Help Wanted , , bisexual, Are You Butch or Femme? , straight or whatever. We have been contacted by a I would like people who think researcher who is working on a they may have been subject to From the Closet to the Screen, Women at the PhD. She is trying to find out the such treatment who are interested Gateways Club 1945–85 by Jill Gardiner consequences on the lives of in taking part to contact me. I will children, adolescents and young send further details of the study adults in the UK who were treated and some guidance so that people for conditions and/or can tell me their “stories”. “The old disorder. She I will use the memories and writes as follows: recollections of individuals’ diehard crowd “What were the effects of experiences from early childhood both graduates of the University and museums to see how with the medical treatment on the to early adulthood, and their All Systems Go!! of Sussex and became involved Ourstory could develop in the Brylcream saw development of gender identity in hindsight now to see whether with Ourstory through the future. While downing a swift half us as an individuals who may have been there are any lessons for the he view from the Ourstory offices in the city centre is surely one of the About Campus exhibition. Chris on Canal Street, Sally said of the invasion. Their classified as ‘intersex’ and/or future. Everything will be in most scenic in all Brighton. Not that you’d know the view was there, was formerly owner of the much trip, “It’s interesting finding out femmes had ‘’. For the purpose of strictest confidence, and people Thowever, as the view is blocked by box upon box of books, banners, missed LGBT OUT! Books in the different directions groups perms and this research, this includes rendered anonymous.” photos, memorabilia and most of all, of course, memories. Kemptown. have taken. We heard about clip on surgical, hormonal or psychiatric We’re bringing back some of all our items. New acid-free boxes Tom and Alf, although no funding, premises and some of the mumsy treatment. There does not appear these collected memories with the allow us to keep items from longer on the Management Group, pitfalls they’ve had along the Michelle O’Brien to have been any research like this long awaited return of the degrading. They’re much more continue to make a substantial way.” earrings, School of Business and Social Science done before. I am not looking for Lavender Lounge Bar at the end of expensive than your common contribution to Ourstory’s work summer Department of Sociology details about the treatments Pride Week, on August 10th. The brown box but much safer. by cataloguing and managing the Charitable status dresses and Southlands College themselves, but how people felt, show forms the climax to a website. Jill has made the most of The other main focus of the group court shoes. University of Surrey Roehampton what the impact was on their whole day of Ourstory her time since leaving the in recent months has been our They’d say 80 Roehampton Lane lives, and the development of their London SW15 5SL activities, centred on application for charitable ‘What are identity. That identity may be [email protected] Hove’s Dudley Hotel, at status. Very few LGBT you ? Are the bottom of Lansdowne groups have it but we’re you butch or Place, a few minutes from hoping our application femme ?’” the West Pier. will cross all the t’s and Brighton Sue The cover of From the Closet to the dot all the i’s. Becoming Screen shows Susannah Yorke and New volunteers a charity will bring with Over the years lesbian and gay Beryl Reid relaxing outside The Amid the frantic activity it many benefits. Firstly clubs have arrived and vanished Gateways Club during the filming of of organising these it means we will have The Killing of Sister George. with the sidereal rapidity of waves otherwise stated events, official landing on Brighton beach. That Tuesday acknowledgement that this would happen to The Her camera rolls on down the evenings are a we are completely Gateways Club, the most famous years, silhouetting the formal haven of peace transparent and Chelsea cellar in the lesbian litany, gents suits, shirts and ties of the when a trustworthy. had been inconceivable. But it did. 50s, wheeling on through the dedicated team Secondly, it On September 24th 1985 the final filming of The Killing of Sister of cataloguers brings strains from the vinyl whirring on George in the 60s and the brief but sifts gently financial the DJ’s turntable died away and deadly blossoming of the jeans through the benefits and the lights went out on a chapter of and cheesecloth of the casual and contents of our Benedict, Sally, Chris and Linda – allows us to lesbian history which had, gorgeous 70s. Until the final many boxes. Ourstory’s new Management Group bid for pots of amazingly, endured for forty credits in the sadder days of the Recently several money historic years. 80s. new volunteers previously We owe a great debt of have joined the closed off. We Narrative tapestry gratitude to Jill for her delightfully Ourstory team. will report back Brighton’s own Jill Gardiner has digestible and at the same time Their focus, along on this in the compiled a narrative tapestry of academically precise chronicle of a with everyone else, As funds allow, we’ll be Management Group by getting next issue. eighty recollections from one-time time that is already in the misty is to get our ever-growing archive buying more of these boxes and her excellent book about the Gate- regulars for whom “The Gates” past for new ducklings on the into a more logical order and to sending some of the most fragile ways Club published (see the Pride was happy hunting ground, lesbian pond ! make sure all the precious items items off for repair. review on page 4 of this issue). So enjoy yourselves at Pride and hostelry and home from home. Read and enjoy ! we hold are preserved. Ourstory’s new Management we hope to see you all at our stall Pasting them liberally upon a val Group has now been established Manchester mission in Preston Park on Saturday, rolling diorama of changing Acid-free boxes for over a year. Alongside Linda, Linda, Sally and Benedict recently August 9th or the next day in fashion and social upheaval she Published by Pandora Press and Spotted in a Hove cemetery – one of us? Does anyone remember We’ve invested in a computerised who has been with the Project went on a fleeting fact-finding Hove for one of our three Pride has made more a cinematograph available from all good bookshops ‘Tommy’ and her friends? cataloguing system that will allow since it began are Sally, Benedict mission up north to Manchester to events. than a book ! and amazon.co.uk us to easily locate and co-ordinate and Chris. Sally and Benedict are see a variety of archives, libraries Benedict

Brighton Ourstory Project, PO Box 2861, Brighton BN1 1UN Email: [email protected] Issue 13 • Summer 2003 Joyce Chester Graphic Design: 01273 676670 • Printed by Beaumont Schubert 01273 749947 • Text Copyright © Ourstory Ltd 2003 unless rateful thanks are due to from Val a biography of the poet, How Much Is Owed to People Like Peter What’s New in the Archive Malcolm for depositing with us Charlotte Mew, and some Ga file containing transcripts of newsletters of the Older the posters, leaflets, articles and Network from 1998–2003. From e’re sad to report the death, at the age of 60, of Peter Ludlam, who money and suddenly all these flyers produced by Sussex Gay Elsa, via Val we’ve gained our for many years worked at Downsview Special School (for children guys rushed in and threw over the Liberation Front between 1970 first original copies of the Wwith learning difficulties) and was a prominent member of the table. I remember the guy that led and 1976. Malcolm was a member pioneering lesbian magazine, Campaign for Homosexual Equality and of Brighton Gay Switchboard. them said, “Right, let’s have them, of SGLF and has drawn on his Arena Three and many issues Here, Eric remembers for us some turbulent times he shared with Peter lads,” or something like that. own memories as well as those of from Sequel’s first five years. in 1979. Doug and Bob, who were also Sally has given us a newsletter No pushover prominent in the group. and photo of Brighton Badgers “I want to talk about Peter And we jumped up and We were glad to receive too, Football Club and Matt’s Radclyffe Ludlam, to give Peter and I actually contribution from a friend of a him his full name. I met him grappled with them. And Left: poster by Sussex friend of a friend is also much through CHE in the late they realised that this wasn’t Front c. 1972. appreciated. 1970s and he stood out going to be a pushover, that somewhat from the rest of there was opposition and us, because we were all of they attempted to leave. And us, maybe a few liberals, but we pursued them, like fools, really ardent reds! The into the street, thinking OK, radicals certainly were the there were maybe half a Word is Out, conversations with 26 gay major part of the group and dozen of them but we women and men, screened at the A Marriage of Convenience he was the only Tory. And thought there was at least Wagner Hall in Brighton 23.1.79. that made him almost one of half a dozen of us – and the enemy, from the there were only the two of us were quite new to me. (It was hose of you who are going (or fourteen years. Kay was a campaign point of view. But – and we ended up in enough learning about the gay have been) to our show, the business woman and Skip was in he always insisted hospital. issues themselves). But we TLavender Lounge Bar, on the RAF so having a spouse came somebody should be thought, where were they at that Sunday, August 10th, might be in handy for both of them. They campaigning in the Tory Shaken moment? And there was a way in interested in these pieces from never let it inhibit the expression Party, not least of all Peter and I were a little bit which what Peter and I had done Kay Morley’s collection. of their true feelings, however – as because he said there were a shaken and not least was not made a big deal of and I She and Skip married early in we hear at the Lavender Lounge great many closet gays in because sitting round that think really it should have been 1951 and lived together at Kay’s Bar in Kay’s own incomparable the Tory Party and they table had been some of the fêted . house in Preston Drove for words. were just as interested as Peter Ludlam in Eric’s back garden c1980 most articulate radicals from I was a bit taken aback that anybody else in seeing law the university who didn’t Peter could pass away in this way reform. It was a screening of an hesitate about lecturing us about and nobody knew what he’d done Left: Kay and Skip (centre) – quite American film called Word is Out political correctness – things that – what a brave man he was.” possibly on their wedding day. Quite a brave man – part of the gay rights movement So quite a brave man, in the sense from America. It was little that he no great friends within the biographies of mostly couples – group – although I took to him and gay and lesbian – who’d think quite a number of people did. successfully maintained a He always gave this self-assured relationship through the difficult image of a person that knew just twenties, thirties and forties, if I what was what and how things remember rightly. should be done. For example, I remember the He was very, very active. He lesbian couple who set up a lived in Wilbury Villas then, in a smallholding in the midwest. maisonette and did quite a lot of They grew herbs and vegetables the entertaining for CHE because and the community in which they he had a huge, huge lounge and lived weren’t the least bit fazed. frequently hosted various And at the other end of the scale, functions, including jumble sales there was a guy who’d had a in the garden. So he was very partner and who was in banking much a live wire within the group. in New York. Above: When called upon to do so, Kay dug out her gold lamé clutch bag and Word is Out Attacked joined Skip at the Officers’ Mess – in But we became particularly close Anyway, the thing is that the This year is the 30th anniversary of Sussex Gay Liberation other circumstances she made a very after the Wagner Hall incident and National Front attacked the event. Front’s bold foray into the outside world – Brighton’s first Pride convincing Harold MacMillan! that’s what I really think has to be The place was absolutely packed. Week. Way ahead of its time, the next Brighton Pride didn’t emphasised – how much is owed We were sitting at a table at right happen until 1991. to people like Peter. angles to the door and taking