![]() I then became a youth worker and, 20 years later, I am now the Youth Work Manager (East) for the charity, leading practice across Edinburgh, Lothian and Scottish Borders. I shared my knowledge from Switchboard and coached 10 young people to become the voice at the end of the LGBT youth line. In 2000 I started as a volunteer at Stonewall Youth Project, now known as LGBT Youth Scotland. I realised I could use my experiences to support others. I loved this work so much I trained as a counsellor. I completed my degree and joined the Edinburgh Lesbian and Gay switchboard. People I now call my family, who were out, strong and incredibly inclusive of LGBT people. Then, in 1994, I moved to Edinburgh where I met some incredible people. I had time to study with Open University and start to think about what I wanted to do with my life. ![]() My parents accepted me and I was embraced by the small community. Section 28 was in place and there was a sense of there being no hope.Īt 21 I moved to the Highlands. I was stabbed twice, once leaving a lesbian bar with my partner and once on a main street for being a ‘dyke’. We had to stick together there was so much anger and hatred towards LGBT people that what we faced in our relationship was nothing compared to that. Domestic abuse was not something I had knowledge of, and it certainly wasn’t something I could safely report. She drank a lot of alcohol and could become emotionally and physically abusive. There was very little support or understanding available at that time. My partner struggled with her mental health and used self-harm as a mechanism to cope. My first relationship with a woman taught me a lot. Through them, I learnt about the LGBT support for the Miners’ Strikes and was proud to hitchhike to London with my best friend, a trans woman to attend Pride, where the miners turned up in their droves to support the LGBT community. ![]() Later, I found new friends who were very politically active. It was awful! I was in a room with people who wanted to know whether I was “lesbian enough”! I didn’t want to be part of a movement that was so judgemental: so biphobic and transphobic. After much exploration I found a lesbian and gay group. At the age of 12 we settled in Nottingham and I started to try and navigate civilian life.Īt 16, my parents moved away to a remote area of the Highlands leaving me to navigate the challenging world of housing and forming my identity. It was an amazing childhood, but one where LGBT identities were never discussed. I grew up as an army child, moving country every 18 months or so. Many of the other lesbians on the list have been influential role models for me over the years. It’s made me reflect on who I am and my journey to understanding that. "I was surprised and moved to be nominated as part of #VisibleLesbian100 during Lesbian Visibility Week last year. This Lesbian Visibility Week, we invited our Youth Work Manager for the East of Scotland, Ann Marriott, to blog about being a proud, visible lesbian.
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