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LGBTQ+ in Gloucestershire
Project conducted by Katie McGuire and Joe Evans.
Exhibited at Eastgate Shopping Centre in Gloucester, September 2019 as part of the Gloucester History Festival 2019.
Jump to: Cheltenham-Gloucester CHE Group | Local LGBTQ+ Initiatives | LGBTQ+ Key events timeline | Regular GCLC events | Local gay venues
Stonewall
Founded in 1969, in 2019 Stonewall celebrates its 50th anniversary. In the UK, Stonewall started as a small group campaigning against Section 28 of the Local Government Act.
The charity now actively campaigns for the equality of lesbian, gay, bi and trans people across Britain.
The Cheltenham-Gloucester CHE Group
The Cheltenham-Gloucester CHE Group was formed in September 1974 and from November 1982 it was known as Gloucestershire’s Gay and Lesbian Community (GGLC). The group has successfully reflected the views of Gloucestershire’s gay community since the 1970s. It provides support, activities and fundraising events. In November 1981 the group established a charity’s Development Fund with an initial deposit of just £100; by August 1984 the fund had reached over £2,000.
October 1983 saw the first mention of AIDS in the monthly newsletter; by February 1993 the Gloucestershire Gay Men HIV/ AIDS Forum had been set up.
Forum members appeared on Severn Sound to discuss LGBTQ+ issues, and they campaigned on important issues, including overturning Section 28. October 1993 complaints to the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire about the tactics used locally by plain clothed police to entrap cottagers led to the establishment in November 1993 of the Gloucestershire Triangle Liaison Group.
During the 1990s the Freedom Flag was recognised in America and Australia. It has since been used widely in the UK and Europe as the banner for the Lesbian and Gay Community.
Red = Life
Orange = Healing
Yellow = Sun
Green = Nature
Blue = Art
Violet = Spirit
Ironically the two missing colours are Pink for Sexuality and Indigo for Harmony.
Local LGBTQ+ Iniatives
The Glos Triangle Liaison Group (Glos TLG)
The Gay community and Glos Constabulary came together in 1994 to improve community liaison and tackle same-sex issues in the county. Cheltenham Borough Council and the police worked together to stop ‘cottaging’ at Cox’s Meadow and Montpelier toilets.
Acting on advice from the gay community, warning signs stating THIS COTTAGE IS BEING WATCHED’ were put up. Consequently reports of cottaging decreased. The group then issued cards to Custody Sergeants containing information about local helplines, GU clinics and how to access safer sex information. Instead of arresting anyone suspected of cottaging, these actions were aimed at deterring cottaging and offering alternative places to find assistance.
HIV/AIDS prevention
The Gloucestershire Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Forum was an alliance formed between the Gloucestershire Gay Community, Gloucestershire Friend and Health Promotion Gloucestershire in 1994 to increase HIV/AIDS awareness, reinforce the safer sex message and to provide resources, education and information on local health care services.
In March 1994 they made their first safer sex packs. 14,000 packets were made up containing condoms, lube and information sheets on where to seek advice or help for sexual health. They were distributed at the Racecourse disco and at Crackers nightclub. This campaign received a great deal of positive feedback from the Health Promotions Department and HIV/AIDS related organisations.
Gloucestershire friend
GGLC was the springboard for the formation of Gloucestershire Friend, which went live in March 1990. Trained volunteers offered confidential counselling and befriending for those concerned about their sexuality -Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or just not sure.
LGBTQ+ Key Events Timeline
1967 – Sexual Offense Act decriminalised homosexual relations in the UK
1969 – Demonstrations in New York called Stonewall Riots started after police raided the Stonewall Inn gay bar
1972 – First Pride festival in London attracted 2000 participants
1974 – Formation of Cheltenham-Gloucester Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) Group
1987 – GCHQ Officials reconsider Andrew Hodges case following his suspension after telling his superiors he was gay, making him ‘vulnerable to blackmail.
1988 – Section 28 introduced. meaning teachers were not allowed to ‘promote’gay relationships in schools.
1989 – Stonewall UK was founded
GGLC wrote to local MPs about lowering the Age of Consent and received 3 replies: Nigel Jones, Cheltenham Lib/Dem, voted for 16: Paul Marland, Conservative, offered no support at all to the gay community, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Cirencester and Tewkesbury Conservative, would possibly vote for 18.
1993 – GGLC started Gloucestershire Triangle Liaison Group
1993 – Gloucester Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Trust set up providing a forum between Health Promotion Gloucestershire, GGLC, local clinics, HIV Counselling, and local gay venues.
1994 – Age of Consent for homosexual relations lowered to 18 from 21
1996 – Gay couples given same rights as married couples to stay in their council home if their partner dies
1997 – CHE Group renamed The Gloucestershire Gay & Lesbian Community (GGLC)
1998 – 20% of schools include homosexuality in sex education in Gloucestershire
1999 – Sex Discrimination Act made it illegal to discriminate against any person on the grounds of gender reassignment
2000 – Gay and bisexual people allowed to serve in the armed forces.
2001 – Sexual Offenses Amendment Act lowered the Age of Consent for homosexual relations from 18 to 16
2002 – Gay people (and unmarried couples) allowed to adopt children
2003 – Ban on ‘promoting’ sexuality in schools (Section 28) overturned
2004 – Introduction of Civil Partnerships
2005 – Gender Recognition Act allowed transgender people to change their legal gender in the UK, with new birth certificate
2008 – Illegal to encourage homophobic hatred. In 2016, more than 7,000 hate crimes were reported in the UK
2010 – Two women as mother and parent on a birth certificate, the first time there was no ‘father. First Gay Pride Event in Cheltenham. Equality Act bans discrimination on the basis of sexuality.
2012 – Life expectancy for a person with HIV increased by 15 years
2013 – Gay marriage made legal in England and Wales, and later in Scotland
2017 – Alan Turing Law pardons men who were cautioned/convicted for homosexual acts.
Regular GGLC Events
06/11/1980 First annual dinner held at Old Crypt Schoolroom, Gloucester.
12/06/1982 First gay disco held at Cheltenham Racecourse, then held every month through the 1980s and 1990s. Raffles raised money for local gay courses.
Organised talks by guest speakers
GGLC regularly organised talks by guest speakers, some examples from 1993 below:
14/01/1993 ‘Living with AIDS’: Ken reflects on his experiences
11/02/1993 ‘Doctor in the House’: Medical questions answered by GGLC’s own GP
18/11/1993 ‘Homosexuality in the Media’: Andy Burford, Radio Gloucestershire
02/12/1993 Gloucester and Cheltenham Samaritans offer advice
12/12/1993 Gloucester and Cheltenham Samaritans offer advice
GGLC 2010 Newsletter:
“may we remind ourselves, although life is much safer and more open for our community, it’s probably best if photographs and video taken at group events be kept out of public eye. It’s long been the policy for the Newsletter not to publish photographs to ensure the privacy of our members.”
This was only nine years ago – people were still afraid of being openly identified as gay. Is being hay now more socially acceptable, or is it still frowned upon?
Local gay venues
Crackers nightclub
Crackers Nightclub closed in 2010.
1994: Black velvet
Cheltenham High Street, held events every Thursday and Sunday.
Despite being a gay venue, Black Velvet didn’t offer discounts for GGC Members.
The New Pilot Inn
The only photograph featured in GGLC Newsletters.
January 1994: The Leckhampton Inn
On Shurdington Road, Cheltenham, taken over by Keith and Andy Hobbs, had three bars- ‘lesbian, ‘gay’ and ‘mixed’.
October 1994
Philler’s snack bar opened in Cheltenham, with pink tablecloths and a friendly atmosphere. Finally, there was somewhere for the gay community to socialise publicly during the day.
August 1995
After 12 glorious years Peter Ives left The Phoenix.
