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Welcome to the website of OutStories Bristol. We collect and preserve the social history and recollections of LGBTQ+ people living in or associated with Bristol, England. Use this website to tell us your story.
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LGBTQ+ History Day at M Shed
Celebrate and discover Bristol LGBTQ+ lives from the past!
We present a day of fascinating talks at Bristol’s M Shed Museum:
- John Addington Symonds (1840-1893), a Bristol-born literary scholar who wrote pioneering texts on homosexuality,
- a Shirehampton seafarer who became a gay rights activist,
- 30 years of Bristol LGBTQIA+ youth group Freedom,
- BLAST! project – a collective capturing the history of lesbian self-organised groups in Bristol,
- Bristol Ballroom community – a dance culture that particularly welcomes queer, trans and people of colour.
14th February 2026, 10:30am to 4:30pm.
Talks are free and open to everyone. See details here …
Now out! OutStories Bristol’s Winter 2026 newsletter
Click to open
Packed with more local LGBTQ+ history and upcoming events including:
- LGBTQ+ History Day at The M Shed – Saturday 14 February
- A review of our tour of Clevedon Court in November
- Our New Years Day History Walk
- Martin Parr (1952-2025) – photographer of Bristol Pride
- From the archive: Michael Redgrave – bisexual actor and father of the Redgrave acting dynasty
Click here to download.
Vera Wentworth
We have extensively revised our article about militant suffragette Vera Wentworth thanks to generous help from Vera’s great-nephew Bernard Glossop, and historian Lucienne Boyce, author of The Bristol Suffragettes.
Vera frequently organised in Bristol for the Women’s Social and Political Union though she never lived here permanently. She was heavily involved in militant suffragette activity in the city and was imprisoned in Horfield Gaol. Read the revised article here.
BLAST!
Bristol Lesbian and Self Organised Tales – or BLAST! – are a collective of lesbians with a mission to capture the history of lesbian self-organised groups in Bristol. Their stories together with any memorabilia will become part of a BLAST! collection in the Bristol Archives.
Were you a member of lesbian groups in Bristol between 1970s – 2000s? If so, get in touch: BLAST.07456@gmail.com.
Three gay MPs
Jonathan Rowe writes about three gay MPs from the past: James Agg-Gardner (1846-1928), Arthur Hobhouse (1886-1965) and Cyril Irving (1924-1995).
Bristol bisexual communities in the early 2000s
A Bristol University student, Lucy Marshall, has done a dissertation project on Bristol’s bisexual communities. The result is four excellent blog articles on the evolution of bisexual communities in Bristol, 2002 to 2014.
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Michael Redgrave
Regular contributor Jonathan Rowe has added some fascinating further biographical information about actor Michael Redgrave, including a relationship with a fellow Clifton College pupil, and a life-long friendhip (and possible relationship) with the college chaplain.
50th anniversary of Bristol Gay Switchboard’s first calls!
On February 1st 1975 Bristol Gay Switchboard took it’s first call. This was the start of a helpline that was to continue for 37 years.
Andrew Foyle tells the story of the early days of Switchboard and the remarkable service provided by its volunteers as recorded in Day Books.
‘Gay West’ book now available as a free download
In 2011 Robert Howes published a wonderful book Gay West: Civil Society, Community and LGBT History in Bristol and Bath 1970 to 2010. It analyses the development of the local movement, focusing on the history of social and support group Gay West, but also other local LGBT+ organisations set up in the mid-1970s. The story continues with the battles against HIV/AIDS and Section 28 in the 1980s and the development of the commercial gay scene.
This book is now available from OutStories Bristol as a free PDF download (15MB).
Rare witness statement reveals tragic story of gay couple executed in 1753
In 1753 Richard Arnold and William Pritchard were executed for “the detestable crime of buggery”. They were observed in the backroom of a Bristol alehouse by the innkeeper. A recently discovered witness statement reveals rare details. Read more.
LGBTQ+ in Bristol Archives
Bristol Archives have produced an excellent guide that lists their LGBTQ+ collections and gives general advice on researching our history.
Sources for research: LGBTQ history.
Get involved with OutStories!
Come help us:
- Record the lives of LGBT+ people in the Bristol region, past and present.
- Explore Bristol Archives and other local resources.
- Collect peoples’ memories using oral history recording.
- Add these stories to this website and our LGBT+ Life map.
Get in touch and we’ll help you become involved. Contact us via our webform or email contact@outstoriesbristol.org.uk.
An Anglo-American love story
Andrew Foyle tells the story of a remarkable gay couple, John Judkyns and Dallas Pratt, and the museum they founded – the American Museum & Gardens at Claverton Manor, near Bath.
From their chance meeting in 1937 until John’s tragic early death their love and lives embodied a passion for collecting which inspired them to create the museum.
Telling the stories from Bristol LGBTQ people going back 300 years
In this 42-minute podcast from the Bristol Cable OutStories’ Andrew Foyle discusses with Tom Brothwell the stories of LGBTQ people throughout Bristol’s history, from the 17th century to the present day.
Wonderful documentary ‘Talking LGBT+ Bristol’
Bristol’s listings and features magazine Bristol24/7 and Tusko Films produced a wonderful documentary Talking LGBT+ Bristol. This Heritage Lottery funded video shares the rich heritage of LGBT+ life in Bristol over the last century, with contributors coming from all backgrounds and ages from across the city. It prominently features some OutStories people.
Watch it now!
Explore our map of Bristol’s LGBTQ+ past
You can explore Bristol’s LGBTQ+ past online through our map that uses pictures, oral history recordings, archival documents and personal stories to bring our hidden histories to light. Go to the map now!
The map also appears on Bristol City Council’s website Know Your Place which brings together multiple layers of Bristol’s diverse history.
Finally …. a 5-minute slideshow about OutStories and some of our achievements.
Video for stall at Bristol Pride 2020 from Cheryl Morgan on Vimeo.
Read about Bristol ….. quirky, diverse, historic.
The opinions expressed in this website are the views of individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of OutStories Bristol.
*LGBTQ+ means lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer, including all gender, sexual, and romantic minorities.
