‘I’m proud that Bristol’s LGBTQ+ community have, for generations, enriched the life of our city’

I’m proud that Bristol’s LGBTQ+ community have, for generations, enriched the life of our city. There are the visible expressions of Bristol Pride festival and parade, which do so much to highlight different groups and organisations within the community.

But there are also the ways in which members of the community have supported each other. Dale Wakefield, who we sadly lost last year, typifies the compassion and activism which shines through the community when she founded the Bristol Lesbian and Gay Switchboard in her home in Totterdown in 1975.

That spirit continues in the work that charities like the Aled Richards Trust, and subsequently Brigstowe, have done to break down stigma around HIV and providing practical support for people across communities living with HIV.

I’m particularly proud that the diversity we see across the city is also reflected in the LGBTQ+ community, and I commend groups such as Kiki Bristol for providing spaces for queer people of colour and raising the profile of issues facing queer people from across the community.

I’m also proud of how Bristol is home to a thriving LGBTQ+ sports scene, with clubs for football, rugby, swimming, badminton and walking to mention just a few. Building inclusion and participation in sport is one of my priorities and LGBTQ +clubs like these are a vital part of our city’s sporting offer.

Rees praises groups such as Kiki Bristol. Photo: Kiki Bristol

It’s tempting for a lot of people to think that discrimination against LGBTQ+ people is a thing of the past, but sadly we know that’s not the case. We’ve worked hard to improve our city-wide response to hate crime, and we’ll continue to work with the police and organisations like SARI to help make Bristol a city that is safe for everyone.

We also recognise that many of the LGBTQ+ people face specific barriers and deterrents to accessing services. For example, through our work on the Mayoral Commission on Domestic Abuse we identified that LGBTQ+ people can often experience specific forms of abuse, such as the threat of having their sexuality or gender identity disclosed by a partner or family member.

We’re working with partners across the city to make sure our responses are able to meet the specific needs of different communities in Bristol, and to ensure that our support services are accessible and inclusive for all survivors.

I’ve pledged to commission a Mayoral Equalities report to look into and address anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in Bristol. We want that to be a collaborative process, working with LGBTQ+ organisations and communities in the city, schools, the police, NHS, and other groups to make sure Bristol is a safe city where LGBTQ+ people can thrive.

We also want to make sure that transgender people in Bristol can access services in safety. I support the right to self identity, and we support the right for everyone to feel safe. We want to make sure our health services in particular are inclusive and meet the needs of trans people across Bristol.

Rees says he is committed to supporting the trans community. Photo: Nicky Ebbage

Finally, we want to invest in mental health, increasing mental health support, expand mental health training through our Thrive Bristol programme, and address the causes of poor mental health – not just the outcomes.

I know that the pandemic has had specific effects for Bristol’s LGBTQ+ community. Loneliness and isolation have been particularly difficult for those cut off from their social spaces and contacts during lockdown.

For many people – particularly young people – lockdown meant sharing their home with people who don’t know, or don’t support, their sexuality or gender identity.

I know that as we relax restrictions many people will be excited to reconnect with people and places they’ve known well, but we also want to make sure as a city we’re supporting people who will find that process difficult.

I’m particularly keen that we offer support for LGBTQ+ people who have experienced loss (of jobs, of social connections or of loved ones) during this pandemic.

Marvin Rees is mayor of Bristol.

Main photo: Kaleido Shoots/Queer Prom

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