LGBT History Project: Glad To Be Gay

Contents:

• GLAD TO BE GAY
• GLAD TO BE GAYTOM ROBSON BANDTRACK 13 ON POWER THE DARKNS “(SG IF YOU’RE) GLAD TO BE GAY,” ORIGALLY RELEASED 1978 AS PART OF THE BUT EP OF THE GROUP TOM ROBSON BAND IS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE MOST FG SONGS OF THE BAND… READ MORE 1 VIEWER23.3K VIEWS12 CONTRIBUTORSGLAD TO BE GAY LYRICS[SPOKEN WORD INTRO]THIS SONG IS DITED TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATN, ’S A MEDIL SONG AND NCERNS A DISEASE WHOSE CLASSIFITN ACRDG TO THE INTERNATNAL CLASSIFITN OF DISEAS IS 302.0[VERSE 1]THE BRISH POLICE ARE THE BT THE WORLDI DON'T BELIEVE ONE OF THE STORI I'VE HEARD'BOUT THEM RAIDG OUR PUBS FOR NO REASON AT ALLLG THE CTOMERS UP BY THE WALLPICKG OUT PEOPLE AND KNOCKG THEM DOWNRISTG ARRT AS THEY'RE KICKED ON THE GROUNDSEARCHG THEIR HO AND LLG THEM QUEERI DON'T BELIEVE THAT SORT OF THG HAPPENS HERE[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 2]PICTUR OF NAKED YOUNG WOMEN ARE FUNIN TBS AND PLAYBOY, PAGE THREE OF THE SUNTHERE'S NO NUS GAY NEWS, OUR ONE MAGAZEBUT THEY STILL FD EXC TO LL OBSCENEREAD HOW DISGTG WE ARE THE PRSTHE TELEGRAPH, PEOPLE AND SUNDAY EXPRSMOLTERS OF CHILDREN, RPTORS OF YOUTHIT'S THERE THE PAPER, MT BE THE TTHYOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE[CHOS](TRY AND) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 3]DON'T TRY TO KID THAT IF YOU'RE DISCREETYOU'RE PERFECTLY SAFE AS YOU WALK DOWN THE STREETYOU DON'T HAVE TO MCE OR MAKE BCHY REMARKSTO GET BEATEN UNNSC AND LEFT THE DARKI HAD A IEND WHO WAS GENTLE AND SHORTHE WAS LONELY ONE EVENG AND WENT FOR A WALKQUEERBASHERS UGHT HIM, KICKED HIS TEETHHE WAS ONLY HOSPALISED FOR A WEEK(AND HE STILL BEARS THE SRS)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 4]AND S BACK AND WATCH AS THEY CLOSE DOWN OUR CLUBSARRT FOR MEETG AND RAID ALL OUR PUBSMAKE SURE YOUR BOYIEND'S AT LEAST 21SO ONLY YOUR IENDS AND YOUR BROTHERS GET DONELIE TO YOUR WORKMAT, LIE TO YOUR FOLKSPUT DOWN THE QUEENS, TELL ANTI-QUEER JOKGAY LIB'S RIDICULO, JO THEIR LGHTER'THE BUGGERS ARE LEGAL NOW, WHAT MORE ARE THEY AFTER?'(TELL THEM!)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAYSG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THIS WAY3EMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT
• GLAD TO BE GAY: LEADG FIGUR ON 50 YEARS OF LIBERATN
• HOW TO ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE GAY
• GLAD TO BE GAY
• OPEN DOOR: GLAD TO BE GAY?

GLAD TO BE GAY

Glad to be Gay is a song origally wrten by Tom Robson for the London Pri para 1976. Glad to Be Gay Lyrics[Spoken Word Intro]This song is dited to the World Health Organizatn, ’s a medil song and ncerns a disease whose classifitn acrdg to the Internatnal Classifitn of Diseas is 302. 0[Verse 1]The Brish Police are the bt the worldI don't believe one of the stori I've heard'Bout them raidg our pubs for no reason at allLg the ctomers up by the wallPickg out people and knockg them downRistg arrt as they're kicked on the groundSearchg their ho and llg them queerI don't believe that sort of thg happens here[Chos]Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way(Hey!

) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way[Verse 2]Pictur of naked young women are funIn Tbs and Playboy, page three of The SunThere's no nus Gay News, our one magazeBut they still fd exc to ll obsceneRead how disgtg we are the prsThe Telegraph, People and Sunday ExprsMolters of children, rptors of youthIt's there the paper, mt be the tth[Chos](Try and) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way(Hey! ) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way[Verse 3]Don't try to kid that if you're discreetYou're perfectly safe as you walk down the streetYou don't have to mce or make bchy remarksTo get beaten unnsc and left the darkI had a iend who was gentle and shortHe was lonely one eveng and went for a walkQueerbashers ught him, kicked his teethHe was only hospalised for a week(And he still bears the srs)[Chos]Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way(Hey! ) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way[Verse 4]And s back and watch as they close down our clubsArrt for meetg and raid all our pubsMake sure your boyiend's at least 21So only your iends and your brothers get doneLie to your workmat, lie to your folksPut down the queens, tell anti-queer jokGay Lib's ridiculo, jo their lghter'The buggers are legal now, what more are they after?

) Sg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that waySg if you're glad to be gaySg if you're happy that way(Hey! (Sg If You're) Glad To Be Gayby Dr Louise ChambersBack 1977, the Tom Robson Band (TRB) issued a live EP on the back of their first h sgle, 2-4-6-8 Motorway.

GLAD TO BE GAYTOM ROBSON BANDTRACK 13 ON POWER THE DARKNS “(SG IF YOU’RE) GLAD TO BE GAY,” ORIGALLY RELEASED 1978 AS PART OF THE BUT EP OF THE GROUP TOM ROBSON BAND IS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE MOST FG SONGS OF THE BAND… READ MORE 1 VIEWER23.3K VIEWS12 CONTRIBUTORSGLAD TO BE GAY LYRICS[SPOKEN WORD INTRO]THIS SONG IS DITED TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATN, ’S A MEDIL SONG AND NCERNS A DISEASE WHOSE CLASSIFITN ACRDG TO THE INTERNATNAL CLASSIFITN OF DISEAS IS 302.0[VERSE 1]THE BRISH POLICE ARE THE BT THE WORLDI DON'T BELIEVE ONE OF THE STORI I'VE HEARD'BOUT THEM RAIDG OUR PUBS FOR NO REASON AT ALLLG THE CTOMERS UP BY THE WALLPICKG OUT PEOPLE AND KNOCKG THEM DOWNRISTG ARRT AS THEY'RE KICKED ON THE GROUNDSEARCHG THEIR HO AND LLG THEM QUEERI DON'T BELIEVE THAT SORT OF THG HAPPENS HERE[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 2]PICTUR OF NAKED YOUNG WOMEN ARE FUNIN TBS AND PLAYBOY, PAGE THREE OF THE SUNTHERE'S NO NUS GAY NEWS, OUR ONE MAGAZEBUT THEY STILL FD EXC TO LL OBSCENEREAD HOW DISGTG WE ARE THE PRSTHE TELEGRAPH, PEOPLE AND SUNDAY EXPRSMOLTERS OF CHILDREN, RPTORS OF YOUTHIT'S THERE THE PAPER, MT BE THE TTHYOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE[CHOS](TRY AND) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 3]DON'T TRY TO KID THAT IF YOU'RE DISCREETYOU'RE PERFECTLY SAFE AS YOU WALK DOWN THE STREETYOU DON'T HAVE TO MCE OR MAKE BCHY REMARKSTO GET BEATEN UNNSC AND LEFT THE DARKI HAD A IEND WHO WAS GENTLE AND SHORTHE WAS LONELY ONE EVENG AND WENT FOR A WALKQUEERBASHERS UGHT HIM, KICKED HIS TEETHHE WAS ONLY HOSPALISED FOR A WEEK(AND HE STILL BEARS THE SRS)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY[VERSE 4]AND S BACK AND WATCH AS THEY CLOSE DOWN OUR CLUBSARRT FOR MEETG AND RAID ALL OUR PUBSMAKE SURE YOUR BOYIEND'S AT LEAST 21SO ONLY YOUR IENDS AND YOUR BROTHERS GET DONELIE TO YOUR WORKMAT, LIE TO YOUR FOLKSPUT DOWN THE QUEENS, TELL ANTI-QUEER JOKGAY LIB'S RIDICULO, JO THEIR LGHTER'THE BUGGERS ARE LEGAL NOW, WHAT MORE ARE THEY AFTER?'(TELL THEM!)[CHOS]SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAYSG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THAT WAY(HEY!) SG IF YOU'RE GLAD TO BE GAYSG IF YOU'RE HAPPY THIS WAY3EMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT

The EP prised four tracks and one of them would, the history of rock mic, be landmarks bee celebrated gay sexualy.

(Sg if You're) Glad To Be Gay was origally wrten for London Pri 1976 and the lyrics, like many of Robson’s songs, are polilly explic and re-prted all their glory on the right of this page.

Venu featurg punk and New Wave bands, however, were not so reluctant, and I remember many ocsns when I would be among a crowd of punks and happily engagg a pre-gig sg-a-long to Glad To Be Gay. For some of , however, Glad To Be Gay was the first gunshot the battle to get explicly queer mic on the rad and on TV.

GLAD TO BE GAY: LEADG FIGUR ON 50 YEARS OF LIBERATN

As for Tom Robson, he went on to enjoy a solo reer and, at a benef for Gay Swchboard, he met and married Sue, wh whom he has had two children. Of urse, the idt tabloid prs claimed that Robson had ‘gone straight’, an accatn he refuted by addg the followg lyric to Glad to be Gay on the 1996 album, Havg It Both Ways:"Well if gay liberatn means eedom for all, a label is no liberatn at all. "Robson has scribed himself as ‘a gay man love wh a woman, and 2010, said:“I still like both men and women...

It was not until the 1960s that the MP Leo Abse and Lord Arran proposed a bill to liberalise male homosexualy, drawg on the remendatns of the 1957 Wolfenn report. 30am on 5 July 1967, the Sexual Offenc Act was passed, crimalisg private homosexual acts between men over 21 England and Wal (Stland eventually ught up 1980, Northern Ireland 1982). In the UK, the landspe has been transformed wh civil partnership (2004), gay marriage (2013) and fai head by gay upl – every reason for gay pri.

Events clu the Brish Mm’s show, Dire, Love, Inty: explorg LGBTQ histori, the Natnal Theatre’s Queer seri (6-10 July), which offers rehearsed readgs chartg the LGBT experience, and the Natnal Tst’s programme explorg genr diversy through the history of s ho, Prejudice and is Queerama, a new film openg Sheffield’s documentary ftival (9-14 June), that offers the most alarmg sight to homosexual life pre-1967. In the 1950s and 60s, gay men were seen as a medil and social problem. The film clus extraordary black-and-whe footage om the 1964 ITV documentary This Week: Homosexuals.

HOW TO ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE GAY

He explas: “One 20 of both sex is homosexual…” He elaborat – a stab at enlightenment – that “ntrary to popular opn, they don’t look any different om anyone else” although they “stand acced of pravy and vice” and “disturb nformist valu”.

GLAD TO BE GAY

Photograph: Graham Turner/The GuardianAcrdg to Queerama director Daisy Asquh, was “easier to go unr the radar the 19th century than the 50s when Churchill enuraged prosecutns of gay men, which ma life very ighteng for them”.

She was repeatedly “floored”, she said, makg the film, by the “urage of the gay men, bisexuals and lbians and anyone transgenr or non-bary who me out the first two-thirds of the 20th century”.

She shows the endls subterfuge volved beg gay, even though was never actually illegal to be a lbian. In 1988, Margaret Thatcher add a vic new twist, Sectn 28 of the Lol Government Act, which stated that lol thori mt avoid “promotg homosexualy” or the “acceptabily of homosexualy as a pretend fay relatnship”.

OPEN DOOR: GLAD TO BE GAY?

In 1994 the age of nsent was lowered to 18, and 2001 to 16, but was not until 2003 that sectn 28 was repealed and not until 2009 that David Cameron apologised for do this mean gay legislatn is now plete?

Photograph: Si Dhanda/The ObserverThe poet Andrew McMillan was born South Yorkshire 1988, the year Alan Hollghurst’s but novel, The Swimmg-Pool Library, was published, a book that ma a huge splash – a chlorated wave – as an unually sexually explic narrative, set 80s London, about a sctive, privileged and promiscuo gay hero, volved wh a young, workg-class black man. I stayed on to do a graduate this about gay wrers, which was a way of makg a formal statement I was still shy about makg person.