Getting the Gay Centre started, 1976
1976
“The Gay Community Centre arose though one person called Glen who was frustrated by the fact there was no alternative gay activity going on. He got us together and said, ‘Why don’t we run a gay centre?’ I think we were before the London Lesbian and Gay Centre, we were the first one in the UK. He had read something about a centre in Amsterdam or San Francisco. It was slightly the same group (as GLF (Gay Liberation Front)) and some people from CHE (Campaign for Homosexual Equality) got involved and we took a lease on three enormous Victorian buildings in Allison Street/Bordesley Street in Digbeth. We threw ourselves into it not sure exactly what it was going to be but a ‘friendly space for all gay people’, which was non-commercial.”
Contributed by: Malcolm Gibb, 58