Andy Leake

1 week ago | bristol247.com | Andy Leake

LGBTQ+ representation is important. I† ensures minority groups can see themselves represented in mainstream media. For queer people, this can mean seeing a same-sex couple in a normal relationship dynamic, or a queer person of colour in a position of power, like the prime minister. It’s positive for this representation to be extended to young adult fiction, so people growing into their sexuality and identity can see different versions of the LGBTQ+ community represented.

1 month ago | bristol247.com | Andy Leake

Bristol is a city that is renowned for its nightlife scene. According to Bristol city council’s ‘The City at Night report 2024‘, one third of the city’s total spending happens at night, 41 per cent of employees work in night time industries and £74m is generated from the city’s night time economy. Trans-led nightlife events are an important feature of Bristol’s LGBTQ+ nightlife landscape.

1 month ago | bristol247.com | Andy Leake

I am not a trans woman. And yet I owe them so much. We as a society owe them so much. Trans women were instrumental in establishing rights for LGBTQ+ people. Women like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were key figures in early queer rights movements. On a personal level, it is these women’s resilience and joy in the face of discrimination and oppression that inspires me most. Bristol has a thriving trans community and I’ve been lucky to be friends with many of them.

1 month ago | bristol247.com | Andy Leake

There is a notable lack of information and storytelling on the experiences of LGBTQ+ people with domestic violence and abuse. A common portrayal of domestic abuse is that of a male perpetrator and female survivor within a heterosexual relationship. However, Stonewall’s national surveys from 2008 and 2011 showed almost half of all gay and bisexual men (49 per cent) had experienced at least one incident of abuse from family members or partners since the age of 16.

2 months ago | bristol247.com | Andy Leake

Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, often just referred to as ‘Section 28’,  prevented local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales from  ‘promoting homosexuality’.  It was repealed in 2003. One of its many negative impacts was to restrict teachers from discussing LGBTQ+ issues in schools. A lot of popular stories about Section 28 and historical protests against it focus on London. Independent journalismis needed now More than ever Keep our city's journalism independent.