We're not letting Covid stop us!

Over the last year we, along with every other support service, have had to rethink how we can continue to provide assistance to our members. We have been blessed since March last year with some wonderful speakers who have attended our Zoom Saturday meetings. I would like to put out a big thank you to all our speakers who appeared.

In February 2020 Simon Harper who is the Executive Producer of Holby City and Casualty spoke about introducing LGBT characters into both programmes. In fact Simon was one of the last guests who actually came to us before we went into lockdown. He also told us that they have given some of the props they use on the shows, which are real medical machines such as ventilators, to the NHS.

We were then blessed with a second visit from Laura Scarrone Bonhomme who is a Clinical Psychologist specialising in Transgender issues. This was Laura’s second visit to us and again she stayed well beyond the time we initially arranged. So many people wanted to speak to her after her talk and on the back of this we at FTL have now created a special Zoom meeting once a month for parents who have transgender children. You can find this on the calendar. This is along with the other two Zoom meetings we have each month.

Then lockdown started in earnest!

In July Dr. Elly Barnes MBE came for her second visit to FTL. Elly runs Educate and Celebrate which you can look up on educateandcelebrate.org. It is so important for schools to be able to support their LGBT students and this is Elly’s aim. A very dynamic speaker and I know that a couple of our members who are in the teaching profession have used her expertise for their schools.

Summer moved on and in September Khakan Qureshi came for his second visit. I think our speakers like coming to Families Together London! Khakan who is a Muslim spoke movingly of his early life and the work that he now does. He provided the group with a vast selection of organisations which help LGBT Muslims lead a full and safe life and if you Google him you will learn about all the good work he does.

We finished 2020 with another guest who visited us for the second time. DCC Adrian Hanstock of the British Transport Police. He was able to help calm the worries of some of our members relating to the safety of their children when they are out and about. He also spoke about more people joining the Force who are LGBT. This has to be good for the future of the Police and the way it is perceived by the LGBT community.

So, here comes 2021 and we started the year with our most recent speakers. We welcomed Matthew Hodson and Dr. Mary Cohen who spoke, again a second visit from the two of them, about HIV and the various ways that lesbian women can have a child. Two very different subjects and there was plenty of time for a Q and A session.

So, the year has begun and we still meet via Zoom. It has been a remarkable experience running FTL this way and none of the warmth and love has been lost by not meeting in the flesh. So much so that when we eventually get back to our face-to-face meetings we will continue with an extra meeting each month for those who can’t make the other meetings. We will then be offering four meetings a month.

I hope you have enjoyed this little diary. Keep on looking at the website and don’t forget we are here if you need us.

Jackie Briggs