Memories by Wash
Seeking Equality Through the WLM and the Unions
“It was 1972 and this was the year of my politicisation as a lesbian. After being involved in gay politics, through Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) I became part of the Women’s Liberation Movement. I had often fe...
Getting LGBT Issues Taken Up by the Unions
"I was ‘out’ in all respects. Although I often had to attend functions in my role as a Union Organiser, I never put a frock on. I was active in many spheres of LGBT politics, ensuring that Union procedures were up to date and were being followed. At ...
Refused to use the toilet!
“I never experienced any difficulties at work initially but a colleague did make a complaint to management about having to use the same toilet as me. This colleague said they refused to use the toilet if I was in the building. I complained and they w...
Hockey and Football - a Release for Lesbians
“My leisure time still revolves around sport. I still play hockey and have played for many clubs, there has always been large element of gay women. Sport had been quite a release for gay women, I know not every lesbian is a tomboy. The same goes for ...
Boot Women Strides On
“I help to run a women’s walking group, which operates all year round, called Boot Women. It has been going for about 15 years now (since March 1993), and is very simply organised you just turn up the second Sunday of every month at the designated me...
Well Received in the Old Mo
“The Old Moseley Arms (Old Mo) was another good venue for lesbians, it was a straight pub and we were well received. The pool room was heavily used by women."...
Arrested for setting up a disco!
“We set up a women's disco at the White Lion, we had booked an upstairs room with the landlord for a Saturday night, for one pound! We had our own record player and had to go downstairs to get the beer from the bar. Unfortunately the landlord w...
Through the Spy Hole at the Nightingale
“Once I’d discovered the Viking and made some friends, we went round to the Nightingale, which was in those days in Camp Hill in a two-up two-down house. You had to ring a bell and a spy hole would open and you would be perused. It was not very lesbi...
Sent to the Viking by social worker
“I got myself in a pickle one night and this social worker or advisor told me I needed to think about where I was going, and asked if I’d heard of the Viking. Well I’d never heard of the gay scene in any shape or form. I was very brave; I set off one...
School days for a popular tomboy
“School days were interesting, I had a gang of girl chums, who in retrospect I can say I did fancy and I did realise back then I was not into all the stuff the others girls were into, I never wanted to wear stockings or tights. I was a tomboy. At sch...
Pressure to go out with boys
“I was living in a hostel (in 1968) and I felt peer pressure from the other women who were going out with boys. I was 18 and not sure about my sexuality. I began to sleep with chaps but needed a drink to do it and never enjoyed the experience. I bega...