Interview with Martha
- Reference Number: DW-94/1/13/4
- Date: 2013
- Level: Piece
- Extent: 1 item
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Description: 0.50- General Manager of LGBT Network Wolverhampton, funding from Wolverhampton city council, has been there about a year
1.20- now have 10 LGBT groups in Wolverhampton, they had launched 3 of these groups, looking for gaps and supporting people where needed, a bisexual group, a group for older lesbians and bisexual women, and a BME LGBT group
2- Started a counselling service, as there are high rates of mental issues in the LGBT community ? the service has been overwhelmed from the start
2.20- campaigning for rights
4- Network started by a few volunteers in 2002/3
4.50- Silver Web and the Dorchester (does correct herself)
5.45- Is a lesbian, but hasn?t always known, didn?t even know lesbian and gay people existed until she was 19, previously married 2 different men
6.45- had a relationship with a woman in early 20s but still didn?t think she was. After they had gone out for a drink one night, she was followed and assaulted by 6 people in a homophobic attack, made her realise she didn?t want this life
8.10- has two children
8.15- got with current partner 11 years ago, that?s when she realised she was a lesbian. Had a real identity crisis. Met with gatekeeping in a lesbian bar, didn?t feel confident to tell people because she didn?t fit a stereotypical lesbian look
9.15- lucky to be more comfortable and open in every part of her life now, acknowledges this is not possible for everyone
11- Talking about equalities act, though it is still a very ?heterosexist world?
12.30- change only recently with the 2010 equalities act, people might not be comfortable with it but they know they can no longer discriminate, more publicity is important, but there is still a long way to go
13.40- talking about dating- difficult, there are people with gender issues, people with sexuality issues, lots of underlying things, not many role models (though mentions that characters in soaps are really helpful, because young people know they exist, but they?re often stereotyped or something awful happens to them) also acknowledges that some people don?t want to be in pubs and clubs
15.10- what they did to try and encourage more BME LGBT people- who didn?t want group things with forms etc., not confident with being out, they had salsa sessions instead
15.50- online dating, dating through friends, difficulties with isolation
16.25- from a Trans perspective, suffer more from abuse, then there?s the sexuality side as well e.g. they might be straight
18.10- mentions the monolith ad, talks about how difficult this time must have been, forcing people back into the closet, Christian groups saying it was punishment for being gay, for the older generation going from it being illegal to then the AIDs crisis
- Access Status: Open
- Contact: Wolverhampton Archives, Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies