A StoneCrabs Theatre Company Project
Robert was born on the Isle of Wight in November 1950. He identifies as a gay man and has lived on the Island all his life. After working in shops, then in journalism, he became Secretary of the Isle of Wight Labour Party in his twenties, beginning a long career in politics.
Listen to the story of Michelle, a trans woman who decided to come out and transition when she was 60. Her connection to the Island goes back many years, from family holidays in the 1940s and 50s to business consultancy in the 1990s, and she has now retired here.
Melissa is a non-binary person who identifies as queer and bisexual. They moved to the Island in 1998 and in 2008 left for University in Bath. They are a key member of the Out On An Island team having contributed content to both the project’s book and social media channels.
Discover what it was like to move to the Isle of Wight in 1997 for Lucy, a trans woman who was born in Birmingham. She used to visit her family here from 1988 and now lives and works here.
Listen to the story of full time artist Karl, a gay man who was born in North Yorkshire. He and his husband moved to the Island in 2007 buying a small hotel in Shanklin which they sold in 2017. Hear about his experiences as a councillor in Shanklin.
Karl is a gay man from Yorkshire who moved to the Island in 1992 with his partner, now husband, David. He got a job here as a Young Person’s Outreach Worker for Sexual Health and set up the IW Gay Men’s Health Project. Nowadays Karl is a County Councillor for East Cowes who was elected… Continue reading Karl Love
Karen came to the Isle of Wight when she was 6 months old and spent her childhood here. Sociable, outgoing and active, she loves living on the Island and says it is a great place to be gay. She describes herself as ‘ever the optimist’ and says she is constantly amazed by what she uncovers… Continue reading Karen Wright
Jude is a lesbian who was born in London. She describes feelings of gender dysphoria when she was a child. Jude was the Isle of Wight representative for Kenric, a national group for lesbians and enjoyed the parties and meet ups that made the LGBTQ+ scene so vibrant on the Island in the 1980’s and… Continue reading Jude Ashley-Walker
Julian is a trans man who was born on the island and has lived most of their life here. Their original ambition was to work in music production and he also studied opera. Julian describes how they identified as a man a long time ago but was deterred from transitioning by their doctor.
Jess is an Island raised queer woman born in 1991 and now living in the north of England. She frequently returns to visit the island and dreams of a world where people can live freely and happily. Jess works to educate, advocate and raise awareness of issues that affect human rights.
