Good As You by Paul Flynn

Author:Paul Flynn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Terry’s Trust

The Terrence Higgins Trust was founded as a matter of charitable urgency after Terry’s death. ‘When we were setting it up,’ says Rupert Whitaker, ‘I wrote to the physician in charge and I asked him what Terry had died from. He said, “Are you a registered charity? Because without that I’m not letting you know.” I had told him I was Terry’s partner, Terry’s boyfriend. Despite the fact that I was the only one who was in any way the only relation or next of kin named by Terry; despite the fact that I had collected the body and paid for the funeral out of my student grant, this arrogant shit of a professor wouldn’t deign to tell me what he’d died from. I spoke to one of his juniors. He said, “We’re writing it up and you can read the autopsy in the British Medical Journal.” So that’s what I had to do. They wouldn’t tell me.’

It was just the kind of inhuman act Rupert Whitaker needed to inspire him to help affect change. ‘That was a major trigger and has remained a trigger because, actually, very little has changed in attitudes.’ Though an excellent and rational speaker, full of controlled, righteous fury, Rupert Whitaker says that activism did not come easily to him. ‘I was never comfortable with standing up and speaking, which is a bit weird given that I’m supposed to be an activist. It meant I had to take my courage in my hands, in many ways. Right at the beginning, after Terry died, I didn’t ever intend to be an activist. It was simply that you do what’s put in front of you. It’s always been circumstances. I am bloody-minded and I do speak up when I see something’s wrong. But I am very much a reluctant activist and I always have been. I hate the contention that is engendered by it. This whole experience of activism has been a trial by fire, if you will, of learning how to articulate and express myself.’

The charity was the idea of Terry’s great friend Martyn Butler. ‘He had the idea for the charity, and the original intention was to raise money for research. Martyn was involved in the club scene, in events, promotions, laser-shows, that kind of area. He had a flat in Limehouse, which seemed like the other end of the earth.’ They began raising money in pubs with a group of friendly and concerned volunteers, ‘which was badly organised and didn’t go well. Then London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard was organising an event and they wanted us to speak. So Martyn and I spoke.’

The meeting was at Red Lion Square, Holborn. ‘We said we needed people to help organise, and people offered, one of whom was Tony Whitehead, who was a firebrand in those days. He scared the hell out of me. He was just another volunteer who’d got this committee meeting together. I can remember some of the people on the committee who really put their back into it.

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