Wednesday: 20 Short Years

Until 1991, being gay in the organisation I work for was a sackable offence.  Today I went along to an event which celebrated the fact that the ban on homosexuality was lifted 20 years ago.

We heard from a number of people who worked for the organisation, knowing they were gay, and who told of the double lives they had to lead.  Quite a few employees who were found to be gay were dismissed, and one was known to have committed suicide as a result.  Some of the quotes, from as late as 1989, are particularly choice: 'Her Majesty's Government should not be represented by glue-sniffers, drug-abusers or homosexuals'.    

The argument for having a ban was like something out of Catch 22.  It was because it made you a target for blackmail.  The reason you were a target was because there was a ban in place.  And so it went in circles.  

I have worked for them for 23 years.  20 years seems such a short time.  

This is Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive of Stonewall giving a talk.  I apologise for the grainy quality of the photo but it was the best I could do discreetly from the back of the room.