEAM, STONEWALL LGBTHM 2017 - 9

Imagine having to flee a country, leaving your home, family and friends behind because of your identity. Seeking refuge in a new country where you hope to be able to be yourself, but instead of finally living a life in safety, you find yourself confronted with disbelief and even face detention.

In 2016 Stonewall, the leading charity for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality, and the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG), published ‘No Safe Refuge’, which reveals the everyday discrimination and violence that lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) asylum seekers can experience in UK detention centres. We conducted 22 in-depth interviews with LGBT asylum seekers in which they were asked about their experiences with staff, other detainees, their physical and emotional well-being in detention and access to legal and health services.

The guy grabbed me saying he’s going to break my soul. I had to press the buzzer. I can’t stay in this place. The officer that came down said there’s nothing he can do.

ACHEBE, NIGERIAN ASYLUM SEEKER

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LGBT asylum seekers are fleeing countries where they fear violence and imprisonment.

It is extremely distressing when they find that they will be held in detention centres after seeking safety in Britain.

Detention centres are not safe places for people who have experienced significant trauma like LGBT asylum seekers. Sadly, the report confirms this. LGBT people face harassment and abuse from other detainees and even from some staff.

The findings show that staff are ill-equipped to meet the needs of LGBT people. LGBT asylum seekers who were interviewed say they felt forced to hide their identity, for fear of abuse. Detainees who were known to be LGBT were bullied, harassed or physically attacked by other detainees, and victims said they did not feel protected by detention staff.

I see things in the detention centre that are not right. I don’t care where we are from, what we do and how badly they want to get us out of their country. You don’t do certain things to people.

We are human beings. We are not animals. The staff looked at me like I was a disease.

BRIANNA, JAMAICAN ASYLUM SEEKER The report shows that detention is inappropriate for LGBT asylum and urgently needs to stop. Stonewall and UKLGIG will work with the Home Office to reform existing policy and end the detention of LGBT asylum seekers.

Because all LGBT people should have the right to be free and live safely, and we must help achieve that.

CHAKA BACHMANN, RESEARCH, STONEWALL

Stonewall runs an annual Young Campaigners Programme where we train 40 young people to campaign for LGBT equality and inclusion in their schools, colleges, universities and communities.

Every year I’m so impressed with the variety of campaigns that the young people create as well as their ambition, passion and determination to make a real change for LGBT people. Previous campaigners have delivered assemblies, designed posters and resources, trained their teachers to challenge homophobic, biphobic and transphobic language, created music videos, designed websites, hosted fashion shows – the list goes on!

Samuel is a young campaigner on the current programme.

He feels that he has a duty to represent those people, both around the world and here in the UK, who for various reasons are not able to be visible campaigners themselves.

“The Young Campaigners Programme gives us the tools to stand up for our rights, and the rights of those that might not be able to stand up for themselves” Samuel, 18.

This year’s LGBT History Month theme is Citizenship, PSHE and Law. Some of this year’s campaigners are working with their schools to try and make sure that their Sex and Relationships lessons are LGBT inclusive. Others are writing to their MPs to highlight legal inequalities they feel LGBT people face.

You don’t have to be part of our programme to make a difference in your community. You don’t have to be LGBT either – allies are a hugely important part of our ongoing fight for equality.

Everyone has the influence to make a positive change and campaigning can take many different forms. From coming out to creating an LGBT group, every step brings us closer to the point where all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people are free to be themselves – acceptance without exception.

If you’d like to know more about Stonewall’s Young Campaigners Programme and other opportunities to get involved with our work please visit ww.youngstonewall.org.uk.

WAYNE DHESI, YOUTH PROGRAMMES, STONEWALL

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Stonewall Cymru’s campaigning priority in its 2016 manifesto for the National Assembly for Wales election was reform of the way trans healthcare is provided in Wales.

The provision of trans healthcare and treatment for gender dysphoria is poor across the United Kingdom.

The problems that trans people face across the UK – such as difficulty obtaining referrals, waiting lists that routinely stretch into years, clinicians who have a narrow and outdated understanding of gender identity and the refusal of GPs to prescribe – are common in Wales.

They are exacerbated by the absence of any gender identity service in Wales, which means that patients need to use a complicated and obstructive process to be referred to the Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic in London, a journey of over 5 hours from many parts of the country.

Thanks to the hard work of campaigners, there has been a recognition by NHS Wales and the Welsh Government that trans healthcare needs reform. We have worked with the NHS to ensure that trans people are fully consulted

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and any reforms are guided by the priorities of trans people for their healthcare system. We are facilitating Have Your Say events for the NHS to hear directly from trans people about their experiences of primary care as part of a project to identify and spread a model of best practice throughout Wales, so that no one faces barriers to accessing healthcare at their GP surgery because they are trans.

Healthcare is a right, and a situation where so many trans people have negative experiences of trying to access essential, potentially life-saving healthcare needs to change. As a non-binary transfeminine person, I have experienced this first-hand and seeing the difficulties my friends have faced in accessing treatment has, at times, been heart-breaking.

At its root, the problem of trans healthcare in the UK is that a system has developed which places a very low

priority on the experiences of those who rely on it.

Though they can seem immovable, systems can change, and they do so through concerted collective action. I hope and expect that within the next few years the provision of healthcare for trans people in Wales will be transformed, with patients’ needs made central. It has been immensely fulfilling to play a part in this process so far, and I look forward to continuing this work in transforming institutions and amplifying the voices of trans people across Wales.

CRASH WIGLEY, POLICY AND CAMPAIGNS, STONEWALL CYMRU - WALES

In November 2016, Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign took over pitches, stadiums and social media accounts across Britain. Rainbow Laces is aimed at creating a society where everyone feels welcome in sport.

Currently, there are no openly gay or bi players in football, and homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are still present at games and on the pitch. Sport should be something we all enjoy and where we can be ourselves.

Sadly, however, for many LGBT people this is not a reality. Statistics such as 72 per cent of football fans have heard anti-LGBT remarks at games in the last five years, and the fact that one in five 18 to 24-year-olds say they’d be embarrassed if their favourite player came out tells us there is still a lot to do to make sport an equal place.

These statistics make it hard for LGBT people to feel welcomed in sport on all levels, whether that is taking part or attending games. This is what the Rainbow Laces campaign aims to tackle. We know that most sport players

and fans are accepting of LGBT people in sport, but we want to make it a reality for all LGBT people to feel accepted without exception and not let a small minority hinder that.

Over the course of a weekend in November 2016, football and rugby clubs across the country took part in the campaign by wearing rainbow laces to promote acceptance for LGBT people in sport. We received support from more than 60 professional clubs across football and rugby and some of the biggest brands in sport, such as Aviva and Sky Sports, who threw their full weight behind the campaign, as did some of the highest profile players. Sports clubs from all levels got involved and those attending games sported their rainbow laces and used social media to support the campaign.

This was an incredible moment and it brought much needed attention to the experiences of being an LGBT individual in sport.

However, there was some backlash on social media, and a minority of fans continue to discriminate against LGBT people. Our work will continue until we can call those people in, and talk more to them about why this behaviour is unacceptable.

At Stonewall, we believe everyone is equal and deserves the same experiences and should be accepted without exception in whatever they do.

RACHEL ISHMAEL, CAMPAIGNS, STONEWALL

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National Student Pride Is SCREAMING #LetsTalkAboutSex (Baby)

By Jamie Wareham National Student Pride Director of Communications Let’s not be coy, Sex is great.

I’m partial to it, myself.

But we’ll leave my stories for another time, because when we try talking about sex, all too often the great British sense of well-to-do manners rather gets-in-the-way.

Here is a stellar example – do you remember your sex-ed class?

Mine was awkward, biological and not sexy at all. Beyond

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the condom on a banana and an uber-clinical description of the reproductive process, all it did was reaffirm vaginas were not my thing – but also, that vaginas ‘were supposed to be.’

If you don’t remember sexed, you might have been one of the unlucky many to have missed out. Due to the rise in academies, only 40% of schools, the state ones, are legally obliged to teach any Sex Education.

Last year listening to the panels at National Student Pride where the key theme was mental health, it became ever clearer to me that if only we were taught that being LGBT was okay during our critical formative years, so many of our communities problems could be solved.

Whether that’s the rising levels of HIV, those struggling with addictions and the higher likelihood LGBT people face of having mental health woes, it was clear. So much of the

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So much of the discussion could be traced back to a toxic shame our society still teaches us to have of gay sex discussion could be traced back to a toxic shame our society still teaches us to have of gay sex, by an education system that doesn’t even do our straight counterparts justice in the bedroom. It’s drummed into us – if we’re not reproducing, then what’s the point? My case and point is epitomised in the Mean Girls Sex-Ed scene quote: “If you have sex, you will get Chlamydia and die.”

Where is the talk of pleasure, and those amazing oxytocin hormones released by loving someone, the biggest and best natural high there is?

Why aren’t we taught about consent and how to say no?

One of my biggest regrets in my sex life is starting it when I did. I wasn’t ready, but I thought I was supposed to.

Sex-Ed at school should have given me the knowledge and empowerment to have the sex I wanted, crucially when I wanted it.

The Department of Education has recently confirmed it is going to look again at how Sex Education is taught. In 2017, the 50th anniversary year since the decriminalisation of gay sex between consenting men over the age of 21, I look

to the Education Secretary Justine Greening. As the first openly LGBT woman to serve in the Cabinet, she has an incredible opportunity to liberate so many young minds and champion our voice during this process.

Last year, it was pop star Will Young speaking on the mental health panel who said: “I used to joke when I go into a gay bar, I can smell the self-hate.”

He linked it to the concept of toxic shame, something which Matthew Todd, who chaired that panel, wrote about in his book ‘Straight Jacket’.

It was inspiring to watch as Will Young spoke so freely about his addictions to love and porn, again, rooted in an early ‘taught shame’ of being any sexuality other than straight.

That’s why Student Pride continues, providing a platform for debate and discussion, driven by students. The 2016 event was a huge success with over 125 Universities and colleges attending. Providing a safe ground for discussion is core to our event because there are so few places to talk and such a need to break down the stigma around talking about sex and relationships (though we’ll go party in our

pink jeans later on too, see you at G-A-Y’s Heaven for the party of the year with a queue that gets as big as Kylie’s).

National Student Pride is also proud to host the biggest LGBT student careers fair of its kind.

Not only is it an integral part of the daytime event, but it also provides the opportunity for employers to reach into the incredible diversity of LGBT students. Corporate sponsorship is essential to keep the daytime event free and therefore accessible to all regardless of age, wage or background.

National Student Pride is platinum sponsored in 2017

by EY for the seventh year.

Maggie Stilwell, Managing Partner for Talent at EY, UK & Ireland, comments: “EY are proud to be the Platinum sponsor for National Student Pride 2017, a partnership we have built and maintained for the last seven years. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is unerring, and the event allows us to connect with young LGBT talent in an environment of respect and opportunity. It’s important to us to show the next generation

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that they will be able to be themselves in the workplace.

Last year thousands of the students from across the UK attended the event, and we are excited to meet even more in February at the Careers Fair. We look forward to the whole weekend festival of events, including the ever popular series of discussions.”

Law firm Clifford Chance and 02 are gold sponsors.

Aviva, Enterprise Rent-acar, GE Capital, IBM, Lloyds Banking Group and Thomson Reuters are silver sponsors.

Steered by a group of graduates, activists and former speakers, every single person who contributes to student pride does so entirely voluntarily. Just like the push for equal marriage, the event is driven by a group of students who ask for nothing in return.

The event began at Oxford Brookes University in 2005 as a response to the Christian

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Union’s ‘Homosexuality and the Bible’ talk. Student Pride continues this mantra in its 12th year. Student Pride is returning to the University of Westminster’s Marylebone campus opposite Madame Tussaud’s and continues to host its club events with G-A-Y. The venue which, over the years since we started collaborating with them, has improved their gender neutral toilet facilities and, despite a difficult end to the year in 2016, is working closely with UK Black Pride and us to make their clubs an inclusive space for BAME people.

Every year we shine a spotlight on prejudice by engaging with partners because we believe that conversation and words have an inextricable power to change lives.

What’s clear is the need for our marginalised community to look in on itself. We’ll be proudly screaming about

the need for same sex relationships to be discussed in all schools, both primary and secondary. But this year we’ll also cover bullying, including within the community which is far too often racist as well as intersectionality. That fancy word, for how your many intertwining identities, including being a massive Taylor Swift fan as well as having a disability and being gay, is what makes you, YOU. Tickets for the event are on sale now: The daytime festival at the University of Westminster is free and open to all - club nights at G-A-Y and Heaven are £5 for a weekend wristband, and for an exclusive film extra, see www. studentpride.co.uk/tickets.

So stick on Salt N Pepa, we’re talking about sex, and it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Talking About Mental Health Counts For The 4 In 5 Students That Will Face It This Year

By Bethany Glover - Student Pride Social Media Officer Realising that I wasn’t straight was arduous.

It’s rare for any teenager to have an ‘easy’ time with hormones a-rage.

But, having grown up around some closed-minded people, coming to terms with my sexuality was hard.

Pairing this with depression left me dealing with a lot of self-hatred.

The sad reality of the picture is, I’m not alone. LGBT people of all ages face low self-esteem trying to keep their sexuality a secret, which can be due to the worries of coming out to those they love, the stigma attached to being LGBT or how they may be treated by people in everyday life. According to Young Minds, more than half of LGB pupils have experienced direct bullying. Those who are bullied are at a higher risk of suicide, self-harm and depression.

I’ve also experienced the feeling of the unknown before coming out.

Not knowing if your friends and family would be 100% accepting of your sexuality on top of all of that is terrifying. Coming out was

an incredibly freeing experience for me and I’m lucky to have an amazing, open-minded Mum and friends who each took my sobbing self into their arms after I came out to them as bisexual. However, not everyone else is as lucky.

The negative portrayal of the LGBT community in the media can often also have a negative impact on the way some LGBT students view themselves. However, with iconic LGBTI stars raising more and more awareness for mental health within the community, mental health is thankfully beginning to become less stigmatised within society.

At last year’s National Student Pride, which focused on Mental Health, Will Young spoke about his addictions to love, porn and alcohol that was linked to a toxic shame of being gay that he’d picked up whilst growing up. There are also role models like Lady Gaga who recently opened up about living with post-traumatic stress disorder while meeting with homeless LGBT youth during thanksgiving.

LGBT role models who speak out about their own experiences can

deeply impact those who are also struggling and give them someone who they can relate to in times where they may feel alone.

When 44% of young (16-24 year old) LGBT people have considered suicide it’s clear that we need to keep talking about mental health especially with students who, according to a 2015 NUS study, 4 in 5 face mental health issues.

Conversations about mental health are powerful and invaluable.

The more people who are aware that it’s just as important as physical health, the better.

It’s always crucial to remember how much of an incredibly important individual you are.

People will always try to tear others down but sexuality is a beautiful thing, so own it! Life is always worth living and always remember that the tough times will end.

If you want to talk to someone about your own mental health, call the Samaritans 24/7, 365 days a year on 116 123.

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Bi Erasure, All We Want Is A Little Respect

By Charlie-Ann Mathers - Student Pride Press Officer I’d been out as Bi to my family for two years when I expressed an interest in a female to them. The only partner of mine that they’d been made of aware of since my coming out was a male. I hoped they wouldn’t bat an eyelid but their response was gutting.

“Oh... I thought that you were just interested in guys now.”

I got this kind of bi-phobic comment all the time, and it has a deep impact on a Bisexual person, invalidating and undermining our identity.

Multiple Bisexual specific organisations came together in 2012 to write The Bisexuality Report. It looks at the experiences of bisexual people and proposes ideas on tackling biphobia. It showed that, compared to their lesbian and gay counterparts in Canada, where the survey was taken, Bisexual people were 6 times more likely to feel suicidal.

One story in The Bisexuality Report that stuck out to me, whilst anonymous, could have easily been written by me.

“Being bi has never really been an issue for me or those

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close to me, but other people’s assumptions really annoy me.

People tend to think I’m gay unless they know I’m with an opposite-sex partner, and then they assume I’m straight, which makes me feel invisible.”

A famous case of someone, definitely not invisible, bisexual singer KLOE had to defend herself for kissing a female in her music video for track ‘Liability’, explaining that she kissed a girl in her video because she likes girls as well, “not for views or to appeal to a certain audience.”

Most worryingly, bisexual erasure comes from within the LGBT community all the time too. Take National Student Pride 2016. We were delighted to have a bisexual panellist on every debate we had. However, at the end of the weekend, a survey feedback revealed that people didn’t think there was enough Bisexuality representation!

I can only guess that because they hadn’t specifically stated, they presumed there was no Bi representation. Perhaps we’ll get them to dress up like prominent bi activist Lewis Oakley this year. It’s

sad that, to most people, it would appear that they only see the LGT in LGBT. What my, whilst unfortunate, experiences of Bisexual erasure have taught me is how important it is to be loud and proud about your sexuality.

If someone does make an unacceptable comment in conversation, do not be afraid to assure them that you are indeed Bisexual. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t be afraid of talking about the hot guy on the till, or the goodlooking waitress who just served you. It’s okay to feel like a hot mess over both.

Fed up of being called greedy, and to “come back to me once you’ve made up your mind”?

Let’s be clear. The definition of bisexual, with thanks to Collins’, is: “sexually attracted by both men and women.”

Yes, both. That’s just how I am.

So, to quote some Erasure, with all the irony that inflicts, all Bi people want is a little respect. Sexuality is a beautiful and fluid spectrum, time to embrace the whole rainbow.

Harold The Hand Puppet Giraffe Taught Me About Sex

By Brandon Pfeiffer -Student Pride Marketing Officer ‘It’s time for the talk.’

The words we all dread to hear.

But it seems fitting that, as Student Pride hits puberty in its 12th year, we embark on that ride.

As we prepare for the event, I got thinking about Sun, a character in the Netflix series Sense8 who says: “We exist...because of sex. It’s not something to be afraid of. It’s something to honour. To enjoy.”

What better way to honour sex than to talk about it? It’s not something we do often. For far too many talking about Sex-Ed conjures thoughts of condoms on Bananas, awkward silences and feelings of discomfort.

In the early 00’s, one of the first times I was taught about sex was in a dark, sweaty and cramped van by Healthy Harold and Tammy.

Harold was a hand-puppet Giraffe. Tammy was an anatomical mannequin that talked, lit up and would drop her plastic organs onto the floor without warning.

Tammy was the original hot-mess.

While the conditions of the van were perhaps a foreshadowing of my own first sexual experience I, like many other Australian and UK children, were taught about sex at School.

Being taught the intricacies of the ‘birds & the bees’, a terrible euphemism, was often met with immature laughter and awkwardness from classmates.

But for many LGBT+ youth the shallow nature of Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) received can be even more awkward and possibly harmful when it is incorrect or worse when absent altogether.

With recent confirmation in November that the Department of Education is looking into how SRE is taught in the UK, it is positive to see there is at least some dialogue taking place. But when it comes to talking about ‘The Talk’, there is still more to be done.

Late last year The Terrence Higgins Trust released a report based on a survey earlier in the year of 914 young people aged between 16-25. The report both highlighted young people’s want and need for inclusive and good quality SRE, with one key finding that 97% thought all SRE in the UK should be LGBT-inclusive.

In reading the report I was intrigued to find Victoria, the state where I grew up in, mentioned as an example of where SRE is part of the statutory curriculum in Australia.

While SRE was part of the compulsory curriculum I experienced growing up, it certainly fell short of providing me with recognisable and life-affirming content that I so desperately needed during my teen years.

much of a difference adequate guidance could have been to my own development. Putting it simply, it would have made an entire world of difference.

Without doubt in my mind a more inclusive curriculum at school would have been an earlier catalyst for me to accept who I am. I can easily say that the potential time and mental energy used would have been better served helping me to realise where my passions lay and what I actually wanted to do after High School.

Instead it took graduation for me to fully begin to move from naivety and denial to start accepting who I am.

While it would be easy to dwell on what might have been, and mourn the loss of what I could have put my energy towards, I choose to put the experiences I have gained to something bigger and better.

My experience of Sex Education may not have been ideal but, if I can get taught Sex-Ed by a mouldy Puppet Giraffe and a diva named Tammy and turn out ok (or, okay-ish), then surely any talk on Sex-Ed is worth having.

National Student Pride’s main theme this year is Sex Education and runs from 24th to 26th February.

Since finishing High School I have come to wonder just how

LGBTHM 2017 - 19

HEALTH EDUCATION ENGLAND The NHS is the largest employer in Europe with over 1.4m employees working in a variety of settings, including hospitals, GP surgeries, community clinics and care homes, amongst others. They perform over 300 different roles and each and every one makes a difference to patients and service users every single day.

Health Education England is England’s health and healthcare workforce organisation. We exist for one reason: to support the delivery of high quality healthcare and health improvement to patients and public by ensuring that the workforce of today and tomorrow has the right numbers, skills, values

A diverse and inclusive workforce can encourage us to develop new ways of thinking

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20 - LGBTHM 2017

and behaviours, at the right time and in the right place.

Health Education England is working to design solutions that support innovative recruitment, retention, staff development and workforce transformation initiatives that are taking place at local, regional and national levels, which will improve NHS services and quality of care, underpinned by the values of the NHS Constitution.

In working to achieve this, we recognise the role we play as

We operate recruitment and employment policies that are fair, open, consistent and free from discrimination

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a system leader in creating an NHS that is inclusive and shows respect and dignity to all staff, patients and the public, including those from the LGBT community.

In 2017, we will be developing resources to support NHS in the implementation of a sexual orientation monitoring standard, which will aim to develop better informationgathering about patients/ service users (aged 16 years and over) across the whole of health and social care

(including commissioned health and social care services) in England.

As a Stonewall Diversity Champion, and through work with the LGBT Foundation, Health Education England will continue to engage with LGBT communities, looking for opportunities to promote consideration of sexual orientation and gender identity across the NHS.

And equally, as an employer, Health Education England recognises that a diverse and inclusive workforce can encourage us to develop new ways of thinking, leading to improvements and innovations in the way we do things. For us, it is vital that all staff and the learners we support are treated fairly and are all enabled to reach their full potential.

We operate recruitment and employment policies that are fair, open, consistent and free from discrimination. In our offices across England, we employ multi-skilled staff with a variety of professional backgrounds and perspectives, who demonstrate the right values and behaviours for an inclusive and forwardlooking organisation. For the latest opportunities please visit http://jobs.hee.nhs.uk/

LGBTHM 2017 - 21

LGBT and the LAW A personal perspective Five Legal Milestones in my lifetime and what they mean to me

By Adam Pemberton There have been major legal milestones in the last 50 years that have had a significant impact on the LGBTQI community. Here, Adam Pemberton, Corporate Director at Barnardo’s, shares his personal perspective on five key milestones and what they mean to him.

1985 - blood donation ban (partly lifted in 2011) I have never been allowed to give blood. The ban that was put in place in the 1980s

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as a response to the spread of HIV was eventually, but only partly, lifted in 2011.

Whether I should, today, be able to donate blood without restriction is a complex issue with no easy answers. But I include the original ban on this list as it is, for me, emblematic of a time when, in my early teens, I was struggling with my own identity at exactly the same time as the media was portraying HIV as ‘the gay

plague’. The ban, the iceberg and the tombstone from the ad campaign, and the scared and scary public discourse at the time and for many years afterwards had a powerful impact which I carried with me for a long time.

1988 - Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 (repealed in Scotland in 2000 and the rest of the UK in 2003) Built off the back of public

I dug out a copy of my dissertation to write this and it sparked a rush of memories and feelings.

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concern about HIV in the early 1980s, Section 28 banned local authorities from “intentionally promoting homosexuality” or “promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality”. No prosecution was ever brought under the section and it was eventually abolished, but that isn’t and wasn’t the point. As a teenager, the tone of the debate at the time and in particular the condescension of the phrase “pretended family relationship” really hurt.

The legislation and the rhetoric behind it galvanised a campaign in opposition to the law and, in time, led to the creation of both Stonewall and OutRage! to lobby for its repeal. So, in retrospect, the legislation created the circumstances

not only for its own eventual repeal but for wider progress on LGBT equality generally.

For me, it is cause for hope today that we’ve come far enough that the idea of a child living with a same-sex couple, as described in the book instrumental to the campaign in favour of Section 28, Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin, is now so relatively uncontroversial. And it is also why the debate around compulsory age-appropriate sex and relationships education, of which Barnardo’s is such an active part, connects powerfully and personally for me to this time.

1994 - Reduction of the age of consent for samesex relations between men to 18 (reduced to 16 in 2000)

I was 25 by the time the age of consent was changed from 21 to 18, defeating a measure to lower it to 16 (no age of consent between women was set). The campaign for an equal age of consent was not finally won for another six years. What this meant in practice was that, unlike most of my peers, I went all through school, lived abroad on my own and was in my second year of university before I technically became ‘of age’.

This mattered. The already delicate and often confusing task of being a young man trying to explore my identity and build relationships with others was made even more complicated by a looming threat of legal sanction – even if you tried, as I did, to convince myself that it was largely an empty threat.

LGBTHM 2017 - 23

While the challenges of forging relationships are no different for young men and women today (perhaps even harder in some ways), I am particularly glad that, since 2000, they have been spared the added complexity of what was an openly discriminatory age of consent.

2002 - Rights granted to same-sex couples applying for adoption and the Gender Recognition Act 2004 I have grouped these very different milestones together as, for me, they both hark back to 1991 and my final year dissertation study group at university. As part of the Family in Society seminar there, I chose to write my dissertation on the law around parenting opportunities for gay couples while a good friend wrote hers on the need to change

the law to allow trans people to have their gender recognised. So while we take no personal credit for either, the changes to adoption law in 2002 and the passage of the 2004 Act allowing trans people to acquire a new birth certificate felt like the completion of unfinished business for both of us.

I dug out a copy of my dissertation to write this and it sparked a rush of memories and feelings. It took me back first and foremost to the librarian looking disapprovingly at me when I asked her to send for

The jewellers didn’t bat an eyelid at providing matching rings for two men

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back editions of the ‘Journal of Homosexuality’ to help with my research. The stiff and formal language of the dissertation itself was surprising and reminded me that ‘LGBT’ as a term is really only an invention of the last 25 years or so.

But mainly it showed again how far we have come in recent years and, happily, how distant are much of the case law and attitudes of the 1980s and 1990s. And while I no longer want to be a father as I thought I did in 1991 when I embarked on my dissertation (I’m busy enough being an uncle six times over), it makes me happy that those who want to now have the opportunity to do so. And I know my old friend would feel the same.

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The legislation and the rhetoric behind it galvanised a campaign in opposition to the law and, in time, led to the creation of both Stonewall and OutRage! to lobby for its repeal.

2004 - Civil Partnerships Act, followed by the 2013 Marriage Act Two of the biggest LGBT legal milestones in recent times have, of course, been the advent of civil partnerships and, eventually, full marriage equality. I believe we owe an immense debt of gratitude to those who campaigned long and hard for equality – something which the teenage me, if I could speak to him, would I am sure have found hard to believe would ever come.

sign that the campaign for equality would eventually be won that, even then, the jewellers didn’t bat an eyelid at providing matching rings for two men and that the venues couldn’t have been more excited at hosting us, our families and friends.

Often since the passage of these laws, we’ve been encouraged by friends and family to ‘make it official’ and get married

‘for real’. Never say never, but right now neither of us particularly feels the need.

These laws – and some of the other belated changes described above – are absolutely, vitally important to embed and entrench the principle of LGBT equality and stand as both symbol and signal to the world.

But for us, on 28 November 1998, it wasn’t what really mattered. Because we had our day with each other.

As it happens, my partner and I chose not to wait for the world to catch up and instead had our own celebration in 1998 with all the trappings of a wedding (wedding breakfast, speeches, gift list and so on) – just without any ceremony or legal force. It was probably a

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LGBT History Month is the perfect time to Educate & Celebrate!

Dr Elly Barnes MBE, CEO and Founder

The Educate & Celebrate initiative is innovative and visionary OFSTED January 2016 We are experts in transforming schools and organisations into Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans + Friendly places. Our team of experienced teachers and youth workers have made their own schools LGBT+Friendly in a variety of settings by adopting a preventative and proactive approach that is accessible to all. Our Ofsted and Department for Education recognised programmes give staff, students, parents and governors the strategies to enable positive change, successfully eradicating homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.

The whole principle of Educate & Celebrate has influenced everything in our school life, we have changed our vision statement to reflect it, there are rainbow touches throughout the school Assistant head teacher

Download our lesson plans, posters, assemblies and book collections from http://www.educateandcelebrate.org/resources/ @ enquiries@educateandcelebrate.org

educate_and_celebrate

T 020 7833 5303

educateandcelebrate

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ď Ą donate today at www.educateandcelebrate.org Registered Charity No. 1159367

Educate & Celebrate Offer You: The Educate & Celebrate Award: Join our 120 schools who have achieved their accredited Best Practice Status gaining Bronze, Silver or Gold Awards. The 12 month (intensive or light touch) programme fully supports staff, students, governors and parents to begin the journey to LGBT+Inclusion. www.educateandcelebrate.org/award 1 Day CPD: Our practical and interactive study day is designed to give educators the confidence, resources and strategies to lead the initiative in their own school, leaving with an action plan, policies and effective curriculum ideas to start implementing LGBT+Inclusivity immediately. www.educateandcelebrate.org/training Whole Staff Meeting: One of our experienced regional trainers can be booked to come and deliver a whole staff meeting. The sessions will provide resources, lesson plans, guidance and an action plan to effectively lead on LGBT+Inclusion. www.educateandcelebrate.org/training/ PRIDE Youth Networks: Are an ever growing network of young people who make positive change within their own schools and the community. Our trainers empower young people to lead campaigns, create notice boards, hold panel debates and events to increase the visibility of LGBT+ in the school environment. www.educateandcelebrate.org/pride-youth-network/ Student Workshops: We offer a full range of gender identity and sexual orientation assemblies and classroom sessions with students at all key stages. www.educateandcelebrate.org/student-workshops/

truth shapes who we are as a community and individuals in all aspects of our lives.

All of my school life and into my early adolescence I was bullied verbally and physically for being gay – except that I wasn’t. The term ‘gay’ was what bullies used to be cruel, along with picking on me for being ugly, overweight, acne-ridden and a ‘geek’, but it did the job that it was intended to do.

I won’t for one moment begin by claiming that my coming out story is any more harrowing than the experiences others have had and sadly still persist today. Indeed, I’m heartbroken still each time I hear that another young person or adult who has made one of the most difficult decisions of their life has suffered verbal, mental or physical abuse as a result of coming out as gay, lesbian,

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bisexual, trans or anything that sits as something other than the ‘expected norm’.

But the process of coming out is one that is in many ways unique to and binding among the LGBT community.

It’s an experience we all share in different ways, no matter whether it was easy or difficult, and that single act of

I had names shouted at me at on a daily basis, was routinely punched and kicked, had my property constantly stolen or defaced, shot at, had my clothes set on fire while I was still wearing them and, in the single most brutal act, had a plastic bag tied over my head by a gang and beaten. And for me, like many, it wasn’t just the abuse handed out by others that did the damage.

The constant onslaught of attack led to acts of self-harm and withdrawal, leading me to those dark places of the mind that no-one should have to go, which themselves did cut just as deeply as the harm done by my bullies.

All this meant that at the age of 24, when I finally summoned up the bravery to come out, every single vile and violent memory of that time as a teenager came flooding

inspector asking me to move along as I was sitting in the quiet carriage. Charming.

back to me and filled me with fear that that was how people would react again.

I had been in a long-term straight relationship with a girl and when that broke down I found myself in such a state of turmoil at the age of 22 that I experimented, for want of a better phrase, and found I had a stronger affinity to men, not just in a sexual way but emotionally. But I was so afraid of what my friends would think: Had I been lying to them all this time? Was I still the person they knew?

Had I betrayed their trust?

Would they ostracise me too?

The first time I actually told someone that I was gay was the hardest. I remember clearly

being on a train going home one evening after a date with a guy that had gone really well and just wanting to tell someone and share my excitement, but the spectre of judgment and hatred loomed over me at the same time. I decided to call my best friend Julie. I’d known her for years and couldn’t imagine her being anything other than supporting, yet I still recall dialing the number and praying with each dial tone that she wouldn’t pick up, such was the fear building inside me. She answered and suddenly, out of nowhere came a flood of emotion and freedom as I told her everything. I was balling my eyes out and she was in tears too and the experience was marred only by a tap on the shoulder from the ticket

That feeling of relief was replicated with each and every other friend and it turned out that the act of coming out, that single act of honesty was actually something which brought me closer to those that I loved. And with honesty comes authenticity, being able to be exactly who I was without any edits or spin meant my friends understood the personal struggle and journey that I had been through. It is the bravest thing that I have ever done – and having the confidence and strength to be honest and open has built not only strong friendships but strong working relationships too.

Working in PR, authenticity runs through the core of what we do as communicators – when clients seek advice as to the best way to approach an issue, the answer is invariably routed in how to best communicate whatever you have to say in a way that is authentic to the reader. It’s the difference between communicating and transmitting: don’t just convey a message that you

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The process of coming out is one that is in many ways unique to and binding among the LGBT community LGBTHM 2017 - 29

depression. I can still vividly recall those feelings of selfloathing, inadequacy and wretchedness which all come flooding back when I think of the years of abuse and degradation and probably will for the rest of my life, but equally, they were all an important part of shaping who I am today.

think should be heard, rather make sure your message can be understood and comprehended in a way that is relatable to your audience and free from any gloss that distracts from the truth of what you have to say.

But being authentic also runs through the core of who I am in both my professional and personal relationships.

Working in communications, it’s important that those I work with trust me and respect my judgment – openness and honesty is a big part of that. And it’s not about being a stereotype or being overt about my sexuality, but rather being able to build strong and meaningful personal relationships with those I work with so that when it comes to business,

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people know I’m a safe pair of hands. Communication is always a two-way process and being sincere when I talk to others encourages openness and sincerity in return.

Coming out meant the freedom to be myself which, in turn, built trust with my friends who continue to be nothing other than supportive. Some of the feelings from my youth will never fully go away, but I no longer see the term ‘gay’ as being one of hatred or degradation but a part of my life I can now talk about with pride and confidence.

I still carry the scars of growing up even today. Fortunately they are not physical, but they continue to have a profound effect on my confidence and self-image and still bring

I find the idea of bullying abhorrent, whether it’s because of sexuality or any other reason, and I know that when I say ‘it gets better’ it will sound like an easy thing to say – having to hide who you are will always stop you from being your authentic self, but I know as much as anyone that it takes both courage and the support of others to allow yourself to open up. To anyone reading this who is going through what I went through; remember to have strength, seek strength from those around you and know that being yourself and confident about it will stand you in good stead for the relationships you build for the rest of your life.

Benjamin Thiele-Long is an Account Director at US UK communications agency Infinite Global. He lives in East London with his husband Ian, an Interior Architect.

Get tested. Stay protected. Find out how at:

StartsWithMe.org.uk

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Terrence Higgins Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (reg. no. 288527) and in Scotland (SC039986). Company reg.no. 1778149.

Josh Gutteridge

DROP THE APP AND MEET FACE TO FACE

By Josh Gutteridge 32 - LGBTHM 2017

G

rowing up as a gay Jehovah’s Witness was not easy. I grew up in Measham - a small countryside village in Leicestershire.

From a young age I always felt different but could never quite put my finger on what that might be. I’d spend much of my time as a teenager knocking on people’s doors while struggling with, what I later found out to be, internalised confusion about my sexuality.

Being a Jehovah’s Witness means you are part of a very friendly and supportive group. You can travel the world and stay with people who treat you like their family. However, I was always told it was a sin to practice homosexuality. My male friends always used to speak about girls so I tried to hide my feelings by pretending I liked girls too.

However, I always found it easier to make friends and talk to girls.

When I eventually discussed my feelings with my parents at the age of 14, they told me that I had to focus on doing more for God and to not worry as sometimes people go through phases of liking people of the same sex during puberty but that it won’t last.

At the age of 17 I went online and started messaging a guy, and the feeling that somebody understood me for once was overwhelming. However, I still

had a feeling of such strong guilt accompanied with a big fear that I was displeasing God. I confessed a few months later to my parents that I had been seeing a guy and that we’d experimented sexually. My father asked me immediately to keep my toothbrush separate from the rest of the families in case they were going to catch HIV and if I’ve ever fantasised about sleeping with my brother and sister. I was also asked to text the guy and tell him that he couldn’t contact me again. I then had to destroy the SIM card in my mobile phone and never contact him again. There was, and continues to be, so much lack of education around homosexuality in smaller religious communities.

At the age of 19 I needed an escape so I requested to be sent over to France to help set up an English speaking Jehovah’s Witness group in Provence, France.

I spent 3 years preaching to English speaking people and lived

with a French family who didn’t speak a word of English. During this period I’d put my feelings in a box and didn’t allow myself to access them but also had a great time learning about a new culture. I later returned to the UK in January 2003 and started the first of many years of therapy.

Later that year I started dating my first ever boyfriend, Jordan.

Whilst the relationship was hidden from my friends and family it was so nice to eventually feel as though somebody cared.

As Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Christmas, I spent my first Christmas with his family and they explained to me all of the traditions. This period however was very hard. Whenever we were in public together I’d always be looking over my shoulder to see if anybody had seen us.

During this time Sarah, my therapist, was somebody who over the years became a great support to me. She helped me to

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I spent my first Christmas with his family and they explained to me all of the traditions LGBTHM 2017 - 33

decided to slowly try our best to encourage a bit of social change.

A few weeks later we had launched KRUSH Network – a place for people of the LGBT+ community to network professionally, make new friends and even maybe find a date. The events are held in unique locations across the capital and other major cities.

We don’t earn money from KRUSH and run it because we want to help people network. not feel guilty about my feelings of being gay and that they were completely natural. She helped me to build the confidence to approach my parents in November 2014 and tell them that I could no longer live a double life.

A week later I was disfellowshipped from the Jehovah’s Witness community.

This meant that I was no longer allowed to speak to my family and friends and they could no longer contact me. Over two years on and I haven’t heard from my parents since.

London Life After I lost contact with my parents and friends I decided to move to London six months later with my boyfriend. This wasn’t easy either. I think most people who move to London will agree with me that it’s not the easiest city to become established in. From the flat hunt to making new friendship groups, it’s not an easy task.

My boyfriend and I had grown apart in the past year and I

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have no doubt that the loss of my family and the move was a considerable part of that. We split later in May. This was probably one of the darkest moments in my life – a real feeling that I had very few people in my life who could look out for me. I remember walking the streets of London crying, wondering in which direction my life was going.

Around this time I met Manuel.

He became like a brother to me and his family accepted me with open arms. We became flatmates later that year and have been best friends ever since.

Turning Something Negative into a Positive In March 2016 I sat down with my flatmate at the breakfast table and we had a discussion about how hard the LGBT+ dating scene is in London especially with everything being very app-focused. When you find somebody you’d like to meet on public transport, walking down the street or even in a bar they are always on their phones. So we

We have a variety of non-intrusive ways of encouraging people to network. When you register at the beginning of the event you’ll be given a card (for example the King of hearts) and if you find the other three people in the room with the same card you all get a free drink. Many people have made some great new friends this way.

We’ve had great positive feedback from our events. One gay man who recently attended said: “it was the best LGBT+ networking event I have been to for a while… from the amazing interior and great turn-out.”

We’ve also had people that have been scouted for fashion shoots, selected to be on exclusive dating sites and more. Each event is so different and has its own amazing opportunities.

To find out about our next KRUSH event near you visit www.krushnetwork.com or add KRUSH to your social networks with the social media handle ‘krushnetwork’.

Make the Connection – Careers at National Grid Every day we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities and businesses; connect people to the energy they need for the lives they live and help communities thrive and economies grow.

Our people make the difference, it’s their impressive expertise and genuine dedication that will ensure we meet our purpose.

Everyone at National Grid contributes and it’s the sheer dedication of our people that gives us the energy to deliver. So we look for talent and innovation, we expect high performance and we believe in opportunity for enthusiastic people who share our ambition, values and mind set.

From sites and offices to our huge range of after-work clubs and social events,

the National Grid culture reflects a commitment to inclusion and diversity. Our people are actively encouraged to treat everyone with respect and value every contribution.

To ensure the whole community feels welcomed and valued, we’ve created Employee Resource Groups. They’re designed to support our people at work and champion improved understanding; Pride, Our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Supporters’ Network is a great example.

It’s a network of National Grid employees who support LGBT colleagues, friends and family. Collectively, we embrace our differences and celebrate the value that diversity brings to National Grid.

To find out more about opportunities within National Grid, visit our website: careers.nationalgrid.com

pride within National Grid

The Pride LGBT Supporters’ Network is a network of National Grid employees who support LGBT colleagues, friends and family. We caught up with the co-lead of National Grid’s Pride network, Melanie Jackson, to hear about their history, achievements and future plans.

Q. How long has National Grid had an LGBT employee network?

A. The Pride Network was founded in November 2007 and launched by our current co-chair, Chris Murray CEO of Xoserve. I attended the event and was particularly inspired by Chris’ speech where he stated that the aim of the network was to ensure fairness within the organisation. He recounted the first time he became aware of LGBT issues, his housemate came out to him whilst on a graduate scheme in 1977. The look of relief and happiness on his friend’s face afterwards had a huge impact on Chris and since then he has been an ally.

‘Pride’ taking part in the 2016 London Pride Parade

Q. What activities and events does the Pride Network organise?

A. A highlight in recent years has been our conference events. This gives our employees the opportunity to come together to share best practice, network with colleagues and focus on the strategy for the upcoming year. We have been fortunate to have several guest speakers who have really inspired our employees with their personal stories. These include; Claire Balding, the journalist Paris Lees, Paralympians Lee Pearson and Claire Harvey and the rugby player Gareth Thomas. An annual event for the Network is London Pride; an incredibly enjoyable day which gives National Grid the opportunity to show we support the LGBT community and value everybody, regardless of their sexuality.

Q. Why do you think it is important for National Grid to have an LGBT network?

A. Surveys have shown that over half of LGBT people employed in Engineering choose to remain in the closet through fear of the impact coming out and homophobia would have on their professional careers.

Pride raises the visibility of LGBT issues within National Grid and offers support to all our colleagues.

Initiatives implemented have been; reverse mentoring programmes with senior leadership teams, shared events with other utilities such as Centrica and EDF and recruiting at Student Pride. This positively impacts our working culture and improves the experience of LGBT employees in the company.

An interview with PRIDE’s co-lead To understand what it’s like to work at National Grid as an LGBT employee we caught up with Alex Bendix, the colead of the employee resource group PRIDE. He joined the company as a graduate in 2012 after attending a careers event in Manchester.

Q. Can you describe a little about your LGBT history?

Q. Did you feel comfortable to come out at work?

A. I came out at the age 21 when I was in my final year of university.

I can’t remember exactly what triggered the decision but, I do remember an almost light switch moment over the Christmas holidays where I accepted that I was gay and that I couldn’t keep lying to myself.

I decided I would ‘experiment’ on my return to university in January to confirm that this was indeed the case. Suffice to say the experiment confirmed my feelings and I gradually told the majority of my family and friends over the following year. I realise that I have been very fortunate as I haven’t had a negative experience from anyone, friends or family members that I’ve told and that includes my very conservative Granny.

A. My first week on the graduate scheme was an induction to the company which included an equality and diversity module; an external drama company used role play to challenge our unconscious biases and behaviours. This investment into my training really highlighted to me that the culture at National Grid reflected a real commitment to diversity and that I would be valued as an LGBT employee.

Q. How long have you worked for National Grid?

A. I’ve been with National Grid for four years, I started on the Graduate Scheme which was an 18-month programme and constituted 3 different roles. Three years on and my current job title is ‘Development Engineer’; essentially I’m a Project Manager, responsible for developing the design for future overhead line construction projects.

Coming out to the Graduates was relatively straightforward as there were many social events in the first few weeks of the scheme and everyone was naturally interested in each other’s lives and backgrounds.

Coming out in the wider business was not as straightforward, every new team I joined and every individual I met had to be made aware at some point if our relationship was to grow.

My experience so far has taught me that you never stop coming out at work but, if you have colleagues and managers that take an interest in you as a person then it is a much easier process.

Alex (right) on holiday in New York with fiancée Davood (left)

Q. Why did you get involved with ‘Pride’?

A. On my first day of the Graduate Scheme I debated whether I should tell my new colleagues that I was gay. I joined Pride to ensure that National Grid truly lives the values it promotes, so that both our current and prospective LGBT employees have no concerns that they can be themselves whilst at work. Six months ago I had the honour of being asked to take over as co-lead; it’s my aim to drive the group on with as much enthusiasm and dedication as my predecessor.

Q. What are the benefits of being involved with Pride?

A. The committee is formed from a multitude of colleagues, of all seniorities from across the business.

This leads to collaborative working and knowledge share between individuals and teams who wouldn’t normally interact. Events, whilst great fun, also provide excellent networking opportunities with both internal and external stakeholders. My leadership

skills are slowly improving too, leading a team of volunteers who have other commitments can be challenging at times.

Q. What are your plans for the future?

A. Within my career I would like to progress within the company to a more senior level. I would love to be able to demonstrate that one can be openly gay within National Grid and reach senior management. From my experience with the company, I believe that the only thing that will hinder this plan is my capability, not my sexuality.

As for my personal life, I’m engaged and have set a date for summer of 2018 which is very exciting and the planning is taking up most of my spare time. Longer term, I would love to have children one day, although as to the exact method, I haven’t quite figured that out yet. Whatever happens I know I’ll be fully supported by friends, family, colleagues and National Grid.

AINT NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH TO KEEP ME FROM ME! A Journey of Self Discovery by Christina Riley Finding herself on a bicycle riding across the UK in the dropping temperatures of September 2016 newly visible as female was something that was beyond her imagination

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a year ago. But the feeling Christina discovered deep within to be her authentic self, her true gender, in front of complete strangers that would once terrify her, is

now her confidence. The very thought of stepping out of her front door as Christina was disabling but, she did it, and did it in style. Christina Riley Cycled across Britain,

“

I discovered my dysphoria was not going away

all 970 miles, beating her demons and raising money for charity in the process.

Christina Riley from LGBT Construct tells her story, in her own words about how she battled with gender dysphoria to be the woman she is today.

“For over 25 years I knew she was there, inside, wanting to be out, 25 years living as Chris and never allowing Christina to come out.

Coming out as transgender was the hardest thing I had to do in my life. And like the bike ride I completed in September last year, there were many mountains to climb, conquer, get over the top and back down the other side again.

For years I had suffered panic attacks directly linked to my gender dysphoria, a secret that I had kept since I was five years of age.

Back then I remember I was inquisitive about my gender, and differences between the binary, man and woman.

By the age of 15 I had begun exploring dressing differently but it wasn’t until I graduated and found myself with a career in the male dominated

industry of construction that I discovered my dysphoria was not going away. I knew to be my true self, I had to transition to female to save myself from the hidden stress that was so debilitating.

One day in 2005 I had a chronic severe panic attack that made me feel as though nothing could save me, I had a real sense of fear that I was going to die from this episode. That day I knew enough was enough, no more hiding and keeping it to myself. I had to come out.

My doctor was first as I had to tell him the real reason as to why I was suffering these consistent panic attacks.

Eventually I got to go to talking therapy, a therapy that helped me to understand what was happening to me, how I was feeling about myself and which allowed me to talk openly about who I am. To be honest, I’d advise anyone to go to talking therapy. I found being able to confide in someone and be my true self was a huge relief.

Just being able to talk to someone, someone who didn’t judge, someone who listened to me, Christina, and heard me for the first time helped so much, so much so that I wept, happy

tears and ten years of panic attacks were gone overnight.

Talking therapy was just the beginning, the start of my new life. Only when I accepted Christina myself everyday could I move forward.

With several friends supporting me, who had completed transitioning themselves, only then did I find out truly what living a new life as my authentic self would be like at home and in the work place.

Coming out: I knew now I had to find the strength to tell my children, my parents and the rest of my family.

I have to confess I couldn’t find the strength or the path to tell my children, which I regret deeply to this day, and unfortunately a councillor had that privilege.

I wish I had control that day and the strength to do so. It resulted in me not speaking to them for over four months, which destroyed me, but through that pain and upset I had to continue with my transition, socially, at whatever cost in order to become healthy again.

LGBTHM 2017 - 41

had them when I came out.

At the launch of their LGBT network, I felt so determined and knew that I would be supported by the network. I knew I was safe and able to come out. And that’s what I did. In March 2014 with the LGBT Network, I met with HR and the directors of my company. I told them what was happening and what would be needed from them to support me and a plan was put in place – a plan for me to transition whilst still keeping my job.

I then told my parents but had to do this by writing a hand-written letter and giving it to them. They were quite shocked and that is all I will say. That was perhaps the hardest thing I have ever had to do. It was the longest five minutes of silence I have had to endure in my life.

Social media:

Following the family it was time to come out to my best friend, who has been my rock and pillar of support – our friendship has never changed.

Then social media! What was going to happen? The joys of social media do take away a lot of the grief and worry.

Just write your message, press post and then wait for the whole world to collapse

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around you.

The feeling of the unknown that gets you in your stomach when you receive a “someone has replied to your post” on Facebook was awful, the worry of not being accepted or understood by my network of friends, or so I thought.

The response I got was 98% positive. A couple of friends could not deal with the news of my transition, but the overwhelming response was amazing.

Work:

I am fortunate my employer has an LGBT network group, and these are very rare in the construction industry.

I know of only two other construction companies that

Six months later we held an exceptional meeting and told all the staff in the office and out on site that I was going to be changing my gender.

A day that I never thought would come, something I thought I could never do as it would never happen in my chosen career of construction.

With the support of an LGBT network in your industry I anything is possible – never underestimate the power of a safe space to be yourself.

I took a two week break from work, giving me time to sort out my wardrobe and appearance, and also to have a clean break from being Chris, to becoming Christina.

Leaving the office as Chris was a sad moment for me too though. The male version of

myself would never be seen again. It was like Chris is passing on, never to be heard of again. Of course this isn’t true as Chris lives on inside Christina. With the same interests and same hobbies and all the history that made me who I am today.

The Ride:

I wanted something completely different, not just as a challenge to me but also to raise awareness of LGBT Networks and mental health support in the work place. So my mind was made up - I was going to cycle across Britain raising money for Mind, Stonewall, Refuge, Barnardo’s and RU Coming Out. My Ride Across Britain from Land’s End to John O’Groats was a 970 mile journey.

I hadn’t been on a bike for 30 years, so riding between 98 and 130 miles a day was going to be a huge challenge.

We left Land’s End on the first day, climbing 7000ft over 107 miles. It was tough but good to get the hardest part out the way, and it was amazing seeing Bath and Ludlow, as well as crossing the Severn Bridge, on my bike.

On day four we endured a rolling thunderstorm. Whilst frightening to be out in it, the experience was exhilarating.

By day seven, “the killer day” (130 miles in 12 hours), we reached Ben Nevis and

with a few days to go I realised what I had achieved.

A life-affirming journey of everything that nature could throw at me - everything I didn’t believe physically or mentally I could do, a journey of self discovery and what a way to do it!

On day nine we rode with a large group across the finish line at John O’Groats. I had done it! I had conqurered my fears and enjoyed every bit of the challenge. What an amazing journey and possibly the best way to see England, Wales and Scotland.

Life:

So two years on, the shock of changing gender has all but vanished. Life is quite normal. Whatever normal is.

I’ve lived it, I’ve been through the dark times and faced adversity, I survived a cycle across the UK - now look at me.

Life and work is going well.

I have become the Chair of the LGBT Network at the construction company I work for, a Diversity Role model and an ambassador for Inter Engineering.

I have also set up a forum called LGBT Construct which is a place for people to come to and openly talk about diversity and mental health in the construction industry. I

“

A life-affirming journey of everything that nature could throw at me have been invited to speak at various events including the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveying on International Coming Out Day and have also spoken at Crossrail events for their “Stepping Up week” too. The forum is becoming more and more visible through social media and word of mouth so look out for me at various events up and down the country, or if you see me cycling across the UK again, stop me and say hello. Don’t be afraid to ask me anything. I’m always happy to chat and help out in any way I can.

Also, for my sins, I am going to be cycling again this year in aid of The Prince’s Trust.

You can sponsor me on my fund-raising page http:// uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ ChristinaRiley and follow me on twitter at @LGBTonstruct.

LGBTHM 2017 - 43

A KEY part of Barnardo’s LGBT work is with children and young people, those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or those questioning their sexual or gender identity (LGBTQ). This aims to help children and young people understand diversity and identity issues, and learn about healthy relationships.

Our campaign for age appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE) to be made compulsory in all schools continues and had drawn the attention of the national media.

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For many children and young people, dealing with diversity issues and finding their own identity can be difficult. For some, it can lead to selfharm, suicidal thoughts and low self-esteem. This can make them vulnerable to exploitation and poor educational achievement.

Barnardo’s works with a diverse cross-section of children, young people and their families, many of them with a direct or indirect link to lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans (LGBT) issues. The charity runs a range of services to provide support

and help to educate children and young people about diversity and to increase their LGBTQ awareness.

One of these is Positive Identities, a service that challenges the attitudes, perceptions and behaviours of schools, families, faith and wider communities towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and questioning children and young people. One example is our faith toolkit which looks at tackling and preventing homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying where there are issues relating to faith,

culture and religion. Another scheme is Barnardo’s Equality AMbassadors (BEAMS), a peer mentoring initiative that is supported by a ‘Staff BEAM’ and a number of student BEAMS in each school in Calderdale.

Projects such as these have helped Jaike Mogg-Wright, 14, from Halifax, who last year began going to the Calderdale Identity Youth Group, in West Yorkshire.

Jaike had found it difficult to make friends and be open with his peers about his feelings. It was also having an adverse effect on his education. But Positive Identities Service introduced him to people going through the same experience and

with whom he could share his thoughts, journey and concerns without feeling awkward or ostracised.

Indeed the experience has been so transformative that Jaike and his friends have shared their stories on Instagram. The account now has 4,000 followers, not only from the UK but as far afield as Australia and the US. “The support group had been a really positive experience for all of us and we wanted to extend this help to others, and let them know that they weren’t the only ones dealing with these issues,” Jaike explained.

“One day while online I found an LGBTQ support group on Instagram called ‘The Queer Ones’. This was a safe space for anyone wanting to share their problems with others who had experienced the same issues and to get support.

“At the time, they were looking for additional administrators so I sent them a direct message and very soon I was one of the admin team for an international LGBTQ support group - something I could not have ever imagined myself doing before.

“

Through Positive Identities, I have found new confidence to get out and meet people and share my experiences to help others.

School can be a very isolating place for anyone who feels a bit different. The Positive Identities scheme has shown me that none of us are alone.”

LGBTHM 2017 - 45

FOR five years Paul and Ian, a same sex couple from West Sussex, had battled to achieve their dream of becoming parents.

They contacted nine local authorities about adopting, but to their dismay were turned away every time.

Then a friend recommended Barnardo’s, the children’s charity, and they are now the proud parents of two brothers, aged eight and nine, who had been with

46 - LGBTHM 2017

separate foster parents before they were reunited.

as valid today as it was in the Victorian era.

“We’d talked about adopting for five years, so when it finally happened it felt incredible,” said Ian, 49, who has been with Ian for 17 years.

One of the charity’s most cherished beliefs is that no-one should suffer discrimination as a result of their sexual orientation, and Barnardo’s has become a champion of diversity and inclusion, particularly where the LGBTQ community is concerned.

Since Thomas Barnardo created his eponymous charity more than 150 years ago, Barnardo’s has been challenging social perceptions – an approach

Following changes to the law in 2005, in part thanks

“

Barnardo’s has become part of our wider family and we have made friends with both same sex and heterosexual couples through their network meetings.”

to Barnardo’s campaigning, the charity was among the first organisations to embrace and encourage the adoption and fostering of children by same sex couples. It means that many couples have shared the joy experienced by Paul, 46, and Ian.

and happy. They’re at a fantastic school, have their own bedrooms, bicycles and we are lucky enough that we can afford to take them on foreign holidays.”

“Parenting has been a hugely rewarding and challenging experience.

Like any parents we have good and bad days and sometimes we get some things wrong,” said Ian.

Within a fortnight of approaching Barnardo’s, the couple had received a home visit, been assigned a social worker and been given a date for a training course. It took less than a year for Paul and Ian to be approved as adopters and in 2011 the brothers were placed into their care.

“The boys are now eight and nine and very settled

Speaking ahead of LGBT fostering and adoption

week which begins on March 6, Ian and Paul said they wanted to raise awareness that same sex couples and single LGBT carers can adopt and that help for them to do so is available.

“There are still a lot of lesbian and gay people who don’t realise that it’s possible to start their own family,” said Ian. “As life becomes more and more diverse, the make-up of modern families is changing too.

LGBTHM 2017 - 47

Yvonne and Amanda, a same sex couple from County Durham, who have been together for 15 years, have also experienced the rewards of parenting as a result of working with Barnardo’s.

After contacting the charity in 2014, they were initially approved as short-break carers, looking after children during planned breaks from their birth families or carers.

Despite the inevitable challenges, they have never doubted their decision.

“It was a massive career change but because we loved it so much we wanted to do more of it and now we’ve got a permanent placement” says Yvonne, 50.

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Like many same sex couples, Yvonne and Amanda, 46, have experienced discrimination and understand that some may be wary of adopting or fostering.

However, they urged people not to feel intimidated and observed that potential adopters or foster parents do not need to own their own home and can be both single or in a relationship.

“

“Just go for it,” said Yvonne.

“You will get beyond the initial apprehension and will be given all the answers you need.”

The couple’s first foster child has autism which provided challenges but also immense rewards.

Caring for children with challenging behaviours or learning difficulties can be hard, but seeing a young person grow, develop and improve, it makes the hairs at the back of your neck stand up.”

Barnardo’s Equality Ambassadors

BARNARDO’S has also been named as one of the UK’s best employers for LGBT staff.

100 employers and that we have moved up the ranking in such a competitive year.

The charity was ranked 68th in the annual Top 100 Employers 2017 list produced

by Stonewall a move up from 86th last year and ranks as one of the top 4 third sector organisations in the country for LGBT workplace equality.

“We take our commitment to workplace diversity and inclusion very seriously and strive to make Barnardo’s a great place for everyone to work. We will continue to do so in the future.”

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “We’re very proud that Barnardo’s has once again made Stonewall’s top

The list is compiled from submissions to the Workplace Equality Index and more than 430 employers submitted entries this year.

Duncan Bradshaw, Director of Membership Programmes at Stonewall, said: “Barnardo’s and all those who have made this year’s Top 100 Employers list have done a fantastic job, and really do put equality and inclusion at the forefront of their work.”

Lloyds Banking Group topped the list followed by Pinsent Masons, the law firm, and the banking giant JP Morgan.

LGBTHM 2017 - 49

JOIN THE ANTHONY NOLAN REGISTER TODAY YOU COULD BE SAVING LIVES Ann O’Leary, Head of Register Development at Anthony Nolan busts myths about becoming a stem cell donor Last year Anthony Nolan matched over 1,200 stem cell donors with people in need of a transplant.

For people with blood cancer and disorders, such as leukaemia, a stem cell transplant could be their last chance. Although there are over 622,000 potential donors on the register, more are needed to ensure we can find a match for everyone. That’s where the LGBT community comes in.

We’re regularly asked whether people can donate if they’re gay. The answer is yes: to join the Anthony Nolan Register you need to be aged 16-30, weigh

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at least 50kg, and be in good health. That’s it Reece, 22, joined the Anthony Nolan register after meeting one of our volunteer student groups, Marrow, at university.

“A few of my gay friends were surprised I could donate; they asked whether I lied on the application. It felt good to tell people they can join too, and a few of my friends have signed up which is great!”

Another common question is whether donating is painful.

The reality is very different to what many think. Ninety per cent of people donate via peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection, a straightforward outpatient procedure similar to giving blood that takes around five hours. Donors also receive a daily injection in the four days leading up to the donation.

“From spitting in a tube to receiving stem cell booster injections to the PBSC procedure, everything was easy and straightforward,” adds Reece.

“A few months after I donated my recipient sent a card, and told me what it meant to them and their family. I opened it and I felt like crying. You don’t see what happens to the stem cell bag after it leaves you so this made it all very real.”

Anthony Nolan needs donors aged 16 - 30, as our research shows that transplants from younger donors have better outcomes. We particularly need more young men as they are underrepresented on the register: they make up 15% of our register but are most likely to be asked to donate.

Help Anthony Nolan be the cure. Find out more and join the register at www.anthonynolan.org

LGBT History Month Scotland

This year is Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, and the theme for LGBT History Month Scotland is HERITAGE. A time to celebrate social and political milestones from Scotland’s LGBT history from the decriminalisation of homosexuality to the introduction of equal marriage, and the inclusion of intersex people within the Scottish Government’s equality plan.

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People and communities are invited to celebrate and share their own stories using the hashtag #LGBTHeritage. Dig out those old photos and share your memories of yesteryear, telling stories from your heritage and journey through Scotland’s LGBT history.

In the west Glasgow Women’s Library will be running a series of workshops exploring the intersections between activism and archives.

Delving into their own lesbian archive to explore how LGBTI+ people want their personal, social and political histories preserved.

Further east, the People’s Story museum in Edinburgh gets set for a monthlong exhibition exploring Edinburgh’s LGBTI+ history, with artefacts from locals telling the stories of the communities’ heritage and history.

Further afield, in an example of history in the making, we find our first ever events taking place as rural as Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

Working with Scottish Queer International Film Festival, An Lanntair arts centre look forward to celebrating a community first with an impressive programme of films, as well as events showcasing the work of Gaelic poet Marcas Mac an Tuairneir, and photographer Andrea Ingram.

LGBT Cultural Commissions Award

promote exciting, innovative artwork exploring lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender themes.

This year’s recipients are filmmaker Helen Wright and poet Rachel Plummer.

Helen is producing and directing a short film, Joey, which they describe as the story of a young lesbian woman with telekinetic powers entering the LGBT ‘scene’ for the first time.

Rachel is working in collaboration with an illustrator on a collection of children’s poetry re-telling traditional Scottish myths from an LGBT perspective.

people across Scotland to show support for LGBTI people, and stand against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in Scotland.

This year, we’re calling on people to be a #PurpleHero and stand for equality to help save and change young LGBTI people’s lives. Don’t forget to share your purple selfie using the #PurpleHero hashtag!

Whatever you’re in to, there’s a huge range of events taking place all over Scotland, from film nights and art workshops to poetry readings – there’s even a roller disco! Find out what’s going on in your area at www.lgbthistory.org.uk.

Celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex lives and culture by recognising the significant contribution LGBTI people have made to Scotland and the world at large.

Share your milestones at #lgbtheritage

1806

START

Keep an eye on LGBT History Month Scotland website and social media channels for sneak previews of the artists’ work.

Isabell Gunn of the Orkney Islands assumes the name John Fubbister and joins the Hudson's Bay Company to work as a labourer before giving birth in 1807.

www.lgbthistory.org.uk

1812

LGBT HisTory MONTH

Artists Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde meet at Glasgow School of Art and become lifelong partners.

1957

2014

The first same-sex weddings take place at 00.01 on Hogmanay.

2014

The Scottish Government

2010

2009

Carol Ann Duffy becomes the first woman, the first Scot and the first openly LGBT person to be the UK's Poet Laureate.

1971

Scotland's first gay night, Cobweb Disco, takes place in Edinburgh.

2007

Equal rights are granted to same-sex couples applying for adoption.

2005

The first LGBT History Month takes place in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

1974

The last Friday of LGBT History Month Scotland is Purple Friday: a day for

2005

The first same sex civil partnerships take place in Scotland on 20 December.

2004

The Gender Recognition Act is passed, providing legal recognition for transgender men and women.

1980

Homosexuality is decriminalised in Scotland for people over the age of 21.

2003

1982

Margaret Smith and Patrick Harvie become Scotland's first out LGB MSPs.

Lavender Menace – Scotland's first LGBT bookshop – opens on Forth Street, Edinburgh.

2001

1989

Supported by Creative Scotland, the Cultural Commissions Awards aim to

2016

Playwright Jo Clifford is the first trans woman to perform 'Reply from the Lassies' at a Burn's Night celebration in Glasgow.

The UK government passes adds intersex equality to their approach to sexual the Equality Act 2010, orientation and gender providing protection from equality. discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Scotland’s first Gay Centre opens at 60 Broughton Street, Edinburgh.

Purple Friday

TODAY

February is

Dr James Barry graduates from the University of Edinburgh Medical School.

Following his death in 1865 it is discovered he was assigned female at birth.

1933

The Wolfenden Report recommends the decriminalisation of male homosexuality. The recommendations are rejected by the UK government.

!

2016

At an LGBTI hustings, the First Minister pledges to reform the Gender Recognition Act and consider equal recognition for nonbinary people.

CHERS TEA INST AGA TION SEC

Originally known as Stonewall Youth Project, LGBT Youth Scotland is established in Edinburgh with a mission to empower LGBT young people.

STOP

28

1995

The Lesbian Archive relocates to Glasgow Women's Library.

1990

Edwin Morgan – Glasgow's Poet Laureate and Scotland's first Makar – comes out, aged 70.

1995

Scotland's first Pride march gathers on Barony Street in Edinburgh on 17 June.

1993

The first ever Glasgay!

Festival takes place with performances from Ian McKellen and Rhona Cameron.

Find out more about LGBT History Month, including what's happening in your area, in our full programme of events: www.lgbthistory.org.uk LGBT History Month in Scotland is co-ordinated by LGBT Youth Scotland.

LGBT Youth Scotland is a company limited by guarantee (SC244805) and a registered charity (SCO24047) Design and illustration: Brian Houston, www.createpod.com

EN HAT D NOW E

LGBTHistoryMonthScotland

The age of consent for gay and bisexual men is lowered to 16.

2000

The newly-formed Scottish Parliament repeals Section 28 (Clause 2a in Scotland), the law which prohibited the 'promotion' of homosexuality in schools in Britain.

1998

Inspired by the real life story of jazz musician Billy Tipton, Jackie Kay’s Trumpet wins the Guardian Fiction Prize.

With thanks to OurStory Scotland

lgbthistoryscot

“

People and communities are invited to celebrate and share their own stories using the hashtag #LGBTHeritage LGBTHM 2017 - 53

Decriminalisation of Homosexuality in Northern Ireland

By John O’Doherty - The Rainbow Project

2017 marks a significant anniversary in the UK. It will be 50 years since consensual sex between men was decriminalised after more than 400 years. Many people in England and Wales will celebrate this anniversary, and they are right to do so. However, for many people in Northern Ireland, we have a much more complicated relationship with

54 - LGBTHM 2017

this act and what it symbolises for the place of Northern Ireland’s LGBT community, within a United Kingdom.

It was not until 1983 that consensual sex between men was decriminalised in Northern Ireland; 16 years after England and Wales. It is also important to

know that this wasn’t a voluntary action by the UK government, but rather something that they were compelled to do by the European Court of Human Rights following the landmark decision in the Dudgeon v UK, where Jeff Dudgeon, now an Ulster Unionist Councillor on Belfast City Council, took the government to court over the

unlawfulness of the maintained ban in Northern Ireland.

Decriminalisation is one of the most important steps in the journey to the full legal, social and economic equality for LGB&T people. When the government said that we were criminals, this coloured how people saw us.

Every prejudiced thought that exists about LGB&T people in general, and gay and bi men in particular, comes from centuries of criminalisation. A change in the law cannot undo this. The law does not have the power to make people love and accept LGB&T people. It can, however, give us the space to change people’s perceptions of us. If we can be who we are without fear of being locked up, it means that people can see us. We have the freedom to be out and then people can learn that there is an LGB&T person in their family, in their street, in their community.

We are less alien then. When we are protected in our employment, it means that people can see us and all the roles that we have in society; that we are nurses, and teachers, and every other type of job as well. This helps break down the stereotypical view that some people have of the roles of LGB&T people in society. When we have the freedom to access services without discrimination, it means that people can see us going for a drink or stay at a hotel with our partners. This means that people can see our relationships and see how similar they are to their own. The law

“

Mary McAleese and John O’Doherty – Mary McAleese was the first legal advisor to for the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform in the Republic of Ireland before becoming president.

cannot humanise us to other people. Instead it gives us the power to do that for ourselves.

The Dudgeon case is one of the most important legal precedents in international human rights law. It directly led to the striking down of bans on gay and bi men having sex across Europe but also further afield. When striking down the remaining sodomy laws in the Lawrence v Texas case of 2003, the United States Supreme Court relied on the judgment in the Dudgeon case to support their argument.

The Lawrence case was further cited in the Obergefell case, wherein the Supreme Court held that all fifty states must provide for marriage equality. One case from Northern Ireland has had an incredible impact on the world and it is something that many of us take great pride in but it also highlights a difficulty.

It was not until 1983 that consensual sex between men was decriminalised in Northern Ireland

Unlike other regions of the UK, LGB&T people in Northern Ireland have consistently had to pursue our rights through the courts because of the failure of successive governments, be they Northern Ireland Executive’s or Westminster governments, to legislate for us.

While the last labour government legislated for employment protections, civil partnerships and goods, facilities and services protections while the Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended we have had to seek judicial intervention to secure; adoption rights, an end to the discriminatory lifetime blood ban and, of course, marriage equality.

We would prefer not to have to seek judicial intervention to secure our rights. We would much rather have our rights settled through legislation, just as our counterparts in other regions of the UK have secured theirs. However, when presented with an executive which is either unwilling or unable to achieve anything for LGB&T people, we must continue, just as Jeff did almost 35 years ago, to pursue our rights through the means at our disposal.

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EC Rainbow Project 1 – #OUT2vote Registration drive for the 2016, Assembly Elections

The Rainbow Project F

ounded in 1994, The Rainbow Project was established to prevent the further spread of HIV and AIDs in Northern Ireland. From these early days, The Rainbow Project has developed and grown to become Northern Ireland’s largest LGB&T support and advocacy organisation. We are change agents – that is how we view ourselves.

We aim to change lives so that LGB&T people are healthier and happier, to change services so that LGB&T people can access the support and care they need, to change society so that LGB&T people can play their role and to change ourselves so that we can continue to develop to better meet the needs of LGB&T people in Northern Ireland.

We provide a range of services to LGB&T people throughout Northern Ireland, including co-cultural LGBT affirmative

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counselling; befriending services for new members of our community; rapid HIV and Syphilis testing and outreach GUM clinics to a range of venues; youth programmes; RSE training for young people; advocacy support for victims of homophobic and transphobic hate crime; training for counsellors, service providers, teachers and other professionals and much more. Our direct service delivery allows us to stay connected to the community and ensure our services and campaigns are reflective of the needs of the community.

Additionally, we are particularly proud of our work with local and international employers on the needs of LGB&T employees through the Diversity Champions NI programme. We are honoured to have worked with our partners in Stonewall and Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Ireland) in the development

of this programme to support employers in meeting the needs of their LGB&T employees and in ensuring equality and diversity are lived values within the organisation.

As well as our direct service delivery, The Rainbow Project are at the front line in the campaign for LGB&T equality in Northern Ireland. In 2016 we had two great achievements namely the removal of the lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood and the removal of historic convictions. In the coming years we will continue to campaign for safer more representative schools, better healthcare, appropriate recognition and support for rainbow families, new gender recognition legislation and, of course, marriage equality.

Find out more about our work and ways you can support us at www.rainbow-project.org

ind’s Equality Improvement Team, in partnership with MindOut, are proud to launch Mind’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer good practice guide.

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Based on the pilot work undertaken by Mind over the period 2012–16, this guide focuses on two dimensions in particular: Affirmative practice for inclusive services and demographic monitoring.

This new publication offers practical guidance for service providers on how to ensure that their services are genuinely inclusive, and cater for the needs of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, and queer (LGBTQ+).

This is because our consultations highlighted that these are the two areas in which services would benefit from tangible advice.

In addition, by implementing affirmative practices and by improving demographic monitoring, services will be in a much stronger position to effectively support not only people who are LGBTQ+ but also many other minority groups that are too often overlooked and have poorer experiences of support when accessing mental health services

We know anyone can experience a mental health problem, but those of us who identify as LGBTQ+ are significantly more likely to develop one. In fact, research shows that more than 40 percent of LGBTQ+ people will experience a significant mental health problem in their lives, compared to around 25 percent of the whole population, and are more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide.

topics like sexual orientation and gender identity. That’s why we’ve included a comprehensive glossary of terms at the end of this guide and we invite readers to refer to it whenever they might come across terms they are not yet familiar with.

Finally, we’d like to highlight the fact that this good practice guide is part of the set of tools that organisations like us and MindOut are developing to ensure equal access to and more positive experience of mental health services for people and communities that face multiple discrimination and disadvantage.

For more information about Mind’s work in this area of work please visit mind.org.uk/equality

When thinking about service improvements, we believe it is important to acknowledge that for some providers it can be daunting to engage in conversations about complex LGBTHM 2017 - 57

The biggest, bi-est and best: a history of BiCon

By Rach - BiCon 2017 Information and Access The UK’s largest bisexual event is back again this summer, for its 34th year running. BiCon has a long, proud history of bringing bisexual people together, from its beginnings as a tough political group to the enormous social event now heralded as ‘the highlight of the bisexual year’.

BiCon began in 1984 when a group of activists gathered to discuss the politics of bisexuality.

The following year, due to a booking error, BiCon managed to meet at the new Lesbian and Gay Community Centre in London, despite the unapologetic ban of bisexual groups that was in place there. The need for a bi scene, and bi activism within what is now called LGBT, was clear.

The event and its community grew quickly within a few years.

By 1989, BiCon had over 200

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attendees, and its role was already expanding to become a fun social convention as well as an activism conference. The event has continued to evolve and expand to encompass the richness of the bi community in the UK and beyond.

Now, BiCon regularly attracts around 400 people to its weekend-long gathering, held in a different part of the UK every year. Attendees enjoy games, discussions, and parties but BiCon has not forgotten its academic roots; there are more serious workshops on sexuality, and in even-numbered years the main weekend is preceded by ‘BiReCon’, a formal academic conference on bisexuality.

More and more people in the UK are identifying as something other than gay or straight, and although people with bi identities

form the majority of the LGBT population, bi people still suffer hostility and exclusion, as the first BiCon did in 1984. BiCon is an annual reminder that there have always been bisexual people, there has always been a bi community, and it will continue to grow in size and diversity and purpose.

The 2017 event runs from Thursday 10th to Sunday 13th August at Leeds Beckett University. Ticket prices start at just £12 for a day, or £130 for a room for the whole weekend.

To find out more about BiCon and to book tickets see 2017.bicon.org.uk facebook.com/BiConUK @BiConUK

DESIRE LOVE IDENTITY at the BRITISH MUSEUM The display Desire Love Identity: exploring LGBTQ histories provides glimpses into LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer) experiences across time and around the world through the British Museum’s collection.

The earliest object dates from around 9000BC. Some objects relate to named individuals; others offer glimpses into what the novelist EM Forster memorably described as a ‘great unrecorded history.’

Ranging chronologically from ancient history to the present day the objects often prompt questions, challenging the contemporary viewer to

question the assumptions they may bring to objects from other cultures, traditions or the more distant past. The display draws on material from across the breadth of the Museum’s collection including coins, medals, and prints. As well as highlighting famous figures such as the poetess Sappho, and the emperor Hadrian and his lover Antinous, the display looks beyond Europe’s classical past to explore less familiar themes and stories. Included in the display will be a selection of the LGBTQ campaign badges, which are rich in documenting social history from 1970s onwards. They also reflect the

main issues and debates of each subsequent decade.

The British Museum has longstanding relationships with LGBTQ organisations, and many individuals shared their expertise and experiences to help shape the final displays.

Desire Love Identity: exploring LGBTQ histories Runs from the 11 May- 15 October 2017 Room 69a, Supported by Stephen and Julie Fitzgerald www.britishmuseum.org

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IS BEING OUT AT WORK A CAREER RISK? ED FAIRHURST IS OPENLY GAY AND IS ONE OF THE SENIOR SPONSORS FOR THE LGBT NETWORK, SHELL UK (OF WHICH HE IS EX-CHAIR), AND IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR PLANNING SHELL’S SUPPLY CHAIN ACROSS EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA. HE LIVES IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND WITH HIS PARTNER OF 24 YEARS, AND TALKS TO US ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO WORK. Why do you think it’s important for LGBT Senior Leaders to be visible?

Being openly gay at work can feel like a career risk and can stop people from “coming out”. This lost opportunity for the individual and for the business is such a waste. By being visible, LGBT leaders make a clear statement that being gay doesn’t need to limit you.

As I’ve become more senior, in age and job, I reflect that although I’ve been “out” at work for many years, I could have been more bold. If, by talking about being openly gay in a leadership role at Shell, I can help others to overcome the fear of coming out; or be more bold to be themselves, that would make me very happy!

Why is it important for people to feel comfortable to be out at work?

People perform better when they can be themselves. If fear of reaction from those we work with means that we don’t feel free to be open about who we are, that’s a huge problem. For me, when people learn I’m gay, they understand me better and that builds trust.

What risks and opportunities have arisen in your career by being openly gay?

Risks and opportunities are two sides of the same coin. There is a risk of being out at work and I won’t pretend there haven’t been a few challenges over the years. Like most LGBT people I’ve had to deal with prejudice. However I think that how we respond to such challenges is key to enabling opportunities to result.

“Be bold about who you are and don’t let others define you. If you’re authentic and true to yourself, everything else will fall into place.”

What are some personal examples?

In a role in a previous company, after I told my new line manager I was gay, the relationship changed immediately and I found myself looking for a job. A senior leader in that same business hired me and gave my career a whole new dimension.

Another example, with a funny outcome, is during a course where participants had to provide a biography. Mine was changed when they printed it. The reference to my Civil Partner had been edited out. When I questioned the course leader about it, I was informed that “People don’t want to read that sort of thing about your private life!” Needless to say, I took the opportunity to give that course leader some very clear coaching.

A nice opportunity was helping an ex-boss who wanted some advice because he didn’t know what to say to his 16-year-old son who had just come out to him. I think the situation that felt most risky was when I was a lot younger. I was a shift supervisor in a food factory. One of my lines had broken down and I called for maintenance on a radio handset. All production, maintenance and quality teams shared the same frequency, so everybody could hear everything. My request was met by an ultraeffeminate repetition of what I had said. Although I felt vulnerable, I realised it was a make or break moment for me. I responded to the “impersonator” by telling him I was standing next to the filling machine on Line 4 and that he should come and repeat it to my face. Radio silence followed!

Any advice for someone who is LGBT in their company?

Be bold about who you are and don’t let others define you. If you’re authentic and true to yourself, everything else will fall into place.

What is your perspective on other minorities within the workplace?

Every minority faces unique challenges that most people just aren’t aware of. For me, this awareness is the first step to creating a genuinely inclusive workplace for all.

What do you think about the concept of Straight Allies?

Straight colleagues have a critical role to play in the creation of gay-friendly workforces; by actively taking responsibility. The impact of Straight Allies speaking up is absolutely enormous.

Any advice for Straight Allies?

Many people want to support but don’t know how to get involved or don’t want to say the wrong thing. Don’t be afraid of using the word “gay”, there are no special skills nor special politically correct language; it’s just about ensuring that everyone is treated with respect.

How does Shell show its colours to the outside world?

I’m very proud that our organisation flies the Rainbow Flag from its UK headquarters building, next to the London Eye, where everyone can see it during Pride week.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Network at Shell

The UK Pride Organisers Network was established in October to bring together the key individuals in almost 100 LGBT+ Pride events around the country. We organise two conferences a year to provide training, networking, sharing of best practice, and social opportunities, and want to do all we can to nurture new Prides and help to establish Pride events in areas currently without them.

The Network is also establishing an annual ‘UK Pride’ event, rather like EuroPride and World Pride.

Each year, ‘UK Pride’ status will be awarded to one Pride event, and other Prides and LGBT+ organisations will be especially encouraged to attend and raise awareness of the Pride movement. This year, UK Pride will be in Hull on 22nd July, coinciding with the city’s first year as UK City of Culture.

Co-Chair of the Network, Andy Train, said: “The tremendous lift of Hull 2017, the infrastructure and support, builds on the success Pride in Hull has recently enjoyed. It’s a national event

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and we welcome you to Hull as its host. As part of our cultural celebrations, there will be a week long selection of pride events culminating in LGBT 50, which is provided by Hull 2017.”

Fellow Co-Chair, Steve Taylor of Pride in London, said: “At its heart, Pride is a global movement for equality and human rights, and we’re proud that the UK has more Prides than any other country in Europe.

But to protect our hard won human rights we have to work together, collaborate and cooperate. That’s why we’re delighted to have so many Prides on-board.”

has already established international links too, as an associate member of both EuroPride and InterPride.

For more information, please visit www. ukpridenetwork.org.uk (Images ©Mazzimage.com)

An elected Board was appointed to establish and develop the Network, and all eight board members represent Prides from across the country. The Network

“

Each year, ‘UK Pride’ status will be awarded to one Pride event

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