p1

Gay Scotland. 10^th Anniversary Issue. 15P to non-members ISSN 0142-0313 May 1979

Quotes in its entirety “A first meeting of individuals to discuss the position of the homosexual in Scotland ... 8 Feb 1969.” Adds that the meeting took place in Ian Dunn's parents' house.
“The document reproduced on p1 is a report ... first step in the creation of this organization. A second meeting followed at the same address in Buckingham St on March 6 1969. And at a third meeting, held at 65 Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow and Friday May 9 1969 the Scottish Minorities Group was formally created, with Colin Harvey as Chairman, Ian Dunn as Secretary, and Jim Halcrow as Treasurer.” p12 gives extracts from contemporary reports plus membership numbers.
“This special 10^th anniversary issue of GS looks back on our history through the reminiscences and assessments of some of the people who have helped to make SHRG what it is now. Our first contributor, Jim Halcrow, recalls events and contacts which led to 'A First Meeting...' The linking passage which introduces the various contributors were written by me, and I must say that in writing them I have felt distressingy like Eamonn Andrews doing This Is Your Life on SHRG. PAUL BROWNSEY [Editor]

P2

MY LONG TRAIL TO 'A FIRST MEETING...' by Jim Halcrow

A PROFOUND CHANGE TO A WHOLE LIFE by Ian Dunn

p3

IT WAS AS A FREEDOM FIGHTER by Donald B.
Although not active since I left the SMG Executive in Decembar 1972, I feel very much entitled to say something upon this tenth anniversay, for I was one of the original five who first gathered in that splendid Glasgow drawing room on the evening of 7^th February 1969.

A RECORD AD. [inset]

p4

COMBINING RADICALISM AND SOLIDARITY IN A SCOTS WAY by Antony Green [Secy of the Homosexual Law Reform Society during the 60s and Director of the Albany Trust until 1977 [from end of introductory article by BP]]

p5

WALKING A TIGHTROPE: THE KIRK AND THE EMBRYO SMG by Ean M. Simpson

A HETEROSEXUAL MEMBER OF A HOMOSEXUAL ORGANISATIONS by Jessie B. Devlin

p6

WHEN THE SUBJECT WAS STILL HEAVILY TABOO by John Breslin

B

p7

RECOGNISING HUMAN RIGHTS & REMEMBERING FOUR FRIENDS by Anthony Ross

IT CAN START WITH DANCING (BUT NO KISSING)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lesbians in SMG. Some gay women were present at the inaugural meeting of SMG on May 9 1969. There had been a response to an advert in the lesbian magazine Arena three , and the contemporary report of that meeting records:”The Arena 3 firstimers took the opportunity to say that this was the first social conatact of this kind they had experienced. One, who had read A.3 from its inception, thought the venture well worth while. Another described the effects of isolation and her previous personal experience of mental breakdown and hospitalisation”. On p.8 Iona McGregor looks back on the place of lesbians in this organisation.

p8

CONSTRUCTING AN IDENTITY – WITH ROBERTA BURNS' HELP by Iona McGregor

SPRING IS COME by Sheila Beveridge [a poem]

p9

Reformist or radical (1)

TIGER KILLING ON THE INSTALMENT PLAN by Ian Christie

Reformist or radical (2)

SMR REFORMISM HIDES THE REAL TASK by David Evans

BY

p10

One way in which SMG has sought to throw a bridge between gay people and straight society is by recruiting prominent people and Hororary Vice-Presidentes. SMG's first Honorary President was T. Colin Harvey, whose involvement with the Group stems from the earliest days. Indee, he would have been a 'A First Meeting...' on February 7 1969 had he not been in hospital. He recalls:

THE VERY HOSTILE CLIMATE OF PUBLIC OPINION by T. Colin Harvey

p11

NOT JUST A NAME ON THE NOTEPAPER by Keith Wardrop

p12

May 12 1969 .... We adopted the name “SCOTTISH MINORITES GROUP”

p13

CAMPAIGNING NEWS

p14

LETTERS

p15

P16,17

10^th ANNIVERSARY EVENTS

EDINBURGH celebration dinner

GLASGOW Sat 12^th May, 1979: SMG/SHG Anniversary Disco, Charing Cross Hotel, Sauchiehall Street, 8pm-2am, late license till 1am. Tickets price £1.00 from the usual outlets. Glasgow Gay Centre will be open afterwards for coffee and snacks for those who wish them.

ABERDEEN

CENTRAL

CUMBRIA & THE BORDERS

DUNDEE

EDINBURGH

EDINBURGH WOMEN

EDINBURGH TV/TS

GLASGOW GAY CENTRE

PAISLEY

P18

GAY CLUBS

A GAY CLUB FOR GLASGOW?

A GAY CLUB FOR ABERDEE?