Stories - West Yorkshire Queer Stories

Coming out as trans and queer

Flo talks about coming to their queerness and transness in a very politicised way.

Vanessa, her mum and 'Empire'

Vanessa remembers how TV show 'Empire' helped her have a conversation with her mum about her bisexuality and how it changed their relationship.

Doing your own therapy

Wendy remembers being invited to a writing group and dealing with her difficult childhood and the death of her brother by writing 'Jellybabies', an autobiographical play performed in Bradford.

Identity and shifting terms

Robbie considers different ideas and terms around identity, having cross-dressed since the 1960s.

Section 28 and teaching in a Catholic school

Gez describes how Section 28 impacted on his teaching in a Catholic school in the late 1980s.

A magazine for young lesbians in Bradford

Norrina talks about 'In Yer Face' magazine, made by and for young lesbians in the 1990s.

Life in a shared gay house in Leeds

In this written piece, author Stevan Alcock remembers the feeling of belonging he experienced as a member of a gay communal household throughout the 1970s.

A different kind of trans support group

Amelia talks about the support she gets as a trans woman from her medieval battle re-enactment society.

Gay personal ads and phone lines

The Older and Bolder group in Bradford remember personal ads in Gay Times and saucy phone lines.

Challenging the idea that 'homosexuality is unAfrican'

Samra talks about challenging ideas about homosexuality in Africa and the importance of activism coming from a place of love.

Lesbians and gays unite against Section 28

Carl remembers Section 28 as a catalyst for change in Leeds.

Not wanting to be gay

Tim talks of the friction between being gay and his church background that made it difficult for him to accept his sexuality.

'You haven't changed a bit, have you!'

Jessica talks about her transition and how she discovered she was intersex.

Queerology, a Leeds-based art collective

Luna talks about the reasons for setting up the Queerology art collective and the exhibitions held in Leeds in 2017.

Following her own path

Pauline decides to take control of her life after the break-up of her marriage.

Setting up the 'Be LGBTQ R'n'B With Edges' club night

Jordan created a new club night with R'n'B at its heart, as an alternative to more traditional gay venues.

Being out in prison

As a lesbian working with offenders in a West Yorkshire prison, Nic says it's important to 'break down stigma and stereotypes'.

Transphobia at work

Gem talks about starting a new job and experiencing institutional transphobia which almost made them give up the position.

Jacqui and a Drag King's Sideburns

Jacqui's mother sadly passed away, but she has a unique way of keeping her memory alive - within her drag act.

Aversion therapy

Concerned about living a 'double life', Bill asked for 'treatment' for being gay from his doctor in the 1960s. He tried aversion therapy and describes what it involved.

Gay Abandon and the joy of singing

Jane talks about running Gay Abandon, Leeds' LGBT choir, and how singing helps to bring people together.

Coming out in the late 1990s

Aged 16 when Queer As Folk aired on TV, Ryan decided to tell his family and friends that he was gay, only to face homophobic bullying at school.

Karen and Yvette had a civil partnership but later married in 2018, after same-sex marriage was legalised. Here they describe their wedding and how it felt to be involved in making their wedding rings.

Campaigning for change

Rosie talks about how the Stonewall Youth Campaigning Programme and a NUS LGBT conference inspired her to set up a LGBT Society at Bradford University.

Lesbian and gay tea dances in Saltaire and Leeds

Ian reminisces about ballroom dancing lessons, holding tea dances and organising Victor Victoria balls.

'Stuck right in the middle of gender and biological sex'

Pete describes changing attitudes to intersex births, their experiences with the medical profession and how they feel 'invisible' in the medical records but 'very visible in public'.

A poem for Bi Awareness Month 2018

Vanessa reads her poem, which challenges myths and stereotypes about bisexuality.

Campaigning for gender neutral toilets

Riley talks about the impact of a NUS LGBT conference which led to them being part of the Trans Caucus and campaigning for gender neutral toilets.

Pink Picnic memories

Claire remembers the Pink Picnic, a precursor to Leeds Pride, which took place on Woodhouse Moor, Hyde Park.

Dungarees and Docs

Jo remembers the lesbian dress code of dungarees, Doc Martens and short hair, and she talks of finding role models in US lesbian poets.

Family acceptance

Assif explains that any discussion of dating can be awkward within his family, regardless of sexuality.

Remembering Roy

David describes how important it is to him as a gay man to keep alive the memory of his deceased long-term partner.

The growth of TransLeeds

Pidge talks about taking over TransLeeds and reflects on how it has developed as an organisation and the support it offers to the trans community.

'A lifetime of entertaining'

Harvey worked in entertainment for all of his life, performing magic, and working in the circus and theatre. Here he talks about his role as the Entertainment Manager at a holiday camp, his matching day-glo outfits and 'camp bingo'.

Leeds' first Trans Pride

Kit describes how it felt to take part in the first Trans Pride in Leeds in 2018.

Being trans in Cottingley

Ash talks about living in a small community and finding support and social groups as a trans person.

A group for queer adults with learning disabilities

Group member Alan describes Wakefield 2BU, a safe social space for LGBTQ adults with learning disabilities and/or autism.

A 'Friend' in Leeds and Bradford

Eric recalls helping out on the befriending and counselling phone service 'Friend', set up by the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) in the 1970s.

Keighley's LGBT group

Richard, a member of Bradford's Equity Partnership and an LGBT group in Keighley, talks about some of the activities he and his friends get up to. (Recorded at Happy Valley Pride 2018.)

Supporting the miners and protesting at Greenham

Gill talks about her politics and activism, within and outside the Labour Party, supporting the Miners' Strike of 1984-5 and protesting at Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp.

Biphobia within the queer community

Sue describes feeling like an imposter for being bisexual within the 1980s lesbian and gay scene in Leeds.

The work and aims of TransLeeds

Oliver, the director of TransLeeds, talks about supporting the trans community and living in Wakefield.

Positive and Confident Together

Members of the peer-led PACT group at Leeds Skyline describe how they support each other as gay and bisexual men living with HIV.

A protest to 'Reclaim Leeds Pride'

Sky explains the reasons for the protest blockade of Leeds Pride in 2017.

The world of same-sex ballroom dancing

Stuart has danced in international contests with a male dancing partner, as well as show teams and a hit film!

On being a soft butch

Cutting her hair short helped Paula become confident about her identity and feel part of a lesbian community. She talks about being a soft butch and how others view her.

How Leeds' Viaduct pub became a gay venue

Terry George recounts the story of how he went from owning Fibre and Mission to buying the pub across the road and giving it a new LGBT identity.

Dancing Bear

Director Jamie Fletcher describes the theatre show 'Dancing Bear', which explores gender, sexuality and faith, and was performed at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2017.

World AIDS Day 1990: Action in Leeds

Gill remembers a demo from her activist days with ACT UP Leeds, which didn't quite go to plan.

Huddersfield Pride '81

After continued raids on Huddersfield's Gemini Club, London Pride decided to move the national march to Huddersfield in 1981 in support of club owner John Addy. In this clip Peter describes the march and the presence of the National Front.

Queer Migrant Takeover

Axelle talks about the impact of going to Queer Migrant Takeover in Leeds, and how it felt to be in the majority for once.

Hiding lesbian magazines

Rachel remembers how she lied to her parents about receiving lesbian magazines through the post and how she moved away to polytechnic where she attempted to join the Lesbian and Gay Society.

Starting afresh in West Yorkshire

After being forced to leave Cameroon because of his sexuality, Epie came to Leeds and started to feel at home.

Non-binary labels and pronouns

In a conversation with their mum, Kellan talks about different words describing gender and sexuality, and how these have changed since the 1970s.

The General Will and the One-off Theatre Company

Gerry remembers his involvement in radical theatre in Bradford and his part in a play called 'Men' performed by the One-off Theatre Company.

Does the queer scene in Leeds do enough for people of colour?

Yvonne describes the 'burnout' some activists have experienced trying to make queer spaces more welcoming for people of colour.

How the Leeds Hunters inclusive rugby club started

Club archivist Jonathan looks back over the history of the Leeds Hunters RUFC.

'I'm a mother who became a lesbian'

Clare talks about coming out as a lesbian aged 50 and her teenage son's reaction.

Pride and partnership

Simon and Craig's civil partnership happened to coincide with Leeds' first ever Pride march, leading to some amusing scenarios...

The infamous Clitty Rubquick

Addie introduces her comic alter-ego, the pink-wearing, piano-playing Clitty Rubquick, who has toured the country with a mixture of stand-up and songs.

Seeking asylum in Wakefield

Karim describes the trauma of being detained in the UK and the helplessness he felt adjusting to life in a new country.

'I feel very attached to my queer identity'

Noah talks about coming out, first as a lesbian, then as bisexual, then as trans, then as a gay man, and then as a pansexual gay man.

SpeedQueen

Suzy talks about running SpeedQueen and the importance of tackling intolerance and sexism by creating LGBT+ friendly club nights.

Coming out to your grandma

Emily recalls her grandmother's response when she came out to her as lesbian and the way her grandmother saw her marriage as comparable to a traditional heterosexual one.

Outed online

In 2017, Ahmed was outed in Bangladesh by an online article about LGBT rights, and fled his home after violent attack on his family. He describes his journey to the UK and how he ended up in Wakefield.

Delivering the Pink Paper

For eight years Yvette delivered LGBT newspaper The Pink Paper to locations across Leeds and Bradford.

A night out at the Gemini

Ian remembers plucking up the courage to visit the Gemini, a gay club in Huddersfield in the 1980s, and the fashions he saw inside.

Discovering the Gay Liberation Front

Patrick learns about the Gay Liberation Front from reading Oz magazine in the 1970s.

Lesley's jumpers

Lesley lived in Leeds for 30 years. She was a founding member of Leeds Lesbian Line and knitted the jumpers in this video to celebrate lesbian experience.

Experiences of 'gender euphoria'

Nāgakuśala describes their pleasure at being referred to using they/them pronouns, and discusses how 'performing' a specific gender can also be pleasurable.

Coming out as trans at school

Koban describes the process of coming out as a trans teenager, from identifying with people on TV to asking for a change of name on school records.

'You can't pray the gay away'

Rebel explains that, for some people in religious families, coming out to their parents is simply not an option.

Putting up walls

James remembers coming out to his dad and the stages their relationship went through afterwards.

Clive seeks medical help for being gay

On his mum's advice, Clive seeks medical help and is given unusual advice by a sympathetic psychologist.

Slogans and chants

Three former members of the AIDS awareness activist group, ACT UP Leeds, look through a collection of old badges and reminisce about popular slogans and chants from the early 1990s.

Bradford's lesbian scene

Lorraine remembers the butch/femme lesbian scene in 1980s Bradford, the impact of feminism and her involvement with Bradford's Lesbian Line.

Trans swimming sessions at Bramley Baths

Dylan went along to a swimming session aimed at trans and non-binary people in Leeds and describes what it was like.

The UK's first national trans conference

A reading of the Yorkshire Post's report on the social event held at Leeds' Guildford Hotel to tie in with 'The First National TV/TS Conference' in March 1974.

Queer Mutiny and Jean Genet

Richard remembers legendary parties organised by Queer Mutiny where he first saw queer duo Jean Genet performing, wearing 'gaffer tape on their boobs, in their pants with raccoon makeup'.

Coming out again and again

Gay couple Stuart and Mike talk about assumptions made by colleagues in the workplace, and how coming out is an ongoing process rather than a one-time deal.

A film festival 'outside the sparkly, white, gay male norm'

Clare talks about the DIY ethos of Leeds Queer Film Festival which began in 2005, and the need to see representation of different realities on the screen.

Leeds' inclusive running club

Members of the LGBT+ athletics group Leeds Frontrunners discuss how they built up their membership and aim to foster a sense of community.

Seventeen years down the mines

Geoff talks about the difficulties of being gay and working as a miner.

The attraction of Hebden Bridge

Having lived in Hebden Bridge for nine years, David talks about how it's a special place but can feel like living in a bubble.

The importance of seeing yourself represented

Tristan remembers the impact of a 'Doctor Who' episode and how it gave him a representation of bisexuality.

A goth on the gay scene

Andi remembers going out to bars and clubs in 1980s Leeds... and fitting in at some more than others!

'Too old to be gay'?

James talks about various relationships he's had throughout his life and how, at the age of 42, he made new friends and choices, despite worrying he was too old for a 'gay' lifestyle.

Moving to Marsden and dealing with homophobia

Marion talks about her move to the village of Marsden in the early 2000s. She remembers feeling vulnerable and having to deal with homophobia but also how her daughter helped her to settle in.

'Oh, you'll grow out of it…'

Helen recalls how her gender identity as a child in the 1950s wasn't understood by her parents and how there was the threat of the 'mental hospital'.

Being feminine and queer

Jess talks about coming out, labels, and issues of visibility as someone who is feminine-presenting.

Representing women

Jane talks about her move to Leeds to start work with the Trade Union Resource and Information Centre and her later work with the council's Women's Equal Opportunities Group and the Women's Committee.

'We have a history... We're not alone'

Nikolai reflects on Pride as a time of solidarity and shared history in this short video recorded at Happy Valley Pride in 2018.

Exploring gender through dance

Wieke Eringa talks about the positive relationship between an international dance project 'Performing Gender' and the Leeds-based 'Gender Moves', which featured members of the local LGBTIQ+ community.

The shadow of AIDS

John remembers hearing about AIDS for the first time in 1981 in Leeds and how the situation developed globally.

Dating apps and the erasure of queer spaces

Hannah talks about her experiences of using dating apps and why they have become important as a means of meeting people.

The growth of Leeds Pride

Ali talks about how Leeds Pride has developed over the years.

Ashleigh's first Pride

Ashleigh remembers how a meeting at Manchester Pride led to a wonderful friendship, in this video recorded at Happy Valley Pride 2018.

'For the record...'

Ajamu X talks about his upbringing in Huddersfield, his nights out in the area as a young queer black man, and his work and study on the subject of black/queer archiving.

James's letters and coming out

James appeared as a 'gay teenager' in a 1988 BBC2 documentary, receiving letters of support - and criticism - as a result.

Why Pride is important

In this video, recorded at Happy Valley Pride in 2018, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, explains why it's as important as ever to celebrate Pride.

'Coming home' to Pride

For Dean, going to London Pride in 1994 with his sister felt like 'coming home'. (Video recorded at Leeds Pride 2018.)

Fighting for the people who can’t be heard

Aaron talks about his sexual health work for Yorkshire MESMAC, including outreach with Traveller communities, and the importance of recognizing that not everyone can be out and proud.

Teaching under Section 28

Following the introduction of Section 28, teachers had to rethink the way they taught certain subjects. Char remembers the impact on a colleague's 'diversity library' at school.

Hebden Bridge in the early 1990s

Steve and Richard remember being part of an influx of gay couples moving to Hebden Bridge in the early 1990s.

Being bi, being visible and being proud

Emily describes the feeling of marching in Pride as part of Leeds Bi Group and her hope to inspire others.

'Queer' as a term of abuse

David remembers a bullying incident at school over a new jacket in 1960s Halifax.

Being Muslim and gay

Husein, who has an Iraqi father and Welsh mother, describes how his identity has room for both his sexuality and religious beliefs.

The need to talk about mental health

Lisa discusses removing the invisibility and stigma around mental health by talking about it.

Fitting into communities

Kirsty explores how she's viewed in the D/deaf and queer communities and why she's sometimes 'not seen as deaf enough' but also 'not queer enough' as well.

How trade unions can support LGBTIQ+ people

Steven, a member of Unite The Union's LGBT Committee, outlines some of the support union officers can provide to LGBTIQ+ workers.

'That's something for you to take back to Yorkshire'

Linda braves the Gateways Club in London and has her first dance and kiss with a woman.

Blayds Bar

Maggie remembers going to the lesbian-friendly Blayds Bar in Leeds in the late 1990s, and how it compared to small-town Cornwall, where she ran a club during the 1980s.

'A chance to dream'

Kuchu Pride reflects on a relationship that has helped her find healing, and the feeling that she now has a future after a traumatic past.

'I feel like I’m just the guy I should’ve been'

Fred talks about his 'trans history' and how he told his parents about his gender dysphoria.

Assumptions about disability, sexuality and sex

Becca talks about feeling desexualised because of her chronic illness, and how this impacts on her experience of LGBTIQ+ spaces.

Leeds Student Radio's LGBT+ show

Joe, the presenter of Leeds Student Radio's LGBT+ programme, talks about his show's ethos and music policy.

Fetish, fashion and going out in Leeds

Johann, the founder of Leeds Fetishmen, describes his fetish gear, music on the scene, and how fetish groups are starting to venture into 'everyday bars'.

The importance of finding community

After Ruth came out in 2017 she wanted to explore LGBT groups and find other lesbians. She talks about how a games group for women in Huddersfield was a starting point for her lesbian social life.

'I didn't seem to have a mind of my own'

Steve reflects on the influence of his mother and Catholicism on his upbringing, and how he felt 'easily persuaded' into living a conventional life.

'My understanding of being gay was very negative'

Ali explains how his sexuality clashed with his cultural and religious identity, causing him to suppress being gay for many years.

Founding the Yorkshire Trans Choir

Claye explains the need for a new choir to suit the voices of trans people, and treats us to a little singing!

Thirty years of World AIDS Day

In a speech written to mark World AIDS Day 2018 in Leeds, John Roe looks back on how life has changed since his own HIV diagnosis in 1988.

Being a 'late bloomer'

Leo talks about developing M.E., which led to her being a 'late bloomer', and boxing up her feelings about sexuality.

New freedoms, new risks?

Male homosexuality was partially decriminalised in the UK in 1967 but, as Robert explains, this meant gay men could be targeted by police in new ways.

Zines by Non-Binary Leeds

Leonidas outlines the creation of two zines, one encapsulating 'non-binary Leeds 2019' and another about the wider history of non-binary people.

A feeling of belonging

Paul (aka Marigold Adams) talks about becoming part of the LGBT community, working at The Sun in Bradford and inspiring people through drag.

Kirsty's queer zines

Kirsty challenges stereotypes and celebrates all things queer via the medium of self-published zines.

'Without lesbian feminists...'

Lal talks about the importance of remembering lesbian feminist activism.

Misunderstandings about being bi

John talks about how he's been viewed with suspicion by gay men and how his bisexuality is just one part of him.

The first non-binary person to adopt in the UK

Dylan shares their experiences of the adoption process and remembers their excitement when they first met their adopted child.

At school in Batley

Laura talks about what it's like being a trans girl at school in Batley, what support is available for LGBTIQ+ pupils, and how sexuality and gender are covered in lessons.

Ideas about feminism and lesbian separatism

Members of Sage Women's Space discuss what feminism means to them, their views on men and the importance of lesbian separatism.

The Lesbian Identity Project

Angela talks about the background to the Lesbian Identity Project (LIP) which aimed to capture the histories of lesbians from the north of England.

The aftermath of abuse

Roy recalls the devastating effects of being sexually abused by an older man during his teenage years, including the impact on his family, education and mental health.

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge

Todmorden residents, Bill and Steve, talk about the changes in the area and debate whether Hebden Bridge really is the lesbian capital of the UK.

Becoming a lesbian mum in the 1980s

Val talks about wanting a child and her journey to becoming a lesbian mum in the 1980s.

Perceptions of lesbian motherhood

Sally talks about her children calling her the 'spare mummy' because she hadn't given birth to them, and how it feels to be an older lesbian parent.

Disability, sexuality and gender

Leeds Disabled People’s Organisation (LDPO) and WYQS volunteer Gill Crawshaw arranged a group recording to focus on disability, sexuality and gender. In the interview AJ, Becca, Leo and Kirsty reflect on coming out, queer spaces, friendships and relationships.