The Views Room

As our LGBTQ+ communities age, we are entering new territory one filled with hopes, fears, systemic gaps, and deeply personal questions. What does it mean to grow older as a trans person in the UK today? What does dignity look like in later life? How do we protect identity, autonomy and respect in systems that don’t always understand us? We are honoured to speak with Jacqui Gavin,  a remarkable wo...

In this episode of Older Queer Voices, we explore a powerful story of courage, injustice, and change. For decades, LGBT people were banned from serving in the UK armed forces many were arrested, discharged, or stripped of their medals simply for being who they were. Our guests, Emma Riley and Catherine Dixon, are two remarkable veterans who have dedicated their lives to fighting for justice and re...

Marriage equality was a turning point; it gave our relationships the dignity and recognition we had fought for. But what happens when those relationships end? What does love look like when the law is involved and what does letting go mean for queer people who have built lives, families, and histories together? We talked love, law, and loss with Barrister Rachel Cooper , a specialist in LGBTQ+ fami...

In this Episode Amanda Currie brings over 20 years of distinguished service within the UK Prison Service, where she played a pivotal role in advancing equality and inclusion for LGBTQ+ staff and prisoners alike.  As an active member of GALIPS (Gay and Lesbians in the Prison Service), Amanda designed and delivered nationwide awareness sessions and talks aimed at enhancing senior management and staf...

There was a lot of heartbreak, a lot of pain, a lot of fights, a lot of insecurities", shares Gurleen Arora with Raga Olga D'silva as she talks about her marriage breakdown, her coming Out journey and her current relationship with her same-gender partner. A Views Room Presentation Follow us on You Tube  https://www.youtube.com/@theviewsroom Instagram @theviewsroom emailtheviewsroom@gmail...

Grief and loss are universal experiences but for older LGBTQ+ people, they often come with added layers; of invisibility, of complex family structures, of having lived through decades of stigma, and of watching chosen families slowly fade without recognition or ritual. This episode of Older Queer Voices is a space to explore how grief shows up in our lives and our communities  not just through ber...

In this episode of Older Queer Voices, we turn our attention to Section 28, a piece of UK legislation that shaped the lives of LGBTQ+ people for over 15 years. Enacted by Margaret Thatcher’s government in 1988, Section 28 banned local authorities and schools from “promoting homosexuality,” a vague and chilling mandate that stifled support, erased representation, and instilled a culture of fear. Th...

South Asian Queer Voices Older Queer Voices | Breaking Taboos in South Asian Homes: Mental Health, Care & Queer Futures In many South Asian households, we are taught to stay silent about the things that hurt us most; mental health, domestic and elder abuse in our homes and even the idea of putting our aging parents in care homes. These conversations are often buried under the weight of “log ky...

This conversation is a truly special one. It’s about love, family, identity, and the realities of growing older as queer people. I am joined by Dr. Jack López, a gay trans man, proud birth parent of four children from his first relationship and his current partner, Dr Iain Armstrong, a gay cis man.  Together, they bring us a deeply personal and insightful conversation on the complexities of family...

Episode 2: Legal matters - Planning for Queer Elders ,  We dived into something that might not seem exciting but is absolutely vital:  T he law. For queer people, especially as we age, legal planning is not just about paperwork. It is about protecting our identities, our relationships, and our chosen families. We spoke with legal expert, Kirsty Limacher about everything from writing a will to sett...

Our launch episode,  'Act Your Age,'  brings together three powerful voices, Jan Gooding, DJ Ritu and Jonathan Phang  who share honest reflections on ageing in the public eye.   From industry biases and the relentless hustle, to love, sex and the truth that desire doesn't disappear with age  this episode is raw, real and vital.  They also speak about those in the LGBTQ+ community wh...

'Coming out' stories from India -  Raga D'silva talks with Debolina Dey about her journey of coming out in Siliguri, West Bengal, India. They  talk about being gay in small-town India and her process of self-exploration and discovery Do you know that there is a huge amount of strategising and censorship Debolina has to follow even today, in her day to day life. Does she feel free wi...

"I thought that after marriage everything will be all right, that with a wife, I will have children and become "normal" and then I will be at peace. I was struggling and striving to be "normal."  I never knew and nobody told me that I was gay and [that] this itself is normal and it will not change.  That this is what is called homosexuality and it is not a disease. I treme...