We are the longest running group in the South West of England for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and queer people, providing a safe and supportive social group in Bath, Bristol and surrounding areas. We are here for people who wish to make new friends, are on their own, have just come out or are not ‘scene’ orientated.
Our History
GayWest can trace its origins back to April 1970 when the Bristol group of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE Bristol) was founded. The other founding organisation was Bath Gay Awareness Group (BGAG), which was set up in autumn 1971. Both groups had a campaigning function, organising events to highlight the legal and social discrimination to which LGBTQ+ people were subject.
The groups held regular meetings of their members, invited outside speakers and wrote to MPs and Councillors, trying to get them to support changes in the law aimed at removing some of the anomalies left by the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which partially decriminalised male homosexuality in England and Wales. Bristol CHE was also active in raising the question of employment rights.
In 1982, CHE restructured itself and the Bath Group renamed itself GAYWEST, aiming to become a more social group but still involved in political activism. Early the following year, CHE Bristol merged with GayWest, which since then has covered the area of the former County of Avon (Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas).
In the 1980’s, the group had a very active social programme, with events on most nights of the week, and the membership increased rapidly, reaching a peak of over 400 in 1992, of which about a third were women.
GayWest gave support and a sense of respect at a time when LGBTQ+ people felt under attack from vicious headlines in the tabloid press over the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the government’s Section 28 law, which tried to prevent local authorities from taking positive measures towards LGBTQ+ people in education and other facilities. The group made great efforts to reach out to the local community and in return received support from other people and organisations.
In the 1990’s, public opinion began to change and a more balanced debate emerged nationally. As more attractive commercial venues and social and sports organisations catering for LGBTQ+ people appeared locally, the need for GayWest diminished and the number of members gradually fell. Membership stabilised around 90 in the early 2000’s and since then GayWest has continued to thrive.
The group’s main activity is a coffee shop, now known as The Rainbow Café, which has operated in the centre of Bath regularly every Saturday morning since 1983. The Café is run by volunteers and is open to everyone. Around 30 people usually come and it is a place where lasting friendships have been made.
The group has an active website, a library and issues a regularelectronic newsletter. It also organises occasional events such as the Christmas Dinner – the highlight of the year – picnics, outings and walks for its members.
In 2020, GayWest reached its sixth decade. The group was allowed to carry on meeting during the pandemic and maintained its membership levels, with more people joining us during this time, a proud achievement in our modern world.
GayWest will continue to provide a space for LGBTQ+ people to make friends, socialise and maybe find lasting partners.
by Robert Howes
Robert Howes was born and brought up in Bristol. He was Membership Secretary of the Westminster CHE (Campaign for Homosexual Equality) group from 1978 to 1980, and a telephone volunteer and befriender for London Friend and Cambridge Friend between 1981 and 1992. He has been a member of Gay West since 1985.
A copy of Robert’s book
Gay West – Civil Society, Community and LGBT History in Bristol and Bath 1970 to 2010
can be downloaded here.