Interview with Angie (part 1)
- Reference Number: DW-94/1/6/3
- Date: 2013
- Level: Piece
- Extent: 1 item
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Description: 1.20- ?I think I knew when I was a kid actually I think I was born gay? but really started realising around 13/14
1.40- Went out with men because she thought she had to, but knew it wasn?t really working. Too scared to come out until 21
2.05- When you are young you don?t realise anything beyond liking women, only as you get older do you realise that is gay
2.40- when she was young being gay affected her, as she had this big secret
2.50- once got older, and came out, it stopped being a big deal, hasn?t really affected jobs, it?s just a small part of her, and there are many other things about her
3.50- engaged to partner of 2 years
4- Met people through LGBT groups, some through the internet, but mainly through friends
4.45- doesn?t want children but thinks lesbians would make great parents, but would be good to have a male figure in the child?s life too. Feels it?s getting easier for lesbians to have children, practicality wise and societally.
6.40- came out aged 21 (16 before the interview) it was much more difficult then, people weren?t so open, thinks that legislation such as the equalities act and civil partnerships have helped a lot, as well as Pride in particular. Feels it gets easier each year, but there are still some areas, even in the UK that you have to be careful- e.g. not hold hands to avoid getting beaten up
11.20- people not knowing what LGBT means, sometimes people snigger in response. Feels that things will still change because things had already changed so much since she came out
11.45- ?I never thought I?d be able to get married you know civil partnerships and now they?re trying to change it to actual marriage which hopefully will go through in a few years hopefully I never thought I?d be able to do that and one day I will be able to hopefully actually get married not just civil partnership so it?s really really changing but you still have to be careful it?s not great everywhere?
12.30- people just assume she?s straight, had to have many embarrassing conversations with doctors for example because they don?t think of anything other than straight, but even this is better that it was before
13.20- this country it may be great but acknowledges there are countries where she would be killed for being gay, and that needs to change
13.45- talks about places where she would not go
15.35- remembers the dramatic adverts for AIDS, remembers thinking the stigmatization of gay men was problematic because it?s not a gay disease
16.55- wouldn?t have come out at school, didn?t know anyone who was gay at school. When it was talked about in school it was always derogatory.
17.30- no representation on TV, mentions ?the Brookside thing? later on. All media, books, TV, newspapers, all said that being gay was wrong
18- ?I?ll be honest if I had the choice I wouldn?t be gay if I?m honest, because I don?t think, I?m glad that I?m gay and I?m happy who I am, because I am that and I accept who I am, but if I was born and they said you can have the choice then I would be straight because it?s so much easier [laughs] such a much easier ride erm but I would never say now that I?m straight because I?m not and I think you have to be true to yourself so I am true to myself but I can see why people do hide because it?s just so much easier if you can live with it but I think it?s very hard to live with pretending to be something you?re not so I?d rather be who I am and have trouble than the other way around?
19.10- Thinks it will be even easier in 10 years? time
19.20- notes how brilliant Stonewall is
19.25- thinks she may have been able to come out at school if she were at school now
20.10- she wouldn?t have been able to find support back then, but feels that now it is much more available to LGBT people
20.40- internet making a big difference in making things more accessible, stops isolation
- Access Status: Open
- Contact: Wolverhampton Archives, Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies