Richard Feidler

And I went up there and I just remember the first time I went up there, I was in awe of all these lesbians, but all dressed...

Either Butch or Dyke.

And I love dance.

I'm a hopeless dancer, but I love to watch people dance.

And I'm watching this amazing dancing.

And the next thing I know, this Butch Dyke has got hold of my collar, smashed my head against the wall and said...

If you look at my girl once more, I'll smash your brains out.

And she threw me down the stairs.

And, you know, I just thought, you can imagine what I thought.

And I don't think I went there for a while after that.

But it was a very, very narrow, closed community and, of course, massive amounts of drinking.

So that was the beginning of my political awakening, if you like.

I'd started going to Women's Liberation and I'd gone, there had been a homosexual, that was the word then,

There weren't many people.

I think all up there were about 1,000.

I mean, when you look at it now, there were about 1,000 people.

One truck and Tom Robinson singing Glad To Be Gay and Meg Christian singing Ode To A Gin Teacher.

The atmosphere of being able to walk down the street, it was night time, but people would gape with their eyes open.

And I just felt like I'd become part of a community.

I found my tribe and I was happy.