Julian Hows interviewed by Scott Heath

Interview with Julian Hows conducted by Scott Heath on 11th November 2024 at the Hitachi Rail Offices, London. Duration: 2 hours 55 minutes 56 seconds. [Start of interview, track 01] Hows discusses being a LGBTQIA+ activist since age 15, involvement in the UK’s first Pride march, work in the AIDS/HIV sector, being a long-term HIV survivor, HIV Justice Network, and life in Brixton as an older gay man. He recalls childhood in South London, Catholic education, school, feeling different, and using public libraries to research homosexuality and gay literature, having few role models or safe adults to speak to. [00:19:45] He describes coming out to himself at 15, gay role models among teachers, and introduction to London’s gay scene and activism. His involvement in the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), attempting to invite GLF to speak at school, National Union of School Students activism, arrest at County Hall, and conflict with school authorities over GLF support and homophobia. [00:44:49] Hows discusses GLF offices, leafletting, not outing others rule, expulsion from school as a “corrupting influence”, squatting in Colville Terrace and Notting Hill Gate, radical gay communal living, protest campaign against their eviction. [end of track 01] [Track 2] Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was permitted at school while GLF was barred, reflects on criminalisation, age of consent and privacy law, and describes leaving home for commune life, life in a radical commune. [00:19:45] He recalls 1970s gay social life in London, Earls Court and Notting Hill venues, refusal of entry due to GLF links or dress, organising dances, Pride marches and Come Together magazine, Brixton squats, London Friend, refugee gays, a gay centre and council attitudes to LGBTQIA+ people. [00:41:26] How and why he joined London Transport (LT), training at White City, Parsons Green’s reputation as gay depot, closeted gay men, being out and proud, and support from gay colleagues. [00:54:08] He describes challenging gendered uniform rules after 1976 Sex Discrimination Act, asking to wear women’s uniform, involving ASLEF, LT executives missing the point, being offered time off for “sex change” without loss of job or pension rights, and learning LT had experience with colleagues transitioning. Resigning in protest, attended work in women’s uniform, issued press release and gained international media coverage, helping other gay railway workers realise they were not alone. [end of track 02] [Track 03] Reflects on Parsons Green, shift work, borrowing uniform for the protest, uniform now at Bishopsgate Institute. Leaving LT, formalising Brixton gay squats into a Cooperative, and later work in LGBTQIA+ venues and London Lesbian & Gay Switchboard (LGBTQIA+ support helpline). [00:08:56] Hows discusses the 1980s AIDS/HIV crisis, an early HIV conference at Conway Hall, terms including GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency) and Four H disease (Haemophiliacs, Homosexuals, Haitians, Heroin users), hospital visits, bereavement, international activism, later British Telecom work, gay-friendly colleagues, transphobia. [00:15:23] He describes HIV diagnosis, redundancy from BT, how he expected to die before effective treatment, volunteering with London Lighthouse, Gay Men Fighting AIDS, Metro Centre and Global Network of People Living With HIV, treatment for HIV around 2000, and becoming a professional activist. [00:23:21] He summarises his consultancy work as a professional activist, in relation to HIV stigma, refugees, asylum seekers, LGBTQIA+ people coming out, peer-based research, healthcare, human rights and criminalisation of people living with HIV. [00:31:32] Hows reflects on being invited by Outbound at Transport for London, appearing on the London Transport Museum website and in permanent exhibition, Pride roundels, gender-neutral uniform changes, and his view that companies should support people because of who they are, not in spite of who they are. [end of interview]

This interview was made as part of People Pride and Progress (PPP) project. The project was initiated in 2023 to record the stories and memories of the LGBTQIA+ community in a new oral history archive over two years. It aimed to connect past, present and future through intergenerational interviews, offering opportunities for colleagues across all parts of the rail industry to connect, reflect on and learn from each other’s lived experiences while creating an archive of oral history interviews.