‘I’m incredibly proud’- Changing attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ people of Portsmouth

Exploring tolerance and support in the city after data from the latest census revealed a substantial queer population.

‘I’m incredibly proud of my husband and his tolerance to what I do,’ says Gerald Vernon-Jackson, former Leader of the Council in Portsmouth, ‘and I’m incredibly upfront about that.’

Councillor Vernon-Jackson has served on Portsmouth City Council for almost 20 years, and spent 14 of those as Leader of the Liberal Democrats. An openly gay man, he shares that he has never faced any barriers in the realm of local politics due to his sexuality.

‘A really good thing about Portsmouth is that we don’t have areas of the city that are for one particular group of people or another,’ he says. ‘We tend to be much more mixed and I think that’s an enormous strength. I think the place is very welcoming.’

The latest national census recorded information about sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time. Consequent data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last year revealed that 4.36% of people living in Central Portsmouth identify as LGBTQ+. Numbers vary in nearby districts- 2.89% in Gosport, 2.61% in the Isle of Wight, 2.27% in Havant and 2.21% in Fareham. Although there are no previous statistics to compare with, these results show there is a substantial queer community in the city and its surrounding areas.

As a council, Portsmouth has often advocated for its LGBTQ+ citizens. A number of different pride flags fly outside its building on Guildhall Square, and it has championed several key initiatives, including the development of support groups and the funding of events. Notably, Cllr Vernon-Jackson references securing £30k to back Portsmouth Pride; establishing safe spaces for young people to explore their gender identities; peer mentoring for those who have been diagnosed with HIV; and sexual health resources for all.

This level of support has not always been available to the queer community of the city, however. One Portsmouth local, a bisexual man who has lived in the city for all of his life, recalls his feelings of uncertainty and unsafety whilst growing up.

‘I had a difficult time coming to terms with my sexuality,’ he confesses. ‘It would have been useful to know if there was a facility to go to for advice or help.’

Now that he is older, things have become somewhat easier for him. Last year he even attended Portsmouth Pride with his boyfriend, where he says they felt ‘safe to be themselves.’ It’s spaces like this which allow him to embrace his sexuality more than ever before, he says.

In spite of this improvement, he still feels Portsmouth could be doing more to support its queer citizens.

‘In York, they have a charity-run organisation… the York LGBT Forum, which gets involved in any queer-related projects such as Pride or museum exhibitions. It has a free sign-up to attend monthly meetings to get involved with the community. They have training resources for the workplace. They even have a hate crime reporting service that is partnered with the local police. Portsmouth can take note of this type of inclusivity and support.’

He is not alone in this opinion. In a survey conducted for this article, 59.3% of 27 local, queer respondents did not feel there were enough provisions for them in the city. Primarily, they did not believe there was enough signposting to the services available, with many being unaware any existed at all. Many also pointed out that the most popular LGBTQ+ friendly venues, such as Hampshire Boulevard, are nightclubs.

When asked if the council has any plans to introduce new initiatives for its queer residents, Cllr Vernon-Jackson notes that although there are several interesting schemes already running, the council ‘probably don’t do nearly enough’ due to budget restrictions.

It was also acknowledged that those who are visibly transgender and gender non-conforming were at a heightened risk of harassment and violence, as compared to other queer people who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth.

When asked if they are as open about their gender identity as their sexual orientation, one transgender local simply replies: ‘Not at all.’

‘I’m very careful about sharing my gender identity’ they explain. ‘There are some areas, people and clubs that can be deemed dangerous.’

ONS data from the national census found that 0.55% of those living in central Portsmouth do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth- as well as 0.23% in Fareham, 0.28% in Havant, 0.29% in the Isle of Wight, and 0.31% in Gosport. That’s over 2000 transgender and gender non-conforming citizens of Portsmouth and its surrounding areas.

In spite of this significant figure, survey respondents cited transphobic stickers and graffiti in and around the city, lack of mental health support for those who are transitioning, and even transphobia from within safe spaces as the main issues currently faced by the community.

‘We do have problems with intolerance and it would be stupid to pretend otherwise,’ Cllr Vernon-Jackson admits.

On the whole though, he believes the people of Portsmouth have one key attitude in common: ‘Live and let live.’