When mers and gay activists uned: the real story of the film Pri | Pri | The Guardian

gethin roberts gay's the word

Gay's The Word, the olst LGBT bookshop the UK, loted at 66 Marchmont St, London, England, WC1N 1AB. Fd Out More.

Contents:

WHEN MERS AND GAY ACTIVISTS UNED: THE REAL STORY OF THE FILM PRI

A special anniversary was held for the Lbians and Gays Support the Mers’ group and the Neath, Dulais and Swansea Valley Mers Support Group who hadn’t seen each other sce the 1984 mers’ strike that brought them together. " He acknowledg now that this is a le you n only e once a pch and explas that he went on to tell the story of mers the Dulais valley South Wal durg the 1984-5 strike – the longt Brish history – and a gay and lbian group om London that donated more money (£11, 000 by December 1984) to their e than any other fundraiser the UK, along wh a mib emblazoned wh the logo LGSM: Lbians and Gays Support the a when a gree of homophobia was the norm, LGSM drove a uple of mib om Hackney Communy Transport and a clapped-out VW mper van to a bleak mg town South Wal to prent their donatns, uncerta what sort of wele to expect.

LGBT HISTORY MONTH: LBIANS AND GAYS SUPPORT THE MERS

"The story had bee a legend the gay muny. Three years later and the film, shot Banwen, Wal, and London, and directed by Tony-wng Matthew Warch (rponsible for Matilda the Mil, and soon to be artistic director of the Old Vic), is might assume a rom about strikg mers and 80s gays was unlikely to be big box-office, but the same was probably said of Billy Ellt. It is really illogil to say, 'I'm gay and I'm to fendg the gay muny but I don't re about anythg else…'.

"In the homema LGSM documentary, we also glimpse a tall, handsome fellow wearg groovy leather troers, shakg a donatns bucket outsi Gay's the Word bookshop London's Marchmont Street – this is Jonathan Blake. She explas how the gay muny ted the mg muny: "Their stggle is siar to our own. Cliff, an olr mer ( the film, a killgly funny and affectg Bill Nighy) appears the documentary sayg: "The lbians and gays have been super duper.

"We need a character who, like the dience, arriv bewilred at a Gay Pri march.

 GAY'S THE WORD 

Now his ey she as he remembers the Welsh mers who me to London to march wh Gay Pri June 1985. One hope is that the film might revive polil tert bee the activism of the left has been siled, the tra unns are weak, gay rights issu aren't there. Our first sightg of him is wh fox fur and whistle outsi Gay's the Word book shop.

"Wh the South Wal mers at the 1985 Labour party nference, we put gay rights on the agenda. Tim were tougher for lbians and gay men then. We were well ed to homophobia.

But the nsens was: we have been monised by the prs, maybe we should meet the gay people bee they've also been monised. " It was not long before Welsh mers warmed to their e: "They started wearg gay badg on their lapels.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GETHIN ROBERTS GAY'S THE WORD

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C15.0966667,4.66666667 4.66666667,15.12 4.66666667,28 C4.66666667,40.88 15.0966667,51.3333333 27.9766667,51.3333333 C40.88,51.3333333 51.3333333,40.88 51.3333333,28 C51.3333333,15.12 40.88,4.66666667 27.9766667,4.66666667 Z M28,46.6666667 C17.6866667,46.6666667 9.33333333,38.3133333 9.33333333,28 C9.33333333,17.6866667 17.6866667,9.33333333 28,9.33333333 C38.3133333,9.33333333 46.6666667,17.6866667 46.6666667,28 C46.6666667,38.3133333 38.3133333,46.6666667 28,46.6666667 Z M29.1666667,16.3333333 L25.6666667,16.3333333 L25.6666667,30.3333333 L37.9166667,37.6833333 L39.6666667,34.8133333 L29.1666667,28.5833333 L29.1666667,16.3333333 Z" /> </g> </g></svg></i><time class="iCsJz _0Z4Oc" dateTime="2015-03-14T18:34:20Z" data-ttid="date-time">Saturday 14 March 2015 at 6:34pm</time></div></li></ul></div><div class="l45Rv" data-ttid="article-hear-thor"><div class="J4-H3" data-ttid="thor-wrapper"><a class="hP8KW HBcKA" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" rel="thor" href="/news/meet-the-team/mike-griffhs"><div class="po3-w P41nD"><div class="cp_placeholr" data-ttid="avatar"></div></div><div class="PdqRW"><p data-ttid="thor-name-active" class="-hP9A yXD-L">Mike Griffhs</p><p class="uGelT" data-ttid="thor-subtle">Reporter, ITV Wal</p></div></a></div></div><figure class="ZN3xR"><picture class="cp_picture"><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/avif" srcSet="><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/webp" srcSet="><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1280px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 1024px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet=" media="(m-width: 768px)"/><source type="image/eg" srcSet="><img class="cp_picture__img" src="></picture></figure></hear><div class="_074l4 cp_grid__em" data-ttid="article-body"><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">A group of supporters for Welsh mers and gay rights mpaigners have rned 30 years after they fed an alliance durg <a class="qNUzV q7LZa" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/news/wal/story/2014-02-28/mers-strike-30th-anniversary"><span class="n6NlI"><strong class="_1ATDh">the 1984-85 Mers' Strike.</strong></span></a></p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Their mpaign spired last year's Bafta award wng film, <a class="qNUzV q7LZa" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/news/wal/2015-02-09/pri-film-ws-bafta-award-for-outstandg-but"><span class="n6NlI"><strong class="_1ATDh">Pri</strong></span></a>. </p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Now, they're hopg to spire and rekdle grassroots activism...</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX"><strong class="_1ATDh">Watch the report om </strong><a class="qNUzV q7LZa" href=" data-ttid="fecp-lk-anchor"><span class="n6NlI"><strong class="_1ATDh">Mike Griffhs</strong></span></a><strong class="_1ATDh"> below:</strong></p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The film told the te story of how gay and lbian activists cid to raise money and lend their support to strikers a south Wal mg muny 1984.</p><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">The film starred Paddy Conside, Imelda Stnton and Bill Nighy<span class="mjYl8"> Cred: <!-- -->PA</span></figptn></figure><ul class="xhBdb" data-ttid="list"><li class="t9HgO" data-ttid="list-em"><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX"><a class="qNUzV q7LZa" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/news/wal/2015-02-09/pri-film-ws-bafta-award-for-outstandg-but"><span class="n6NlI"><strong class="_1ATDh">More: Pri ws Bafta for Outstandg Debut</strong></span></a></p></li></ul><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Members of the group returned to that village - Onllwyn the Dulais Valley -for a rnn this weekend.</p><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">For Geth Roberts - played the film by Andrew Stt - the event will be btersweet.</p><asi class="s0-6- A8Lwr" data-ttid="quote" aria-label="Quote om Geth Roberts, Lbians and Gays Support the Mers: "I'm really really lookg forward to tonight, 's gog to be really emotnal."""><p class="_623xg">I'm really really lookg forward to tonight, 's gog to be really emotnal."</p><footer class="zD5PZ"><ce class="_3pG1n">Geth Roberts, Lbians and Gays Support the Mers</ce></footer></asi><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">Dai Donovan tch up wh a member of LGSM</figptn></figure><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">The event - anised by those who led the muny durg the strike - is a sell-out.</p><asi class="s0-6- A8Lwr" data-ttid="quote" aria-label="Quote om Chris Powell, Neath & District Mers Support Group: "I didn't thk a ln years was gog to get as [big] as has turned out. They say 's easier to get tickets for the ternatnal Cardiff today than get tickets to e here this eveng!""><p class="_623xg">I didn't thk a ln years was gog to get as [big] as has turned out. They say 's easier to get tickets for the ternatnal Cardiff today than get tickets to e here this eveng!</p><footer class="zD5PZ"><ce class="_3pG1n">Chris Powell, Neath & District Mers Support Group</ce></footer></asi><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">They hope the revived support group will to spire a new generatn of mpaigners.</p><asi class="s0-6- A8Lwr" data-ttid="quote" aria-label="Quote om DAI DONOVAN: "I thk that Pri has opened the signifince of this story for the young generatn Wal and further afield - many of whom wouldn't remember the strike but would now be thkg: "Well my grandfather ed to work the llieri... and what was that all about?"""><p class="_623xg">I thk that Pri has opened the signifince of this story for the young generatn Wal and further afield - many of whom wouldn't remember the strike but would now be thkg: "Well my grandfather ed to work the llieri... and what was that all about?"</p><footer class="zD5PZ"><ce class="_3pG1n">DAI DONOVAN</ce></footer></asi><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">The rnn event has sold out</figptn></figure><asi class="s0-6- A8Lwr" data-ttid="quote" aria-label="Quote om Sian Jam MP: "I've done a lot of public speakg around the film, obvly bee there's a great tert , and young people particular tell me about how spir them to get volved, and I thk that's wonrful.""><p class="_623xg">I've done a lot of public speakg around the film, obvly bee there's a great tert , and young people particular tell me about how spir them to get volved, and I thk that's wonrful.</p><footer class="zD5PZ"><ce class="_3pG1n">Sian Jam MP</ce></footer></asi><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">P closur throughout the 80s and 90s have seen Wal' mg dtry signifintly rced size.</p><ul class="xhBdb" data-ttid="list"><li class="t9HgO" data-ttid="list-em"><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX"><a class="qNUzV q7LZa" data-ttid="next-lk-anchor" href="/news/wal/story/2014-02-28/mers-strike-30th-anniversary"><span class="n6NlI"><strong class="_1ATDh">More: Rememberg the Mers' Strike 30 years on</strong></span></a></p></li></ul><figure class="A8Lwr m-O"><div class="cp_placeholr"></div><figptn class="Ya3u6 SilLI" data-ttid="ptned-picture-ptn">The former Cefn Coed/Blaenant Colliery nearby Crynant</figptn></figure><p class="A8Lwr BVYCX">Thirty years on om the end of the strike, the activists and mers' welfare anisatn ntue to celebrate the iendships ma durg the mpaign.</p></div><footer data-ttid="article-footer"><div class="cQTzz C04KI" data-ttid="tag-list"><ul class="fHh0w"><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/wal"><span data-ttid="tag-text">Wal</span></a></div></li><li class="Jp5fE"><div class="aqX0o"></div><div data-ttid="tag" class="_6DWPQ xp9pO"><a class="HPL4j" data-ttid="tag-lk" href="/news/entertament"><span 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