Exeter | Science Museum Group Collection

Interview with Stephen Jenkins recorded by Robert Morgan on 20th March 2024 at Exeter Library. Duration: 52 minutes 40 secs. Joined railway 1973, education, boarding school, studying modern languages at university in Oxford, career prospects; knowing he was gay from a young age, sex education at school then; not being out as gay at university; early 1970s changes in society, Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) impact, questioning his own sexuality and coming out, feeling of not fitting in with people openly gay at university; [00:05:05] career considerations, interest in industry, interest in transport and railways; traffic management training scheme with British Rail (BR), South Wales, his impressions at start of training, cultural shock, experienced railway staff there, feeling isolated as a gay man, no knowledge of other LGBTQIA+ people; coming out attempts, experience going to gay pub for first time in Cardiff; [00:11:05] shift supervisor role at Severn Tunnel Junction, dealing with male employee known to chase young male employees; Total Operations Processing System (TOPS), yard supervisor role and TOPS officers, work culture then, pranking and goofing around; how he felt about being asked out by colleague; [00:16:30] work at Head Office, doing masters at university funded by BR; exploring his sexuality and coming out when doing masters at university, discovering LGBTQIA+ community, surprised when meeting someone from BR at gay pub for the first time, how different it felt then (1970s-early 1980s) compared to now (2024); occasionally met LGBTQIA+ people working in railway industry, gradually realising there were more LGBTQIA+ people in railways than he thought; Railtrack, early 1990s, assumptions and gossips about a manager being gay, anecdote how he came out to his line manager, hierarchical relationship with line manager, how he feels about talking about his sexuality; [00:24:00] applying for job at Railtrack in Swindon, wanted to be open about his sexuality, being chairman of lesbian and gay switchboard for 5 years, sexuality not made a topic at work/when hired; anecdote, hearing people gossiping about him; used to keep quiet about his sexuality, changed in late 1990s, how things feel different now with visibility of LGBTQIA+ people; [00:28:10] impact of 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis, more discreet about his sexuality; lack of knowledge how HIV was caught, ticket collectors worried they could catch it from tickets; microagression, when he was off work with flu and people thought he had AIDS, lack of support at work then; Severn Tunnel Junction job, anecdote, colleagues’ prank with fax machine; when his boss tried to find out if he was gay, unofficial support; not coming out at work, how he dealt with gossip, reflecting on having kept part of his identity secret throughout his railway career; [00:37:00] Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in workplace now, employers embracing people’s identities, being able to bring whole self to wok; how it felt for him not being fully himself at work, impact on confidence and ambition, not wanting to be in high profile position; how railway felt a safe workplace to him as a gay man, but may have felt different to others; [00:44:30] how railway industry has changed for LGBTQIA+ community, rail employers at pride events, employers supporting employees; how BR supported well its employees when straight, married with kids; advice he would give to LGBTQIA+ person joining railways now, not to be put off from joining railway industry, support, be yourself and do not hide your sexuality; what his dad said about work when he came out; generational differences in acceptance of LGBTQIA+; reflecting, used to think senior management was always made of straight people, impact of knowing that senior staff could be gay [00:52:40] [end of interview]

Stephen Jenkins interviewed by Robert Morgan

2024-03-20

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