Miceal Kerrigan’s Memories of The Gay Centre

Micheal Kerrigan was disappointed on his first visit to the gay centre. It was a Sunday and it was closed. He got off the number 2b bus at the triangle where Atlantic Road leads to Mayall and Railton Roads and 'naively' asked directions:

"There was a group of black men standing around and I remember going up to them and saying "Excuse me. Can you tell me where the gay centre is in Brixton" and this black man said "Sure. I'm just going home and I can take you up there." The two of us walked up Railton Road and he said "That's it in there." Off he went and it was closed!"

"So I waited at this bus stop outside the gay centre and a minute later this vision in red and purple and diamonds walked passed. He flashed his eyes at me and swished round the corner. It was Alastair (Kerr). He sort of stopped and looked around and I said to him "Is the gay centre open?" He said "It's closed!" (brusquely) and then went up stairs (room above the gay centre).

“The bus was coming down the road and he came out again and said "Have you come a long way?" and I said, "Yes, all the way from Dublin." So he said, "Come in and I'll make you a cup of tea or coffee." He later took me to the Indian restaurant at the top of Railton Road and on the way down again he to took me to 159 Railton Road (gay squat)."

He was immediately attracted to the people there for their 'good looks' and radical politics:

"They'd all just come back from Brighton and all had long hair. We talked all afternoon. That was it then. My introduction to Railton Road and with all the conversations about gay liberation I knew this is where I wanted to be. We were all going to change the world tomorrow, overnight, with gay liberation, in a years time. That's when I moved to St. George's Residences."

His experiences of the gay centre were negative at a time when internal strife between different groups of people was intensifying and an unwelcoming atmosphere had ensued:

"The gay centre didn't inspire me at all. I was really frightened of the gay centre. People down there seemed really rough. There always seemed to be the potential for violence in the atmosphere. I always thought that something was going to happen. I couldn't relax in there. A lot of people were committed to it and I went along with that but I knew deep down inside I was afraid of it. Some of the dramas going on used to frighten me to death. The people that went in there.…some of them a very shady lot. All sorts of stories about coming out of prison....all the fuss about the straights and gays. I went to the discos a couple of times. I didn't frequent the commercial gay scene much....but I went there more than I did to the gay centre....I could drink there and there was a really nice atmosphere....I just felt I wouldn't be involved in any terrible dramas."

Nevertheless, despite all the negative experiences, he remembers very positive political actions around the gay centre:

"I remember going down Railton Road petitioning (for a council grant). Having a stall outside (the gay centre). John (Lloyd) and I going canvassing to that black bookmakers. People were really positive. The attitude being that if you are black you're going to be oppressed. It seemed to be logical that there was going to be sympathy between black and gay people. A few people gave us support. Some were indifferent. It wasn't too bad. We did alright."

read more of Miceal’s Personal Testimonies here

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