Hi! My name is Leslie (he/him) and I volunteer for LGBT Age’s Telefriending service which provides free regular phone calls to older LGBT+ people across Scotland.

How did you find out about LGBT Health and Wellbeing first and what was your journey to becoming a volunteer?

A few years ago, I took part in a Transition Support Course and a Men’s Coming Out Course and found them really useful. In return, I wanted to contribute something to what LGBT Health and Wellbeing does.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your role?

I am a volunteer Telefriender. I have 3 gentlemen I regularly phone and I really enjoy catching up with them. Notably, one of them is an absolute mine of information about LGBT+ history, and has an extensive archive of books, magazines and all sorts. He is a bit older than me but our lives overlap so much; some of the places or people he mentions I actually been to or met, but I also learn so much from stuff that was a little before my time when it comes to be out and about. Our conversations could probably go on for hours and hours, and it’s actually quite hard to bring the conversation to an end. All the people I speak to are really, really nice and it’s such a privilege for me because I don’t know that many people who are LGBT+ and who are older than me and my husband. I also phone another gentlemen who was active in UK parliament in the 1950s around homosexuals rights back then, and again he’s a fascinating person to speak to.

What are you most proud of as a volunteer with LGBT Age?

I’m very grateful of having been part of the Men’s Coming Out Course in 2019 and because I benefited so much from the work in this group (including making a really good friend), I really wanted to contribute to the work of LGBT Health and Wellbeing. As a Telefriender, I’m really proud of providing a listening ear to such wonderful people but also being part of the organisation in my own way as everyone I have come across from LGBT Health and Wellbeing have been absolutely lovely.

What would you like to achieve as a volunteer?

I know that particularly with COVID, a lot of older people can unfortunately end up more isolated. I think there is an awful lot of ageism in our society and also that if you don’t feel confident enough to do stuff online, it can make it even worse. But most people have access to a telephone so I feel that’s a small thing I can do to mitigate that to some extent.

What would you like to change for the community?

Sadly, there are still 70 countries across the world where I believe it’s illegal to be queer – in some countries you can even be put to death by the state for just being who you are. So if I could just wave a magic wand, I would want the whole world to wake up one day and just to realise ‘hang on a minute’ there are much important things to worry about at the minute like climate breakdown, food poverty, the pandemic, power imbalance, social inequalities, economic injustices – we got all these things to sort out, can we then stop bothering people about their identities and who they choose to love?

Do you have a role model? Someone that inspires you?

I am really inspired by Dr Drew Dalton of the University of Sunderland, for his work with Report Out and Hidayah. Report Out is a global human rights organisation for sexual and gender minorities, and Hidayah is a UK nationwide organisation which seeks to support, and to bring to campaign for, the lives of LGBTQI Muslims. I have found these organisations really educational. I’m aware there is a lot of islamophobia not just in society in general but unfortunately amongst queer people. It’s easy to look at countries like Saudi Arabia where the regime oppresses local LGBT+ people and paint the whole of Islam in a bad light, but if you look at Christianity in our own country and some of the things in the Old Testament, it’s not more better. So why is it that Islam is scrutinised and not Christianity? The trouble is a lot of people jump to conclusions but the real issue is when people from any faith missuses religion for their own bad purposes. It also upsets me when I hear people talking about African countries being homophobic which shows how much we don’t know about our own history, and how British colonial imperialism brought about the homophobia with Christian missionaries. So I’m really inspired by the work of Hidayah and Report Out which supports LGBT+ people across the world especially in countries where it’s dangerous to be out.

Hi! My name is Aaron (pronouns) and I volunteer for LGBT Age at LGBT Health and Wellbeing. I help deliver both Coffee Posse online and  in Glasgow which are monthly meetups for LGBT+ people aged 50 and over to come together and connect.

How did you find out about LGBT Health and Wellbeing first and what was your journey to becoming a volunteer?

I had looked online for volunteering opportunities in Glasgow. When I came across LGBT Age I recognised a *fantastic* staff member’s name from an LGBT organisation I attended when I was a teenager which confirmed this was the right organisation for me!

Can you tell us a little bit more about your role?

I am volunteering with the Coffee Posse. I had my first volunteering session with the Virtual Coffee Posse and am looking forward to my first in-person session soon. So far, I know it’s about creating conversation within a lively and friendly bunch – all while ensuring a safe and welcoming space for everyone.

What are you most proud of as a volunteer with LGBT Age?

To know that I am giving input to the generation who laid the path before me and enabled the privilege I am lucky to have now as a member of the LGBTQ+ Community. I am proud that by volunteering I can offer a show of thanks to the older generation of our community.

What would you like to achieve as a volunteer?

Firstly, I hope to bring a wee bit of happiness to the people who attend and hope I make them feel welcomed. I am also a nursing student and I hope this unique volunteering experience will give me better insight for inclusive care for members of the LGBTQ+ Community and that I will go on to advocate for my community within healthcare.

What would you like to change for the community?

I hope that one day we all feel safe in ALL spaces to comfortably be our beautiful selves. Most of all I hope to influence and create that environment when I become a nurse – as accessing healthcare can often be daunting for the LGBTQ+ Community.

Do you have a role model? Someone that inspires you?

I am happily and uniquely 1 of 1 but I seek to learn from everyone I meet, to open my mind and take influence from all of those around me so I can always have new experiences and continue to grow.

Hi! I’m Christelle. I’m originally from Cameroon and have British citizenship. I’m an athlete and I’ve qualified to represent Scotland in wrestling at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

How did you become a volunteer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing?

I had known Stella (Refugee Project Development Worker) for a while and was part of LGBT Unity which is a community group that supports Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Asexual and Transgender Refugees, Asylum Seekers and other Migrants in Glasgow. We both used to attend the group meetings regularly and we became good friends.

Stella then started working at LGBT Health and Wellbeing. Each time she would put on an event, she would invite me as she knew I was also supporting people with their asylum cases. Stella invited me to volunteer for the organisation and so we worked on setting up a dedicated social group for women in the LGBTQ+ refugee community.

What do you do as a volunteer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing?

With the women’s group, I provide them with mental health support on a 1-to-1. I have an email that they can contact anytime when they feel they need help, advice or support. I also DJ during group events.

What are you the most proud of as a volunteer?

Seeing my own people’s faces because a lot go through the system thinking that it’s the end of the world, and that it will never get better. I’m there to remind them it’s just a process and that it’s all going to work out – even if it might not be the exact way they imagined. Being there to support people with their mental health, help them go through the process, and give them confidence again.

What more are you hoping to achieve as a volunteer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing?

What I hope to achieve with the women’s group is to keep bringing women together to make them feel safe and comfortable, and to feel free to speak their mind. In the future, I would love to be more involved, like supporting them as a full-time qualified social worker. There’s so much to learn in this field and I want to look for professional training to assist them more.

If you could change one thing for the LGBT community, what would it be?

If I could change one thing, it would be the mindset of my people. The way people from an African background grow up is so different from here. I’d like to change their minds so they don’t worry about being themselves – just be you.

I would also want to change the asylum seeking system. It needs to give more credit to asylum seekers and be better at making them feel safe even if they aren’t granted residence right away.

I would also like to change the mindset of people from around the world who still discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. Especially the mindset of those from the same background as me, who think that they will never be understood or that it is forbidden to be some type of way. I want them to feel it’s ok to feel how they feel without any worry.

Do you have a role model or someone that inspires you?

I don’t have a specific role model. I’m an athlete so I get to travel around the world where I meet different people and learn new things, which opens up my mind. I’ve learned throughout the years to be more open minded. It wasn’t always the case. There was a time when I wasn’t so open, but I’ve learned it’s ok to be more open about who you are. The lesson that I could be free was invaluable.

I don’t even a LGBT+ role model because growing up in Cameroon, you can’t even think of having such a role model (though here I can see it’s different). But I’m conscious some people look up to me so I try to give the best of me.

In the world of sports, I do look up to my mother who I got my taste for sports from. She played handball (netball here) for a long time and she inspired me to get into sports. I also look up to this one wrestling champion from back home. The way she works and dedicates herself reminds me that anything is possible with commitment and discipline.

Hello, I’m Moira (she/they/xie), and I am the community group leader for Non-Binary Edinburgh which is a bi-weekly online group for non-binary and genderqueer people to get together.

What was your journey to becoming a volunteer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing?

Before helping start Non-BinaryEdinburgh, I had been part of other community groups such as T-time, getting to know all of the other members and getting to know the community as a whole.

It was a sort of a whirlwind moment when I was invited to help at one of the meetings when there was a few extra hands needed. I remember being so nervous when being asked to take over as group leader, at the time it had been such a big step up and I was never sure if I was responsible or organised enough to be able to do such a thing!

What do you do as a volunteer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing?

I run the Non-Binary Edinburgh community group, which originally used to be prepping and organising an in person space, community events, as well as bringing in guest speakers for meetings.

At the start of the pandemic in 2022, we moved our group meetings online, first to Zoom, and then later to Discord, making use of our already large online space to help make sure people still stay in touch.

Now as we function as a mostly online space, I work as a moderator for our server, helping maintain a digital safe space for our community.

What are you the most proud of as a volunteer?

One of the things I am most proud of would have to be the online space that myself and the other community leaders and members have been able to build together. Whether it is in person, or online. I’m proud of the space that we have been able to make. A group of people that are happy to help others and make a space that is not only welcoming but supportive. We are all in different stages of our journey, and it’s wonderful to have a judgement free space that allows us to help each other.

What more are you hoping to achieve as a volunteer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing?

My big achievement I have on the horizon would be to bring the group events back in person, we’ve been very cautious for all our members. We’ve got big plans for introducing a mixed delivery for both digital and in person events. We want the best of both world for our members, recognising the needs of everyone and trying to make it as accessible as possible is our goal.

If you could change one thing for the LGBT community, what would it be?

A big question, I’m not sure where to start. There are so many things which I would change. I think the biggest thing would be accessibility for disability and neurodiversity. As a community, we don’t just need accommodation, we need universal access. From wheelchair access, to providing safe spaces. It’s not as big or as complicated as people think, but it does need to come from the top down with people being educated on how they can make their spaces better.

Do you have a role model? Someone who inspires you?

I’m not sure if I have a role model, so much as people who just help me improve myself, or people who have taught me a great deal in the great art of “Doing and being better”, I have a lot of friends and family who I consider the best and most supportive people who have been with me through my life in all the ups and downs. I think having a specific person to be aspirational to is a little difficult, be your own person, don’t measure yourself by the standards of another, strive to do what they do, but don’t worry if you don’t feel like you can measure up to someone else, because I bet you that someone else is looking up at you and wondering how they can measure up to what you’re doing.

Oscar Wilde -whose full name was Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Willis Wilde- became one of the most popular and fashionable playwrights of the early 1890’s in Victorian London. He is also one of the most celebrated and iconic gay men of British history. Mr Wilde was originally from Ireland Dublin, born on 16^th October 1854 at Westland Row, and as such he was an Irish born Poet and Dramatist. However, Wilde was also ultimately a tragic figure as he went from being an artistic Playwright and flamboyant wit, to being a man struck down by tragedy who was imprisoned for two years and ultimately dying penniless in a cheap hotel in Paris.

Wilde’s parents were both professional, intelligent and highly accomplished individuals. Wilde’s mother (Lady Jane Wilde, 1820-1869) wrote patriotic Irish verse. She was a successful poet and journalist, and also wrote revolutionary poetry under the pseudonym Speranza. She was also considered an authority on Celtic Myth and Folklore. Lastly Wilde’s mother is credited with having inspired her son’s love of poetry and neo-classical art. Wilde’s father (Sir William Wilde, 1815-1876) was also a gifted literary figure, and produced books on ‘Archaeology and Folklore’. Besides, he was also a medical professional, in fact described as ‘Ireland’s leading ear and eye surgeon’.

Oscar Wilde can be more accurately described as Anglo-Irish who was a Playwright, a Novelist, Poet, Lecturer, Journalist and Critic. However, he only wrote one novel in his career, which was ‘The Picture of Dorian Grey’. Wilde was also part of what could be described as an ideology or a philosophy known as the Aesthetic movement that was popular in England during the Victorian era. Its ‘creed’ has been summarised as ‘Art for Art’s sake’

Having come from such an accomplished cultural family, it would seem inevitable that Wilde would receive a good education. He first went to Portora Royal School (between 1864-71) then attended Trinity College Dublin (1871-74) and finally Magdalen College Oxford (1874-78). It was during his time at Magdalen College that Wilde became a strong admirer of the teachings and philosophy of the English writers John Ruskin and Walter Pater, who taught about the ‘central importance of art in life’. Pater stressed that life should be lived with aesthetic intensity. Wilde thus became known during his Oxford days for his involvement with the Aesthetic and decadent movements. Wilde began to wear his hair long and decorated his rooms with ‘Peacock feathers, lilies, sunflowers, blue china and other objets d’art’. The ‘aesthetics’ had ‘languishing attitudes’ and a showy flamboyant dress sense.

Wilde’s intellectual talents also included being an exceptional linguist. He studied Greek for nearly nine years and became fluent in English, German, French and he had a working knowledge of Italian and Greek. Unfortunately he apparently was unable to speak a single word of Irish.

When his studies at Oxford came to completion, Wilde returned to Ireland for romantic purposes as he wanted to meet a potential love interest, the renowned beauty Florence Balcombe. Unfortunately for Wilde, this potential romance was never to be as Miss Balcombe had become engaged to Bram Stoker, the famous author of ‘Dracula’. Heartbroken, Wilde moved to London and boarded with portrait artist Frank Miles who was highly successful. Wilde lived on the highly fashionable Tite Street in Chelsea, a residence that also boasted none other than the painter James Whistler and illustrator Charles Rickets with his partner Charles Shannon.

Apart from his literary accomplishments, Wilde was also renowned for his ‘dazzling’ wit and has also often been described as ‘flamboyant’- a description that can also be extended to his affairs with men. After moving back to England, Wilde soon became a name in Victorian London’s ‘society circles’, who drew into his orbit a number of admirers ‘flocking’ to Chelsea to spend time with him and Miles. This was partly in response to the fact that Wilde had published, at his own expense, a Poetry collection (his first in 1881) despite the fact that he had been lampooned by Punch magazine.

The followers that Wilde attracted into his orbit have been described as having ‘initiated a personal cult, self-consciously effete and artificial’. In fact, Wilde wrote in 1894 ‘the first duty in life is to be as artificial as possible’. It would seem that with his decadence, he was deliberately setting out to contradict Victorian piety.

Wilde spent an entire year lecturing in America. In 1882 when he travelled to the United States, having arrived at customs in New York City, he made perhaps his most famous quip that he had ‘Nothing to declare but his genius’. After his time in America, he returned to England where he also lectured. Wilde also tried his hand at editing and from the years 1887 to 1889, he edited the magazine ‘Woman’s World’. In 1888, Wilde wrote ‘The Happy Prince and Other Tales’, this being his first success as a prose writer. In 1892, he brought out another collection of Fairy Tales entitled ‘The House of Pomegranates’.

Oscar Wilde, apart from being famous as a dramatist, playwright, wit and poet, is also famous as being an iconic gay man. Homosexuality was considered a crime during the Victorian era. As he famously had a homosexual relationship or ‘affair’ with the son of an aristocrat, his personal life became public knowledge, and he was ultimately tried, sentenced and imprisoned.

Wilde apparently became active as a gay man in 1886. He believed he was deliberately subverting the Victorian moral code and challenging society by creating scandal, albeit a personal private scandal. Furthermore, he believed that his subversion of the Victorian moral code was the inspirational ‘impulse’ to his literary career. Ultimately a rebel, Wilde ‘believed in the criminal mentality’ and perceived himself as a criminal. It is interesting to note here that the subject of criminality was woven into his only novel published in 1891‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. In this story, the painter Basil Hallward is murdered, initiating Dorian’s disintegration as a pivotal moment. Initially the character Dorian did not age which is considered to be a metaphorical celebration of youth.

Wilde, who famously had a gay relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, otherwise known as ‘Bosie’, was accused by his father, who happened to be the Marquis of Queensberry, of homosexuality. This resulted in Wilde suing Bosie’s father for libel. Tragically Wilde’s case went against him and he was ultimately arrested and tried for ‘gross indecency’. He was sentenced for two years hard labour – his crime being for ‘sodomy’.

As I don’t like to end my articles on such a bleak and negative note, I wanted to end by briefly mentioning some of Wilde’s work as a Playwright. It was between the years 1892-1895 that Wilde produced a number of Plays. These works proved to be popular with audiences as they relied on ‘puns and elaborate word games. In 1892, Wilde produced ‘Lady Windemere’s Fan’, in 1893 ‘A Woman of No Importance’, and in 1895 there was ‘An ideal Husband’ and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’.

Hi! My name is Mason (he/they) and I volunteer for LGBT Age at LGBT Health and Wellbeing. I provide one-on-one support to older LGBT+ people across Scotland on the Telefriending service and co-facilitates the online version of Coffee Posse which is a monthly meetup for LGBT+ people aged 50 and over to come together and connect.

How did you find out about LGBT Health and Wellbeing first and what was your journey to becoming a volunteer?

When I was a young kid in Edinburgh, I remember seeing the LGBT Centre in Edinburgh and always wanting pop in but not quite having the context or maybe the courage to go inside. When I returned to Scotland as an adult, after a long time living away, I realised I wanted to be able to connect to LGBT+ people beyond my own social circle. I wanted to hear stories from elders, and understand a bit more about their lived experiences here.

What do you do as a volunteer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing?

I keep in touch over the phone with a couple of folks one-to-one as part of the Telefriending service, checking in every fortnight or so, and I co-facilitate the online Coffee Posse each month, getting to participate in groups of up to 12 or so people. I listen to what’s on people’s minds, hear about their hopes, future plans, as well as their lives.

What are you most proud of as a volunteer?

I’m happy to be able to participate and have the privilege to learn from the folks who use the service, and hear how they come to know themselves and be in touch with each other, and also see how we get to change each other in those shared spaces of contact.

Do you have a role model? Someone that inspires you?

There are so many inspiring people out there, but I regularly go to Jessica Dore’s daily Tarot card readings on Twitter for her thoughtful and useful reflections on care, transformation and acceptance: @thejessicadore

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and this year the UK national campaign looks at loneliness. The Mental Health Foundation research highlights that LGBT+ people are at greater risk of experiencing loneliness, something we know all too well as an organisation working with the LGBT+ community in Scotland.

Some of the reasons for this are that LGBT+ people are more likely to be single, childless, living alone, in less frequent contact with their family of origin, and at greater risk of social isolation – this risk is particularly acute for vulnerable sections of the community such as older LGBT+ people and LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees.

Another reason for this is minority stress which is the negative impact of living with a stigmatised identity. Despite progress in LGBT+ rights in Scotland and across the world, stigma and disapproval of LGBT+ identities remain prevalent, contributing to the marginalisation and discrimination of our community. As a result, many LGBT+ people live with shame and fear leading to social anxiety which is a risk factor for loneliness. The pandemic also highlighted how isolated some LGBT+ people were with little to no support networks to turn to.

At LGBT Health and Wellbeing, we work to reduce loneliness and social isolation within the LGBT+ community in Scotland by providing safer and affirmative social spaces for LGBT+ people to come together and connect. We also do this by encouraging the involvement of LGBT+ people in shaping our services and supporting their delivery. We support individuals to participate as community members, volunteers, peer group leaders and human rights activists in our organisation.

At the end of 2021, 85% of people who use our services told us that they feel less lonely as a result of joining our social community programmes, and 88% feel more connected to their community. They told us that what they value the most is making new connections, feeling like they belong, feeling part of a community and not feeling alone anymore:

“I find events like this so valuable, as someone who is not yet fully out – it makes me feel more connected to others and less alone.”

It has provided me with comfort and support following a period of very low mood. It has helped to combat the loneliness that comes with poor mental health”

Tracy’s story

Tracy (she/her) is a 56-year-old disabled intersex trans woman with complex health needs and reduced mobility since an accident, meaning she isn’t able to leave the house as much as she used to. Tracy began engaging with LGBT Health and Wellbeing by attending Coffee Posse, our café meetup space for LGBT people aged 50 and over in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Through Coffee Posse Tracy had the opportunity to spend time with fellow queer people socially in a way that suited her access needs as a wheelchair user.

“At LGBT Health and Wellbeing, there is a sense of belonging. I have made some wonderful friends from the organisation both online and in person. You don’t feel alone all of a sudden. Instead of seeing a disabled trans woman, they see me. They give you a sense of belonging.”

Tracy also engages with our Trans Social Lounge where she attends monthly film nights. After a Christmas social event, Tracy recognised some trans people wanted a more regular informal space to hang out online, and so she introduced the trans Friday Night Social Chat, a weekly Zoom hangout providing trans people with the opportunity to be themselves and socialise in an unstructured and organic way.

Thierry’s story

Thierry (he/him) is a 31-year-old gay man originally from Cameroon. He first came to LGBT Health and Wellbeing when he arrived in Glasgow in 2019. Being new to Glasgow, and having a limited support and social network, he wanted to make connections and learn more about the diversity of the LGBT community and its culture.

“Engaging with LGBT Health helps to equip you to become part of your local community, as well as the LGBT community in Scotland”.

Thierry first attended one of our social events, where he felt instantly welcomed and affirmed in his identity. Having very little knowledge or understanding of LGBT issues, Thierry took the opportunity to attend events and use the educational resources provided by the organisation to learn more about the community. Whilst learning, Thierry also made many friends, including through our LGBT Refugee Project.

“It was very good to feel like, okay there are people like me here! I could connect with them and get involved and contribute. It was rewarding; mentally, physically, emotionally. It was everything that you could possibly imagine.”

After some time, Thierry began to volunteer with LGBT Health and Wellbeing as he was keen to give back to the community and help to create a welcoming environment for LGBT asylum seekers like him. After two years of volunteering, Thierry applied for a role with LGBT Health and Wellbeing as a sessional worker on the Refugee Project which he successfully got. Thierry is extremely proud of himself and his journey with the organisation.

Combat loneliness with LGBT Health and Wellbeing

If you know someone LGBT+ who is socially isolated, let them know that LGBT Health and Wellbeing is there for them.

We have a social programme of regular meetups, community discussions and groups, for LGBT+ people in Scotland to come together and build connections.

We run the national LGBT Helpline Scotland which offers emotional support and signposting information to all LGBT+ people across Scotland. Open Tuesdays & Wednesdays (12-9pm) and Thursdays & Sundays (1-6pm). Phone (0300 123 2523), email (helpline@lgbthealth.org.uk) and live chat (www.lgbthealth.org.uk) support.

We run Telefriending which is a phone-based service making regular calls to older LGBT+ people aged 50 and over across Scotland, who are isolated.

We offer a programme of mental health support which includes counselling, individual support sessions (phone, email, online) and a social programme of regular groups and workshops aimed at supporting LGBT+ people to look after their mental health and wellbeing.

We also provide specialist support for trans people, older LGBT+ people and LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees.

Resources

The Mental Health Foundation has a resource hub with help and advice on how to cope with loneliness.

The Scottish Mental Health and Arts Festival invites us to ‘Gather’ from 4^th-24^th May with over 200 events taking place across Scotland and online.

Key references

“Marginalization and Loneliness Among Sexual Minorities: How Are They Linked” (Campaign to End Loneliness, February 2022)

“All The Lonely People” (Mental Health Foundation, May 2022)

“Combatting Loneliness Amongst Older LGBT People” (Age UK, February 2018)

“Queer Asylum Seekers Left Facing Isolation, Hunger and Mockery – Right Here in the UK” (Pink News, May 2021)

Hey everyone, Rebecca here (Policy and Research Officer at LGBT Health and Wellbeing). As I am sure many within our community are aware, the Scottish Government are currently in the process of amending the 2004 Gender Recognition Act (GRA). The Scottish Parliament have opened their Call for Views on the proposed Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill, allowing the public the chance to detail and submit their opinions/thoughts on the Bill. The deadline for responses is 16^th May.

As it stands, the GRR Bill will introduce new criteria for applicants who wish to get a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). The aim of the Bill is to make the process easier and less dehumanising for trans people, reducing the time period applicants are required to live in their acquired gender from two years to three months. The Bill at present will also remove the requirement for a medical diagnosis and medical evidence to obtain a GRC, hopefully making the process more affordable and accessible. At LGBT Health we support reforming the GRA, and believe that proposed changes will positively impact the lives of many trans people here in Scotland.

At present the draft Bill proposes the GRA:

• remove the requirement for medical evidence
• remove the Gender Recognition Panel from the process – applications will be made instead to the Registrar General for Scotland
• reduce the period that applicants must live in their acquired gender from 2 years to 3 months
• introduce a mandatory 3-month reflection period
• reduce the minimum age for applicants from 18 to 16
• introduce a new duty on the Registrar General to report on an annual basis, the number of applications for GRCs and the number granted.

Much to the disappointment of LGBT organisations across Scotland, the GRA Bill will not include legal recognition for non-binary people. We believe the Bill can be best understood to be a step towards achieving trans equality. At LGBT Health, we are committed to working to achieve equality in law for non-binary people. There is an opportunity within the detailed response to express discontent at the Bill’s exclusion of non-binary people, our organisational response will do so and will highlight that equality must include all trans people.

The purpose of this blog post is to encourage all of our community members who are in support of reform to complete the Short Survey Response on the GRA Bill. This consists of seven yes/no questions and one open question where respondents can add any additional comments. If you are unsure about the Bill, or some of the questions asked in the Call for Views, please see this guidance by Scottish Trans Alliance (STA).

I am very happy for folks to reach out to me to discuss the Bill, our organisational response, or for support in submitting a personal response. I can be contacted via email at rebecca@lgbthealth.org.uk or via phone on 0754 173 9819.

The internet is a key part of our everyday lives, but it can also cause real harms to people, and these tend to be experienced by certain groups more than others, such as the LGBT+ community. The Glasgow City Health & Social Care Partnership Health Improvement team want to understand the impact of online harms, and what can be done to prevent it. They would like to hear directly from people who have experienced any form of online harm to help them develop and shape the project around their experiences. If you are from within the Glasgow region, your voice and participation would be invaluable in this project. Please click here if you would like to know more and participate.

What is the project?

The Glasgow City HSCP Health Improvement team are working on a project which looks at online harm (for example, online bullying, unkind comments, or trolling) and its impact on Mental Health. We reached out to LGBT Health & Wellbeing, who kindly suggested we reach out to you via their Village Voices Newsletter, as it might be something in which you would be interested to be involved.

To value everyone’s contribution, each participant will receive a £20 Amazon E-voucher after attending the session and we will explain how to access this during the session.

When will the session take place?

You will be invited to attend a 90-minute session will take place on Zoom on:

Wednesday the 18 the of May 2022 between 10.00am and 11.30 am.

Full details of the session and the Zoom link will follow to those who are selected to take part. If you are unsure how to use Zoom, we will provide full instructions on how to access the session.

The sessions will be recorded to allow the team to review what was shared and the recordings will be immediately deleted following this.

How can I get involved?

If this is something in which you would like to be involved, we would be delighted to hear from you – please get in touch through email on  carolann@carolanngvineria.com

The deadline to express your interest is MONDAY 9^th MAY 2020 5pm.

There are limited spaces, so we advise registering your interest early. If we have a lot of interest in the sessions, we will create a waiting list and will let you know if you have secured a place. We will contact you to let you know soon after the deadline.

A Q&A answering any questions you may have, can be found below.

Kind wishes
Carol Ann Gvineria
Carol Ann Gvineria Consultancy
Tel. 0757007617

Online Harms Session Question and Answers

This document aims to provide answers to some questions that you may have around the online harms’ session. If you have any remaining questions or if anything isn’t clear, please get in touch at carolann@carolanngvineria.com.

Alan Turing was nothing short of a scientific genius whose life and contribution to the British war effort (World War 2) has been significantly made more widely known to the public through the film ‘The Imitation Game’- in which Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing. Turing was a Mathematician, logician, computer scientist, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist. He was also gay which I will speak more about later in the article. Turing has also been described as formalising  ‘concepts of algorithm and computation’ which ultimately led to the invention of the ‘Turing Machine’. As such, he is generally considered to be the ‘Father of theoretical science’ which also includes artificial intelligence.

Alan Mathison Turing was born in London on 23^rd June 1912. He is mostly known for his academic achievements for having made significant and important contributions to mathematics, cryptanalysis and mathematical biology. Turing also contributed to new scientific disciplines that would be renamed: computer science, cognitive science and artificial intelligence life.

It should come as no real surprise that such an intelligent young man, with a keen scientific mind should have entered the University of Cambridge in 1931 after having been educated at a top private school. Turing was elected to a fellowship at King’s College after graduating in 1934, for his excellent research in ‘probability theory’. Turing went on to write a seminal paper ‘On Computable Numbers, with an application to the ‘Entscheidungs problem’ and ‘Decision Problem’. At the time there was the emerging science of computing and Turing’s method in its application had ‘profound significance’ for this new scientific discipline.

Turing went on to study for a PhD in mathematical logic at Princeton University under Alonzo Church – studies he completed in 1938. Turing ultimately went on to invent the ‘Universal Turing Machine’, which was based on the same logical principles of a digital computer. Previously the various attempts at mathematical problem solving had been carried out by rote by humans who were actually designated as ‘computers.

Turing, after returning from the United States went on to join the ‘Government Code and Cypher School’. He also joined the war time organisation’s headquarters at Bletchley Park after the outbreak of war in September 1939. During WW2, the Germans used a cypher machine known as ‘Enigma’ which was their principle device used to encrypt radio communications. The Polish Government had some initial success against Enigma that they shared the details of with Britain and France. It was during the autumn of 1939 and the following year that Turing and his colleagues designed a codebreaking machine which was similar but significantly different to the Polish device known as the ‘Bomba’. By 1942, the Crypto-annalistic team were successfully decoding 39,000 messages each month – the figure rising to 84,000 per month which works out at two messages every minute, night and day.

The code-breaking machine designed by Turing and his team was known as the ‘Bombe’. This device provided the military intelligence with large quantities of information for the rest of the war. The Germans also devised a sophisticated cipher machine that the British referred to as ‘Tunny’. Turing was the first scientist to device the ‘first systematic method’ of breaking the intelligence that was encrypted by this Cypher.

Turing was subsequently rewarded for his achievements by being made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire-OBE at the end of the war.

After the war Turing was recruited to design and create an electronic computer by the National Physical Laboratory, NPL in London. Turing succeeded in doing his Automatic Computing Engine-ACE, being the first ‘complete specification of an electronic stored-program all-purpose digital computer’. However, though the ACE machine design was possible, it was never actually built. Turing’s colleagues at the NPL decided that it was too difficult and perhaps too ambitious. In its place was created a much smaller model – the Pilot Model ACE-1950.

Through the NPL’s lack of ambition, they thus lost the race to create the first working ‘electronic stored-program digital computer’ in the world. This honour instead going to the University of Manchester which housed the Royal Society Computing Machine Laboratory. Turing dissatisfied with the lack of progress at the London NPL became the Deputy Director of the Computing Machine Laboratory.

Having spoken at some length of Turing’s career it is here I will turn to his sexuality and personal life. As mentioned above, Turing was gay which unfortunately in this less enlightened era ultimately led to his conviction for ‘indecency’. However many years before this, Turing had apparently proposed marriage to a colleague mathematician and cryptanalyst, but the ‘engagement was short lived’.

Turing’s conviction with a previous partner was for ‘gross indecency’ which was legally according to section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885. This followed Turing’s acknowledgement of a sexual relationship with Arnold Murray. Turing was 39 in 1952 when he had started a relationship with Murray – ‘homosexual acts’ were still a criminal offence in Britain at the time. It was the 23^rd of January of this year, that Turing’s house was burgled. Murray subsequently revealed that the burglar was an acquaintance of his and thus Turing reported the crime to the Police. It was during the investigation that Turing’s homosexuality was revealed.

The ultimate outcome of Turing’s conviction was having to undergo a highly invasive procedure – commonly referred to as ‘chemical castration’. At the time this was the indignant alternative to prison. Furthermore, the alternative was a form of conditional probation. Turing had to accept having injections of what used to be referred to as stiloboetrol (known as diethylstilboestrol) which is in fact a form of synthetic oestrogen. In other words, Turing had to undergo hormonal physical changes, ultimately resulting in ‘feminization’ of his body and rendering him impotent.

Due to Turing’s criminal prosecution, he was henceforth denied security clearance, barred from continuing his work in crypto-graphic consultancy for the Government Communications Headquarters-GCHQ, though he was permitted to keep his academic job. He was also restricted from travelling to the U.S.A, but he could visit other European countries if he so wished.

Sadly, it wasn’t until 2009 that Alan Turing received a Government apology and granted a Royal pardon – suffice to say it was too little and too late. It was John Graham Cumming, a British Programmer who had acted by starting a petition to apologise for Turing’s conviction for homosexuality. Gordon Brown (Prime Minister at the time) released a statement of apology, in acknowledgement of the petition which had received 30,000 signatures.  This was the 10^th September 2009. Alan Turing died on the 7^th June 1954 – he was 41.

The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) are looking for a range of people from all over Scotland with different life experiences and perspectives to join the new Diverse Experiences Advisory Panel for Mental Health and Wellbeing (DEAP). MHF have reached out to us here at LGBT Health to help find those from the LGBTQ+ community with lived experience of mental health who might wish to join the Advisory Panel.

Here at LGBT Health and Wellbeing, we think that the DEAP is an excellent opportunity for queer folks who are interested in mental health policy, LGBTQ+ policy or are simply passionate about tackling mental health inequalities experienced by LGBTQ+ people here in Scotland, to become involved in the policy shaping process. We believe this opportunity to have LGBTQ+ voices at the table when discussing mental health prevention, policy and service provision is critical to ensure these spaces are safe(r), affirmative and accessible to all LGBTQ+ folks.

Funded by the Scottish Government, the panel is open to those aged 18 and over with lived experience of mental health. The panel aims to include a diverse range of folks from all walks of life, including:

• LGBTQ+ folks
• Those with mental health conditions
• Black and minority ethnic people
• Disabled people
• Refugee and asylum seekers
• Those with experience of substance use
• People from low socio-economic backgrounds

If you have one (or more) of these identities, then your perspective could be invaluable to the shaping of Scotland’s future mental health policy.

We are very much supporting the MHF in their search for LGBTQ+ folks to join the panel, if you are interested and wish to discuss the opportunity with a staff member from LGBT Health please contact Rebecca on rebecca@lgbthealth.org.uk

For more information, click here to view the official website or here to fill out the MHF’s online form. BE QUICK – the deadline for applicants is 7^th April 2022.

If you wish to talk to someone from the MHF directly about the possibility of joining the panel, contact Mairi Gordon, Senior Participation Officer at MHF at m.gordon@mentalhealth.org.uk

By Siobhan Donegan

It was through my admitted admiration of British iconic transgender woman April Ashley that I first learnt about the equally amazing Coccinelle. She was born in Paris France, August 23^rd 1931, and as the title of this article implies she became famous for having been France’s first trans celebrity. The name that they were given by their parents was Jacques Charles, but she cleverly, in my opinion, feminised her first two names to Jacqueline Charlotte. She later stated, “As a boy aged four I knew I was different. I was a girl, really, but nobody could see it”. Jacqueline ‘earned’ the nickname -which she subsequently adopted as a stage name- ‘Coccinelle’ (Ladybug or Labybird) after appearing at a party in a red dress with black polka dots.

Coccinelle was born in Paris at 66 Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth in the 3^rd ‘arrondissement’ of Paris, and was brought up in the Temple district. She was lucky enough to have a ‘relatively supportive family’ and apparently from a young age, expressed her inner femininity by wearing dresses and wigs. The Temple area of Paris is ironically near to what is now a thriving gay nightlife scene, the Marais. Coccinelle did not come from a particularly wealthy family and the first job she ever had was in a hairdressing saloon. Unfortunately her father’s homophobia made him fear that his ‘son’, through this form of employment, would become a homosexual.

Coccinelle eventually entered the ‘vibrant cabaret’ world as a Drag Queen or ‘female impersonator’ according to the public comprehension of the time -some performers did even self-identify as transvestites. Another general term that was used for these glamorous individuals was ‘transformistes’. However, Coccinelle’s self-awareness and comprehension obviously extended ‘beyond their stage personae’ as she clearly felt a strong ‘affinity’ with her ‘femaleness’.

This stunningly beautiful woman had a sense not only for elegant fashion -she became renowned for her trade mark polka dot dresses and mink coats -but she also discovered that she had a talent for the performance arts. After making her debut at Chez Madame Arthur (Paris in 1953) which was a fashionable cabaret, Coccinelle advanced onto the popular music hall at Le Carrousel de Paris which had opened in 1947. In fact, Coccinelle was a very talented singer upon which she built a career. She also developed her style by taking inspiration from and modelling her ‘look’ on Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot.

Coccinelle is also famous for being the first French individual to undergo gender affirming surgery. Just like April Ashley, whom she had met at the popular Le Carrousel de Paris, Coccinelle travelled to Casablanca to undergo her gender affirming procedure with Dr Georges Burou, stating afterwards, “Dr Burou rectified the mistake nature had made and I became a real woman, on the inside as well as the outside.”

Coccinnelle’s gender affirming surgery has also been described as a ‘victory’ during an era she could still have been arrested for ‘cross-dressing’. In fact, there had been a French Law since 1800 making it illegal for women to wear trousers -obviously French women have ignored this law- however, it was only officially repealed in 2013.

At the famous Le Carousel de Paris, Coccinelle not only encountered other iconic trans women such as April Ashley, but also the performer Bambi (Marie- Pierre Pruvot, born in Algeria) who became a lifelong friend of Coccinelle. The Parisian Cabaret scene became a magnetic centre that attracted into its orbit a number of trans feminine individuals. Not only did it become a ‘haven’ in which there was the freedom for feminine gender expression but it also became the focal point for important information, and a ‘network of care’, support and communication.

Coccinelle became a media sensation after her surgery. Her career included appearances in the films ‘Europa di Notte’ (1959), ‘Los Viciosos’ (1962) and ‘Dias de Viejo Color’ (1968). As a talented singer she also recorded albums, appeared on TV shows and radio shows, and toured world-wide with her stage act.

Furthermore, Coccinelle’s name was emblazoned in red letters by Bruno Coquatrix on the front of the Paris Olympia for her 1963 revue ‘Cherchez la Femme’ -a production which showcased her ‘magnetic talent’ as a singer. This was because she was the first French trans woman to become a major star.

Coccinelle got married in 1960 to the sports writer Francis Bonnet. However, first she was unusually required to undergo the rite of baptism again due to her name change to Jacqueline. The real significant point here was that through the French Government, acknowledgement was established for a transgender person to marry. All in all, Coccinelle was married three times in her life. Her second marriage to Mario Costa -a Paraguayan dancer- and finally to transgender activist Thierry Wilson with whom she jointly founded the organisation ‘Devenir Femme’ which provided care and was dedicated to supporting transgender individuals seeking gender re-assignment surgery.

Unfortunately, after the media sensation surrounding Coccinelle’s first marriage, trans individuals who had already undergone gender affirming surgery were unable to obtain the requisite legal documentation confirming their identities. This was due to the fact that the French State reacted negatively to Coccinelle’s stardom, ‘forcing’ the public to adopt trans visibility. Some people have tried to blame Coccinelle for this, but in my opinion, that is entirely unfair.

The truth is that Coccinelle could also be described as a pioneer of trans visibility. As whereas other trans women felt that they had to live by stealth, she apparently refused to live in secrecy. In fact after her first marriage the issue of trans, through the media, became a preoccupation, both within and outside of France.

In the later years of her life, Coccinelle wanted to reach out and help others. She established the ‘Center for Aid, Research, and information for Trans-sexuality and Gender identity’. Before passing away, she also wrote and published her ‘self-titled’ autobiography. This beautiful and amazing individual sadly died in Marseille (France) at the age of 75, having been hospitalised after suffering a stroke.

It has been said -and is part of queer ideology- that by simply existing and thriving in a heteronormative society, that you are taking part in your own ‘subtle revolution’. From this perspective, Coccinelle is a triumph.