Admin/Bio:

Peter Roscoe and Geoff Hardy met on a London bus in 1978 and became lifelong partners. From then, they campaigned together for LGBTQ+ rights and equality on both a national scale and on a more local level in London, and later Shropshire where they settled and built their lives.

Before meeting Peter, Geoff was a prominent activist in London, moving there in the early 1970’s to study to become a teacher at Goldsmiths College. During his time at Goldsmiths, Geoff co-founded the first Gay Society, organising various events on campus, such as Gay Discos. While studying, he also became aware of the Gay Liberation Front and through them became extremely involved in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. In 1972, he became a member of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE). In the same year, Geoff attended the first Pride March in London. By 1976, Geoff began to feel that CHE were overcautious in their methods and demands and left the organisation. Together with other campaigners at the time, he formed the Lewisham Lesbian and Gay Rights Group, which organised radical ‘glad to be gay’ workshops.

Qualifying in 1974, Geoff started a career as an English teacher. Along with fellow gay colleagues, he founded the Gay Teachers Group in 1974. He decided to ‘come-out’ to students and colleagues in 1975, and his openness in the classroom, pre-Section 28, inspired many.

After meeting Peter, Geoff’s campaigning in London continued into the 1980s. He supported groups such as the London Lesbian and Gay Centre, the GLC Gay Rights Working Party and the Greenwich Lesbian and Gay Rights Group. He was also involved with the founding of the Greenwich Gay Centre in 1983.

In 1985, Peter and Geoff left London for Shropshire, where they built their life together. Here, they continued to pioneer for LGBTQ+ equality and became passionate about celebrating LGBTQ+ culture and history. They were the first couple to be married in Shropshire after Civil Partnerships became legal on 21 December 2005, having lived together for 25 years.

Working for Shropshire County Council, Peter worked hard to incorporate LGBTQ+ rights and equality into the workplace. He was involved with the formation of a group for LGBT staff at the council, becoming the groups secretary. In 2007, Shropshire Council was on the list of Britain’s top 100 gay-friendly employers.

In 2006, both Peter and Geoff were founding members of the Shropshire Rainbow Film Festival. The yearly festival placed LGBTQ+ lives at the heart of Shropshire’s entertainment programme. The festival promoted feature length films and shorts, holding various screenings and related events at several venues in Shropshire. The aim of the festival was to entertain, educate, challenge and change. The festival was also involved in facilitating special screenings to mark occasions such as Pride month and World AIDS day.

Both Geoff and Peter were regular features in the local press, local radio and local projects. They spoke out about life as gay men in Shropshire generally but also covered topics such as; religion and homosexuality, same-sex families, same sex marriages, and discrimination.

In 2021, Geoff’s health began to deteriorate. He passed away in May 2024, and is survived by Peter, his partner of over four decades.

Scope and Content:

Papers of LGBTQ+ activists and campaigners, Geoff Hardy and Peter Roscoe. Papers relate to their personal life as a couple, their involvement with various national and local campaigns, groups, events and projects, and LGBTQ+ rights in general. Includes: personal papers; Shropshire Rainbow Film Festival; Education; LGBT History Month/National Festival of LGBT History/'Back in Time'; organisations; LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and communities; civil partnership and same sex marriage; pride and diversity events; crime and the law; film/theatre/books & radio; exhibitions and festivals; press cuttings; audio-visual material and items (c.1960s-2023)

Extent:

26 boxes