LGBT stories sought for new project

Date: 10/06/2012. Story submitted by: Lucy Oxley

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Sheffield's LGBT community are invited to share their experiences of coming out and living life as a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person.

A unique collaboration between the University of Sheffield’s Department of History and Out Aloud Sheffield LGBT choir has created Allowed Out, a project seeking to document and showcase LGBT experiences.

Allowed Out is hosting a series of writing workshops with local writer and former Derbyshire Poet Laureate, River Wolton.

The workshops are open to any member of the LGBT community and will focus on the critical incidents that have shaped lives, identity and community, as well as individual and collective activism.

River Wolton said: “I came out more than twenty years ago after considerable inner turmoil and I’m indebted to the friends, activists and cultural figures whose courage, visibility and pride have made it possible for me to love and live with integrity.

“Recent years have seen improvements in LGBT human rights in the UK, but every day young people are still bullied or driven to self-harm and suicide by homophobia, and across the globe, sometimes as a backlash to greater visibility, LGBT people are abused, imprisoned, tortured, or even executed because of who they love or how they live.

“I hope this project will provide insight and inspiration, as well as encouragement for people of all ages and backgrounds to treat each other with respect, dignity and humanity.”

The workshops will cover different themes and participants are welcome at one or both. They are taking place at St Mary’s Conference Centre on Thursday, June 14 from 7.30pm to 9.30pm and at the Quaker Meeting House from 10.30am to 1pm on Saturday, June 30.

If you can’t attend the project can arrange to scribe or record your stories - please email allowedout2012@gmail.com for further information.

Contributions of photos, archive material, memorabilia are also welcome.

Additional info

Address: Bramall Lane Sheffield S2 4QZ

Tags: Allowed out, out allowed, university of Sheffield, lgbt, st mary’s conference centre

Web link: http://www.outaloud.org.uk