Queering rural Scotland

Tread ISSUE 2 QUEERING RURAL SCOTLAND

WORDS KIERAN SINCLAIR

The LGBTQ+ experience is different, depending

on where you live in Scotland. In 2020, The Scottish Equality Network launched ‘Further Out: The Scottish LGBTQ+ Rural Equality Report’, dedicated to illuminating the specific issues that LGBTQ+ people living in rural Scotland experience. Alarmingly, the report displayed a clear divide between those living in rural and urban Scotland. 70% of respondents felt that more needs to be done to tackle inequality outside of bigger cities, and 62% believed that LGBTQ+ people outside of Scotland’s bigger cities face higher levels of inequality. Reasons were wide ranging, from poor access to essential services, such as health and wellbeing support, to scarce LGBTQ+ visibility, and virtually no LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces. (Further Out: The Scottish LGBTQ+ Rural Equality Report. 2020:33).

The report provided so many barriers that prevent LGBTQ+ people from staying in their home communities, or new residents from moving in. What we know, is that LGBTQ+ people are leaving rural areas, and moving to the city. Reading these statistics, I feel motivated to do something. Frustrated, by the lack of action in tackling these disproportionate levels of inequality. Yet, hopeful, that progressive change will happen – if we make it so.

ORKNEY’S ACCEPTANCE AND OPENNESS

Growing up on the Orkney Isles, I feel I have a hopefully story to tell. My home island has a community of about 350 folks. Everyone is a neighbour, friend, relative of sorts. The island is small in population, but huge in community. The Island of Hoy has a proud heritage of acceptance and openness to others. During WW2, the island became a military base. The population escalated. But the local community welcomed their new neighbours. My own family opened their doors to strangers, who soon became friends. My home island has a philosophy: take people as you find them. Your character is what matters, not your label. I feel, this philosophy has transcended time.

HAPPY GAY DUDE

My experience as a gay dude, is a really rather happy one. From what I can remember, the island embraced that part of me. There were questions about sexuality, but those who were asking, did so from a point of curiosity to learn, I felt. Because I knew most islanders, there was an established relationship, from which promising conversation evolved. Of course, homophobia was not eradicated. However, voices of prejudice were certainly the quiet minority – not that I heard them. I have always felt a strong sense of belonging and profound connection to my home island. Maybe, this has been in part due to my community of allies. But not everyone has the same sense of safety and belonging to their home.

Despite the warmth of community, I do still resonate with many of the issues that the Scottish Equality Report surfaced. For the past year (or however long the pandemic has been going on for now), the lack of LGBTQ+ visibility, expression, and community has left me feeling isolated. Without a Queer Space, you do feel, in a sense, left on the periphery. You are alone. Without an established queer space, such as a gay bar/ café, meeting groups, the ability to forge connections is difficult. The Equality report suggests that this feeling is widespread. Many respondents said that in order to socialise with LGBTQ+ people, in safe and inclusive spaces, they travelled to the city. (Further Out: The Scottish LGBT Rural Equality Report. 2020:33). Otherwise, they would not have had the chance to meet likeminded people. But is it really fair to expect people to travel miles away from home, in search of connection – a basic human need. The degree of disparity is layered, for the opportunity of travel is restricted to those who can afford the time and cost. Financial insecurity therefore plays a role in limiting the LGBTQ+ community from accessing safe and inclusive spaces. It’s time to talk about the LGBTQ+ experience in rural Scotland as unjust. Now, we need to curate a platform of expression, where many more queer voices can be heard.

ACCEPTANCE AND EQUALITY

In a recent Ideas Café, hosted by Rural Youth Project, I joined a panel of speakers, where we discussed Acceptance and Equality for LGBTQ+ people in rural Scotland. Julie-Anne Lyons and Paula Manners, represented LGBTQ+ Youth Scotland, and talked about the importance of Queer visibility and allyship in local communities, in order to demonstrate inclusion. A simple gesture, such as placing a Pride Flag in a shop window, a subtle, yet bold way to show your support. An excellent example of this was shown by the Orkney Pride Group. Orkney was due to celebrate its first ever pride celebration (the most northernly pride celebration in Britain) but was unfortunately postponed due to the pandemic.

“My own family opened their doors to strangers, who soon became friends. My home island has a philosophy: take people as you find them,”

Kieran Sinclair

Agrespect at Brighton Pride

AGRESPECT

Agresepect is a rural LGBTQ+ network who aim to support people to be open about their sexuality and to live authentically in their community.

Their aim was to start a conversation about diversity, equality and inclusion in the countryside and to demonstrate that rural areas and associated careers can be vibrant, tolerant and welcoming places for everyone irrespective of gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

“We want to show that embracing our differences doesn’t only make life more colourful, it can also bring success and resilience to communities and rural enterprise” - Agrespect Founder, Matt Naylor

Agrespect invite organisations to join them in their mission and to use their logo as a symbol of their support. ‘We stand against prejudice and support rural diversity, inclusion and enablement’.

“I have always felt a strong sense of belonging and profound connection to my home island. Maybe, this has been in part due to my community of allies.”

- Kieran Sinclair

However, the entire high street of Kirkwall was lit with Pride colours in shop windows and rainbow flags flew high above the town. A credit to the pride group. The town was enchanted and enriched. This was a symbol of collective allyship, unity and support for the LGBTQ+ community. An important statement, that let everyone know that Orkney accepts and embraces their queer islanders. For someone who might feel insecure about their identity, this symbol of allyship will hopefully remind them that support is there. Of course, there is more work to be done, but this was a great step toward achieving equality for everyone. In the Ideas Café, we discussed the importance of looking at individual communities, as having distinctive identities.

Paula and Julie-Anne said that experiences of discrimination or acceptance vary significantly, depending on the locality. Moving the conversation forward, I think we need to consider the importance of creating safe, vibrant, and inclusive spaces where LGBTQ+ people can make meaningful connections, especially in the countryside. I’m enthused that the Ideas Café is concentrating on creating digital platforms for Queer Voices to be heard; however, they are no replacement for physical spaces, where individuals can forge connection and community. We need more, diverse, tangible environments. I want to explore the connection between Queer identity and rural landscape. Cities pride themselves on having brilliantly fun Queer spaces, like Gay Villages, bars, and coffee shops. Let’s explore what Rural-Queer Space can be.

EQUALITY A MATTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Perhaps, we as a country, should consider Equality as a matter of infrastructure. Just as improving Wifi access is fundamental, so too is LGBTQ+ quality of life. Access to health and wellbeing services, should be readily available in your local area – people from Wick should not feel it necessary to undertake a trip to Glasgow for heath service support. UK government National LGBTQ+ Survey found that two thirds of respondents, in a same sex relationship, said that they were uncomfortable holding hands with their partner in public. Thus, the role of LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces are vital. Rural Scotland lacks the infrastructure that prevents LGBTQ+ people from authentic self-expression and the capacity to make meaningful connections, in a safe, inclusive, dynamic community. I would be interested to see how a social, cultural, wellbeing hub would transform the lives of LGBTQ+ people living in Scotland’s rural landscapes, such as my home Islands, and even attract people from the cities to our rural communities. Reimagining rural communities has grown in appetite. Curiosity for the 20-minute village to be embedded in Scottish society is growing.

The notion that everyone should be able to access necessary amenities within 20 minutes of where they live. What if we put LGBTQ+ equality as an essential objective at the core of this project? No longer would Queer people be left feeling alone, unsupported, and on the edge of society. Reimagined community could be developed from the perspective of queer people. Rural Scotland faces the issue of depopulation, especially among young people, so can we really allow the LGBTQ+ community to migrate to the city? We are losing dynamism and potential.

The tide toward equality is tumultuous, yet there are so many reasons to be hopeful that we will get there. When I started school, Section 28 (2A) remained in place, meaning that the promotion of LGBTQ+ lives were prohibited. By the time I left, Equal Marriage had passed with a bipartisan majority in the Scottish Parliament. Throughout my school life, society had evolved at speed. This gives me enormous hope, that we can overcome social challenge, together, and with haste. We must illuminate and challenge lingering prejudices in our society, in the endeavour for inclusion, acceptance and celebration. But let’s remind ourselves why we should be hopeful, that equality for everyone is achievable. In an ideal world, I would like to see a government initiative, where LGBTQ+ Grants were awarded to every local authority in Scotland, to ensure that every part of the country, rural or urban, had access to LGBTQ+ visibility and the resources to support the activity. If I were to obtain an LGBTQ+ specific grant, I would launch a cycling community, across the Highlands and Islands, that embraced the stunning landscapes of the outdoors, with all of the wellbeing benefits of cycling and socialising. I would like to see LGBTQ+ Citizens Assemblies, where platforms for queer expression are built and those in positions of power will listen to their needs. We need to invest, listen and response to LGBTQ+ experiences in rural Scotland. For progressive change to happen, we must pay close attention to local communities, and respond with local solutions.