The following is a collection of historical references demonstrating the history behind Brighton Switchboard. Much of this would not have been possible without the help of Brighton Ourstory Project. Much of the information has been hard to fine and we are always looking for more content, if you have anything that might help, pictures or comments, then please use the contact us page.
The history of Switchboard marks the strength and options available to a community at each decade. Despite having a much smaller community than most towns and cities, Brighton Switchboard is only younger than London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard by just over one year.
The open cafe (now flats) in 2005 |
What went on to be named Brighton Lesbian & Gay Switchboard took its first phone call on April 26th 1975. It was launched by four men and two women in a room in a café in Brighton. At that point it was called 'The Brighton Lavender Line' so as to prevent callers having to announce their sexuality. The phone line was based in the Open Cafe in Victoria Road on the corner of Victoria Street, two streets above western road. The café was not the best place to run a helpline. The owner was a somewhat "shifty" character whose acquaintance with a large number of spaced-out druggies didn't help, especially when they burst in whilst you were trying to deal with a tricky call.
'The Brighton Lavender Line started just by having a telephone available in a downstairs room at the Open Cafe, right next to where people ate and smoked - and what they smoked! Advertising was really difficult because the Argus was not gay-friendly, so we advertised in alternative news-sheets, also pubs, newsagents and telephone boxes late at night.' Terry
The formation of 'Brighton Gay Switchboard' traces it origins to the combination of Brighton Icebreakers and the Lavender Line. Brighton Icebreakers was based in the United Reformed Church in Queens Square and the two agreed to merge their interests in January 1977, giving birth to the name Brighton Gay Switchboard.
The group moved out from the open road café to the United Reformed Church in Queens Square which has long since been demolished.
One of the problems still affecting the organisation was being accepted as a responsible organisation by the local media. Initially several local newspapers refused to accept our advertisements. Notices were put up in Brighton's gay pubs which also made donations to keep Switchboard going. In contrast BBC Radio Brighton (now called BBC Southern Counties) often rang for quotes and comments. In 1976, with Switchboard having twenty Operators, demand led to the helpline running every day, opening for two hours each day, including Christmas Day.
A screening of Word Is Out, a documentary about lesbians and gay men coming out in America, was organised jointly by Sussex University Gay Soc and Campaign for Homosexual Equality in 1979. It was publicised in the Evening Argus and was showing to a packed hall when several skinheads invaded. Widely thought to be National Front sympathisers, the thugs overturned tables, injuring two of the organisers. The next day The Evening Argus ran an editorial which enraged local lesbian and gay groups who regarded it as condoning the attack. After a demonstration outside the newspaper's offices a right of reply was won and also a compensatory feature, later that year, about Brighton Gay Switchboard. This was probably the first positive report about lesbian and gay issues in Brighton that the paper had ever made.
However the period of 1980 and onwards marked one of the darkest times for the Brighton Gay Community. The AIDS epidemic had started to take a strong grip on the gay community within Brighton. Following on from a conference organised in 1983 by London Gay Switchboard, Brighton Gay Switchboard decided to deal with the ignorance about AIDS, and the tabloid hysteria of the time, by producing a basic facts leaflet. Written at the end of 1983, the leaflet was released in January 1984. It is one of the earliest printed UK leaflets and material and predates the terms HIV or HLTV2 or any knowledge of safe sex information, as this was not known then. The helpline also became an invaluable source of information and a space to deal with the issues
"People would ring in, frightened and without any knowledge whatsoever, everyone knew someone who had died or was dying and people needed information or to talk. At first no one knew how the virus was passed on nor how to get tested. We lost a large number of volunteers to the disease at the same time too." Jenny (one of longest volunteers)
The helpline moved into the Brighton samaritans helpline offices in the mid-1980s, working outside of the charities hours to co-accommodate.
1985 started off with a ten year anniversary, marking ten years where things seemed to have been against all the odds. Brighton and Hove Buses celebrated with the first public advert to be used.
Brighton and Hove bus with an Advert for switchboard |
10th anniversary report |
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 This period saw the merger and then closure of "Brighton Lesbian line" with Switchboard and thus the name changed to "Brighton Lesbian and Gay Switchboard"
In 1992 Brighton had its first Pride March, against Section 28, and in turn this lead to "Brighton Pride" as we know it now. Brighton Switchboard played a large part in helping providing information on the event.
At the same time switchboard launched its first web site, much of it can still be seen here.
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1997 saw the start of the counselling project and 1999 saw the start of the youth project later called "dizzy"
Switchboard had been in a small office in Ditchling Rise for a couple of years, sharing it with Samaritans helpline by going in after their hours. Switchboard then moved to Community Base in Queens Road for about six months, and had 15 volunteers on the helpline. The telephone number also had to be changed, from 690825 to the current 204050, as we moved from one telephone district to another and couldn't keep the old number.
Six months later Switchboard moved again, to Market Street, which was very popular. This resulted in a much preferred building near the Town Hall. Much work was undertaken to allow the organisation to become a charity. This process took over two years to complete.
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 The year 2000 marked the 25th year and the biggest change in Switchboard's history as we achieved charitable status. Brighton Switchboard is the first gay and lesbian organisation to become a charity in Brighton and it has granted us recognition as a different type of organisation. Switchboard also moved around the corner to Bartholomews. The new building was much bigger and allowed two floors to be used. The third floor is used by Spectrum, the Community Safety Forum and Brighton Pride, and the top floor became the LGBT community space and is also used by Rainbow Chorus, Allsorts Youth Project etc.
Switchboard also started to train volunteers who were younger than the organisation.
In 2002, the website received a well earned re-write and accesses grew from 4,000 access a year in 2002 to 40, 000 a year in 2003.
2003 saw the erection of the freedom flag above the door. This is the first public freedom flag in the city and it shows the home of Switchboard. The same year also saw a new logo. A design agency designed and donated the new logo which was followed by a publicity campaign.
On the 8th August 2004, a new service started, which essentially offered the helpline service but by email. The service which had been funded by Brighton and Hove HIV small grants offered a service which would be of particular use for those people who are not confident on the phone, abroad or disabled.
In switchboard celebrated its 30th birthday, articles appeared in 360, gscene, the argus and most national newspapers.
2005 saw the completion of publicity campaign through out the whole of switchboard, which included posters for all the projects, services and a radio advert. Details of these can be found here.
In 2005 switchboard celebrated its 30th birthday, articles appeared in 360, gscene, the argus and most national newspapers.
On April 26th 2007, switchboard changed its name to Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard, with a strap line of "Brighton & Hove's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Information Support and Counselling Service.
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