Alan’s Collection
Alan is the secretary for the Croydon based LGBT group Croydon Area Gays (CAGS). I met him at my first CAGS meeting, an exceptionally friendly and warm person who I have shared many wonderful discussions with. I asked Alan if we could take a look through some of the items in his extensive collection of LGBT+ themed paraphernalia…
The following items were donated for documentation in September 2020.
Alan was born in 1953 and grew up just outside of Croydon on the New Addington estate. He recalls going into Croydon at the weekends with his parents and got his first job at the famous department store Kennards. Always interested in air travel and aeroplanes, Alan later went on to work for the airline ‘Dan-Air’ where he met his long term partner Barry who worked at Caledonian airways.
Alan presented me with objects from his personal collection from inside a sturdy looking flight bag with the insignia ‘TransAir’
“it’s a student pilot’s flight bag. At one time I was planning on learning to fly. Unfortunately, my eyesight isn’t good enough to but I did have a couple of trial flight lessons!”
Alan and Barry spent many happy years together, both working in the travel industry and living just outside of Gatwick. The flight bag was a fitting choice for Alan’s collection – a symbol of the two main loves in his life.
Alan pulls out a collection of LGBT+ themed DVDs, including two documentaries ’50 Years Legal’ and ‘Are You Proud?’ by Peccadillo Pictures. These films document the history of the gay rights movement in the UK, particularly the Sexual Offences Act which led to the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967.
“I was 14…I remember the law being passed, and I remember my dad saying “if one of you is queer you’ll be out!”
In ‘Are You Proud?’ we learn about the fight for equal age of consent. In 1967 the age of consent for gay men was 21, lowered to 18 in 1994, and to 16 in the year 2000. Alan remembers.
The next item to be pulled out of the flight bag is Alan’s official CAGS t-shirt. Alan is the secretary of CAGS and is in charge of membership renewal. The CAGS have existed in Croydon since 1971 and provide regular meetings and activities to their membership of predominantly older gay men. Monthly speakers, supper clubs, rambling groups and tennis are some of the activities available, and CAGS are often present at Pride, LGBT History Month, IDAHO Day and Trans Day of Remembrance.
“I sometimes wear this at CAGS events, I wore one at Pride…I suppose it’s a bit like a uniform! It’s nice when we’re all in the parade wearing the tshirts, it looks good!”
The next item Alan pulls out is a World AIDS Day t-shirt, which is celebrated every year on December 1st to unite in the fight against HIV. On this day, people will wear a red ribbon to show support and create awareness for people living with HIV.
“I usually get myself tested at Pride and again at World AIDS Day.”
I ask Alan if he has any direct experience with HIV/AIDS,
“Well yes I have, I remember two funerals in one week. One of them was a guy from Dan-Air…I knew him quite well his name was Kevin. He didn’t tell his parents that he was gay so he actually had to tell his parents that he was gay and that he was dying of AIDS…this was 1984…
I always think, you know, of how lucky I was.”
The ribbon is once again visible in Alan’s next item, a collection of badges.
A collection of badges (deemed suitable) feature slogans, jokes and images relating to coming out, gay pride and visibility.
“100% Pride. 0% Shame”
“Let’s get one thing straight. I’m not”
and Alan’s favourite is
“Gay by birth. Proud by choice”
“I think this is probably a good one because you don’t become gay, you’re born gay aren’t you.”
A shiny rainbow hoody is one of the last but most memorable items in Alan’s collection, a recent acquisition.
“I’ve only tried it on…I want to use it for Croydon Pride!”
Sadly Croydon Pride 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic, but Alan’s determination that his hoody will be worn for a future Croydon Pride event fills me with hope that one day we will be able to come together once more and parade through the streets of Croydon in our rainbow regalia; out, proud and visible.