Gee Montague, the 'olst gay the village', di aged 98

Contents:

• ‘THE OLST GAY THE VILLAGE’ GEE MONTAGUE REMEMBERED AT BRIGHTON PRI
• A LOURFUL FAREWELL TO GEE MONTAGUE – THE OLST GAY THE VILLAGE
• TIRELS MPAIGNER GEE MONTAGUE, THE ‘OLST GAY THE VILLAGE’, DI AGED 98
• BRIGHTON'S 'OLST GAY THE VILLAGE' DI AGED 98
• 'OLST GAY THE VILLAGE' GEE MONTAGUE DI AGED 98
• ‘OLST GAY THE VILLAGE’ BE BRIGHTON PRI AMBASSADOR
• GEE MONTAGUE – THE OLST GAY IN THE VILLAGE
• 'OLST GAY THE VILLAGE’ FALLY GETS A GOVERNMENT APOLOGY
• THE OLST GAY THE VILLAGE : A POWERFUL, MOVG AND VERY PERSONAL ACUNT OF ONE MAN'S EXPERIENCE OF BEG GAY OVER THE LAST NE S

‘THE OLST GAY THE VILLAGE’ GEE MONTAGUE REMEMBERED AT BRIGHTON PRI

Brighton Pri has paid tribute to the 'Olst Gay the Village’, Gee gay rights mpaigner has been immortalised on a special b - the Brighton & Hove B fleet number as a lol legend, and self-proclaimed ‘the Olst Gay the Village’, Gee Montague passed away March aged was a famo fixture of Brighton Pri who joed the para year after year on his rabow mobily Montage tirelsly fought to receive an apology om the ernment for a nvictn for gross cency the Montague fought tirelsly for an apology stead after beg nvicted of gross cency wh an another missn, though ultimately succsful, took 43 98-year-old sadly passed away peacefully at home March of this year, wh his hband Somchai Phkhlai by his, Gee Montague has been immortalised on an open top b (fleet number 919) which was unveiled today and attend by Somchai.

A LOURFUL FAREWELL TO GEE MONTAGUE – THE OLST GAY THE VILLAGE

”A spokperson for Brighton & Hove Pri said: “As 'the olst gay the village' Gee Montague was one of the highlights of our annual LGBTQ+ muny para and always got huge cheers wherever he went. Mourners said a fond farewell to Gee Montague – the self-proclaimed olst gay the village – at his funeral today (Monday 11 April). Inspiratnal LGBT+ mpaigner #GeeMontague, the ‘olst gay the village’, di aged 98.

His flower-becked hearse clud the sign that adorned his wheelchair year after year at Pri and which read: “I’m the olst gay the village.

The veteran gay rights mpaigner was sufferg om Alzheimer’s disease when he died at the age of 98 on Friday 18 March. The uple met 25 years ago, 1997, entered to a civil partnership 2006 and 2015, after gay marriage was legalised, they wed at Brighton Town Hall. But even after the law was relaxed, he was nvicted for gross cency wh another man – like many other gay men the 1960s and 1970s.

TIRELS MPAIGNER GEE MONTAGUE, THE ‘OLST GAY THE VILLAGE’, DI AGED 98

The ernment said, 2016, that gay and bisexual men nvicted of sexual offenc that had sce been abolished would receive pardons. Gay rights mpaigner Gee Montague, the self-tled “olst gay the village”, has passed away at the age of 98.

Deeply sad news that Gee Montague aged 98 affectnately known as #TheOlstGayInTheVillae passed away peacefully on Friday 18th March. Gee Montague was charged wh gross cency by ‘homophobic police’. Gee Montague realised he was gay when he was his 20s, and was nvicted of gross cency 1974.

He told The Arg that he was placed on a “queer list” by lol police, and his memoir, tled The Olst Gay the Village, he relled: “Unr Gross Incency law, we were arrted and charged enthiastilly by homophobic police, assisted by provotrs and rmers. Like many gay men livg the UK when homosexualy was crimalised, Montague married a woman, and had three children.

BRIGHTON'S 'OLST GAY THE VILLAGE' DI AGED 98

They were together for more than 20 years, and he prevly said: “I was always nvced my wife knew I was gay when she married me but wasn’t discsed.

'OLST GAY THE VILLAGE' GEE MONTAGUE DI AGED 98

As 'the olst gay the village' Gee and was an important part of the Pri Para and a tirels mpaigner for equaly. In 2016, the ernment pardoned thoands of gay and bisexual men who were nvicted unr historic anti-gay laws, but Montague mpaigned for a full apology as a pardon “accepts that you were guilty”.

He said: “I spent my early years ashamed of beg gay and terrified of beg found out and, as the climate has changed, now I want to shout om the rooftops. GEORGE Montague, known as the ‘olst gay the village’, has died at the age of 98.

‘OLST GAY THE VILLAGE’ BE BRIGHTON PRI AMBASSADOR

He had long been a proment and popular prence at Brighton and Hove’s annual Pri paras, ridg a mobily soter cked out lourful ratns and rryg a banner that said ‘I’m the olst gay the village’. READ MORE: Gay in Gee Montague ma ambassador for 2013 Brighton Pri.

Durg the Send World War, he served as a physil trag stctor the RAF for pilots fightg the Battle of Bra and realised he was gay his twenti, at a time when was still illegal to be homosexual. “I didn’t know whether you uld stop beg homosexual or not, so I told myself I uld stop and I did for four years. However, he said he was “always nvced” she knew he was gay.

He bought a home Brighton the early 2000s, after first visg the 1950s to explore the gay scene. He told The Arg had been placed on a lol police “queer list” of spected practisg homosexuals and that the nvictn ed him to lose his posn as a senr sut missner.

GEE MONTAGUE – THE OLST GAY IN THE VILLAGE

The ernment announced earlier this year that a pardons scheme to “right the wrongs of the past” would be extend to any nvictn imposed due to nsensual homosexual activy. A gay rights mpaigner om Brighton, affectnately known as 'the olst gay the village' has died at the age of Montague was a well-known and much-loved figure at Brighton Pri, takg part the para every year on his rabow mobily partner of 25 years, Somchai, was always at his passed away peacefully at home on Friday, March and Somchai handg his petn at Downg Street 2016Gee petned to get a ernment apology 'before I die' Gee fought tirelsly to get an apology om the Brish ernment for a nvictn of gross cency the 1970s.

Gay and bisexual men were pardoned 2016, but he felt nothg short of apology would make up for the discrimatn he and thoands of others had took him 43 years, but he fally received a letter 2017, havg vowed to make his life's Gee's reactn after he fally received an apology 2017 Gee as a young manGee realised he was gay his twenti, and was nvicted of gross cency many gay men livg the UK when homosexualy was crimalised, Montague married a woman, and had three were together for more than twenty years but eventually divorced, and 1997 Gee met his partner Somchai Phkhlai. The Olst Gay In The Village|Gee Montague. Mr Montague, 90, drove his mobily soter the 2009 Pri para wh the banner: “I’m the olst gay the village.

'OLST GAY THE VILLAGE’ FALLY GETS A GOVERNMENT APOLOGY

Mr Montague first me to Brighton the 1950s to explore the gay scene and ten years ago bought a home the cy. Mr Montague realised he was gay his twenti – long before the crimalisatn of homosexualy. “I was always nvced my wife knew I was gay when she married me but wasn’t discsed”, he said.

Mr Montague was nvicted unr Bra’s former anti-gay laws his mid-40s. He’s Gee Montague and he’s the olst gay the village. I first went on the Brighton Pri Para 10 years ago and I mt adm I flunked , there was nothg to suggt that I was gay, I jt went on a soter that was rated like a boat and people said what are you dog on the para?

And the next year I thought I’ve got to put that right and the Ltle Bra tchphrase “I’m the only gay the village” gave me the ia, I’m the olst gay the village.

THE OLST GAY THE VILLAGE : A POWERFUL, MOVG AND VERY PERSONAL ACUNT OF ONE MAN'S EXPERIENCE OF BEG GAY OVER THE LAST NE S

You’ve been an avid mpaigner for Turg’s Law and not only for pardons for historic offence charg agast gay men, but also apologi. The letter om John Woodck at the Home Office was such an explic apology sayg how very sorry and ashamed they are for the way they treated , wrg; “The legislatn unr which they were nvicted and utned was discrimatory and homophobic.

After 43 years, a man dubbed, ‘the olst gay the village’ has fally received an “abject apology” om the Home Office.

While the ernment pardoned thoands of gay men, Mr Montague argued that this was not enough bee a pardon still “accepts that you were guilty” petn said: “If one was born only able to be ‘ love’ wh another man, one was tomatilly prumed guilty.