Bob Workman was the staff photographer on Britain's pioneering fortnightly newspaper Gay News in the 1970s and 1980s. Bob worked for Gay News until the final edition. In this candid interview he recalls his time at the newspaper and his experiences working for it. Gay News was launched in 1972 and the last issue came out in 1983. The fortnightly publication was the response to a nationwide demand by lesbians and gay men for news of the growing liberation movement. The paper played a pivotal role in the struggle for gay rights in the 1970s in the UK. Gay News challenged the authorities from the outset by publishing personal contact ads, in defiance of the law — in early editions this section was always headlined "Love knoweth no laws." In 1974, Gay News was charged with obscenity, having published an issue with a cover photograph of two men kissing. It won the court case. In 1976 Mary Whitehouse brought a private prosecution of blasphemy (Whitehouse v. Lemon) against both the newspaper and its editor, Denis Lemon, over the publication of James Kirkup's poem The Love that Dares to Speak its Name in the issue dated 3 June 1976. Here staff photographer Bob Workman speaks openly, honestly and frankly about his memories of that period and his time working on Gay News . Please comment, like, share and subscribe.

• published: 14 Feb 2014
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