Geni Optns Book on Growg Up Gay and Disabled 1980s London - Variety

Contents:

• GAY CYCLG GROUPS IN THE UK
• MEET OUR GROUPS: GAY OUTDOOR CLUB
• RI TO LONDON'S GAY PAST FOR LGBT HISTORY MONTH
• LONDON'S LANDMARK BUILDG DOTTED WH STRIP CLUBS, GAY VENU TO TURN TO MOSQUE
• KEV SPACEY DEFENDS COMG OUT AS GAY AFTER BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT: ‘I WAS UNR A LOT OF PRSURE’
• RI TO LONDON'S GAY PAST FOR LGBT HISTORY MONTH

GAY CYCLG GROUPS IN THE UK

We’re OutdoorLads, the UK’s largt outdoor activi group for gay, bi and trans guys. Wh hundreds of gay cyclists  our club we’ve always got a ri near to you. On this page we’ve summarised everythg gay cyclists  England, Wal and Stland want to know before their first ri.

What typ of ris n gay cyclists jo?

MEET OUR GROUPS: GAY OUTDOOR CLUB

For example, we equently see gay bikers, mounta bikers or BMXers try their hand at road bikg (and then of urse fallg love wh ). We’re all gay, bi and trans folks that jt enjoy ridg together. CycleOut London is a cyclg club for gay men and lbians and their iends.

Our missn is to brg cyclists together om across the UK’s LGBT and gay cyclg clubs, who we often work llaboratn are a natnal group, wh a foc on ridg our Natnal Parks and Areas of Outstandg Natural Bety. The Gay Outdoor Club (GOC) started 1974 when a uple of iends livg London placed an advert the newspaper to see if there were any like-md people who shared a passn for the outdoors.

The club is registered as a charable pany and operat on a not-for-prof basis, wh the objective of providg facili the terts of recreatn or other leisure time occupatn of dividuals who have need of such facili, pecially but not exclively, gay men and women, wh the aim of improvg their ndns of life. We wele members verg the full spectm of genr and sexualy, and although gay men are still the majory, we have around 100 members who intify as women. Foundg member Graham said that jog a gay cyclg club means "one do not have to hi on sexualy or pe wh awkward qutns about girliends etc although obvly a gay guy uld be more relaxed about cyclg a predomantly straight club now than was the se 20 years ago.

RI TO LONDON'S GAY PAST FOR LGBT HISTORY MONTH

For Andi, a very recent addn to the club, CycleOut provis the same opportuny: "I joed bee I wanted to meet other gay men a healthy ntext where sex, dgs or alhol aren’t volved, unlike other bars, clubs and apps ed to meet other people.

I found tertg that a long-term member didn’t relate well to the further fns of what ed to be lled the 'gay muny', sayg: "How I dislike 'LGBT+'.

LONDON'S LANDMARK BUILDG DOTTED WH STRIP CLUBS, GAY VENU TO TURN TO MOSQUE

We're all gay men. His pot has an element of tth, unfortunately, as we do seem to attract jt gay mal; my unrstandg, though, is cyclg general ntu to be domated by male cyclists.

Founr member Graham thks that as CycleOut is volved events such as Pri, helps create a 'non-stereotyped' picture of gay guys, and Mike agre that the group helps wh visibily: "Like all other LBGT+ sports clubs, shows that LGBT+ people are multi-faceted, and for the members, provis a welg home to meet like-md people. Stephen says that: "As a gay cyclist, the ma asset has been the existence, survival and hopefully flourishg of the club. When we asked members to look to the future, founr member Tony thought that "there may not be any need for a gay group'' but also felt that "there's a different irreverent attu to life which mak a gay group worthwhile.

New member Daniel also thks there will ntue to be a place specifilly for the LGBT+ dience: "I am nfint the group will exist for along time, to help gay people like me e together", as do fellow new cyclist Joe: "Hopefully, there will ntue to be gay clubs that will ntue to provi safe environments that support both the physil and mental wellbeg of LGBT+ cyclists. The first, an entirely flat route, foced on s Central London and the send, wh a sharp hill climb to the former home of Dty Sprgfield, went wt to Kensgton, Chelsea and Earl's Court, the centr of London gay life for much of the past century. Notg that gay history has generally been a worldwi tale of persecutn, discrimatn and jtice, we began by markg the impact of Henry VIII’s Buggery Act of 1533, the first secular legislatn England on sexual moraly.

KEV SPACEY DEFENDS COMG OUT AS GAY AFTER BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT: ‘I WAS UNR A LOT OF PRSURE’

The first ri moved on to the Cy of Quebec, the olst ntually gay public hoe the UK, and om there, explored a number of former venu where gay men - and ls often women - met and socialised over the centuri.

One unexpected disvery was that London 1720 had more gay venu than the 1950s, when the then Conservative home secretary, Sir David Maxwell Fyfe, sought to wipe out what he lled a “plague over England” g a batn of police entrapment and rmers.

RI TO LONDON'S GAY PAST FOR LGBT HISTORY MONTH

The Cy of Quebec is the olst ntually gay public hoe the UK. The mpaign for homosexual rights and reform.